GMO

When I heard about GMO for the first time, I was surprised about the global scale of
this question. In a genetically modified organism, the nucleotides of the organisms
DNA are reconfigured, with the intention of creating an organism with improved
characteristics. DNA is present in the cells of all living organisms, including fruit and
vegetables. The genetic manipulation of micro-organisms is a modern technology, used
for food preservation; for increasing crop yields: for the prevention of insect damage to
plants; as well as to combat diseases and to reduce our environmental footprint by
producing biofuels and chemicals from renewable biomass.
Some of the most exciting advances in the genetic engineering of plants have the
potential to prevent a wide variety of diseases, from cholera to AIDS by using food in
the immunisation of individuals. For example a transgenic potato plant has been
produced and tested successfully in the area of preventing diarrhoea by immunising
against various diarrhoea-causing diseases. For this test many individuals agreed to be
involved in the study as subjects.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1863586/

Biotechnology is technology based on biology. The scientists who work in this field
study live cellular and biomolecular processes. One recent article describes the role of a
novel gene-editing technique in furthering the progress towards curing a rare disease.
This technique is based on testing on mice. When injected, a modified gene uses a nonpathogenic virus as a delivery vehicle and is enabled to make precise changes to the
DNA of the invading virus. As a result, the mouse increases its muscle strength
throughout the body, including in the heart. Despite involving animal testing, this is
considered a step forward in the healing of muscle disease in individuals.
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/549885/scitech/science/gene-editing-technique-heals-mice-with-musculardystrophy

With the fast development of tissue engineering, several organisms have been grown
in laboratories and transplanted successfully into human patients. Last year, the NHS in
Britain announced that it is planning to give artificial blood to human volunteers for the
first time ever. This blood is produced from stem cells, extracted from either the
umbilical cord blood of new-born babies or the blood of adult donors. The stem cells are
cultured in the laboratory in a growth medium rich in nutrients and growth factors that
stimulate their differentiation into red blood cells. During later stages, the stem cells will
carry oxygen around the body, which means that these cells cannot cause cancer. The
possible success of this experiment may solve the problem of anaemia and perhaps
even prevent cancer.
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/gene-correction-technique-couldrevolutionise-treatment-9649983.html

Genetic engineering is called a mad science. GM foods and food ingredients have
infiltrated our food supply, but are they safe for us? The research regarding Frankenfood is not yet sufficient to enable us to make firm conclusions. Some specialists claim
that GM is harmful to human health, leading to sterility, allergies, infant mortality, organ
defects, childhood illnesses and cancer. When British researchers found a 50% jump in
soy allergies after the introduction of GMO soy into country, the EU banned these foods
in 1999. But is this enough and what will happen to us if we continually eat genetically
modified organisms?
Only twenty five years ago, the planting of genetically modified plants was kept
isolated, away from the food chain. Today more than 54% of American crops contain
GMOs and about 70% of processed foods harbour at least one genetically modified
ingredient. In agriculture this process is used to create super resistant plants with a
better flavour and texture. This 21st century approach enables the production of
combinations such as cabbages that produce scorpion poison, cats which glow in the
dark, fast growing salmon, genetically modified trees of higher quality, disease-fighting
eggs, super carbon capturing plants. What will happen when Nature mixes up all these

ingredients? The world will became strange, with bizarre flora and fauna, an altered
atmosphere and even we, as humans will not be able to escape, because we will
become monsters, similar to Frankenstein in a planet of our own making.
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