EVS PROJECT

ROUGH DRAFT
ISHAAN AMBAVANE
XII I 8047

Genetically Modified Organisms

HYPOTHESIS
A genetically modified organism (GMO) is any organism whose genetic material has
been altered using genetic engineering techniques (i.e., a
genetically engineered organism). GMOs are used to produce many medications
and genetically modified foods and are widely used in scientific research and the
production of other goods. The term GMO is very close to the technical legal term,
'living modified organism', defined in the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, which
regulates international trade in living GMOs (specifically, "any living organism that
possesses a novel combination of genetic material obtained through the use of modern
biotechnology").
A more specifically defined type of GMO is a "transgenic organism." This is an organism
whose genetic makeup has been altered by the addition of genetic material from an
unrelated organism. This should not be confused with the more general way in which
"GMO" is used to classify genetically altered organisms, as typically GMOs are
organisms whose genetic makeup has been altered without the addition of genetic
material from an unrelated organism.

OBJECTIVE
 To study the pros and cons of genetically modified organisms (GMO)
 To understand the types of GMO’s.
 To evaluate the public opinion about GMO’s.
 To analyse the restritions and bans imposed on GMO’s around the globe.
 To estimate the importance of GMO’s in the future.

RELEVANCE

Pursuing research about a project can be challenging and rewarding experience,but this
opportunity enables you to pursue an in depth original study about a topic of your
interest. Research plays a vital role in achieving success of global endeavors. This
project served as a tool for Building Knowledge and Efficient Learning. It helped me to
research about the deeper depths about the environment .I Understood the Various
Issues regarding genetically modified organisms.It was a nourishment and exercise for
the mind.It helped me learn various contrivances against genetical modification.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Azadi and Ho (2010) make a valid conclusion to the ever-growing debates about
genetically modified and transgenic organisms. They state that, “societies will need to
make some important choices about the type of world that they wish to build up”. In my
opinion, unless the benefits outweigh the negative impacts or vice-versa, it is hard to
decide if one must support or oppose the creation of genetically modified or transgenic
organisms. Most of the research found out there is merely suggestive, in other words
there is no concrete evidence whether these organisms will have a positive or negative
impact on human and animal health and the environment. I do agree with many of the
articles I reviewed, in that extensive research and public consensus must be achieved
(Azevedo & Araujo, 2006) before these organisms are found on our kitchen tables.
Governments throughout the world must also be in consensus and held accountable
since this is something that can ultimately change and reshape the whole planet.
NUMERICAL REPRESENTATION OF GRAPHICAL DATA
GRAPHICAL ANALYSIS OF DATA

Uderstanding of US consumers towards GMO’s.

METHOD AND MATERIAL USED

 Observation method is used in this project to assess the application of GMO’s in
the near future.
 I also referred to previous year’s textbooks to study the types of GMO’s .
 I contacted a well known genetical engineer Dr.Juhi Bharnuke to know the uses
of GMO’s in iological and medical research, production of pharmaceutical
drugs,experimental medicine (e.g. gene therapy and vaccines against the Ebola
virus), and agriculture (e.g. golden rice, resistance to herbicides), with developing
uses in conservation.
 The following points are considered in this project regarding Genetically modified
organisms
 Production of GMO’s
 History of GMO’S.
 Types of GMO’s.
 Restrictions of GMO’s all over the globe.
 Evaluating the public opinion on GMO’s.
 Controversies over GMO’s.
DISCRIPTION OF METHOD
PRODUCTION
A gene gun uses biolistics to insert DNA into plant tissue. Creating a genetically
modified organism (GMO) is a multi-step process. Genetic engineers must isolated the
gene they wish to insert into the host organism. This can be taken from a cell containing
the gene or artificially synthesised. If the chosen gene or the donor organism's genome
has been well studied it may already be accessible from a genetic library. The gene is
then combined with other genetic elements, including a promoter and terminator region
and a selectable marker.

DNA is generally inserted into animal cells using microinjection, where it can be injected
through the cell's nuclear envelope directly into the nucleus, or through the use of viral
vectors. In plants the DNA is often inserted using Agrobacterium-mediated
recombination, biolistic or electroporation.

HISTORY
In 1974 Rudolf Jaenisch created a transgenic mouse by introducing foreign DNA into its
embryo, making it the world’s first transgenic animal .However it took another eight
years before transgenic mice were developed that passed the transgene to their
offspring.Genetically modified mice were created in 1984 that carried cloned
oncogenes, predisposing them to developing cancer Mice with genes knocked out
(knockout mouse) were created in 1989. The first transgenic livestock were produced in
1985 and the first animal to synthesise transgenic proteins in their milk were mice,
engineered to produce human tissue plasminogen activator in 1987.

TYPES
Microorganisms

Bacteria were the first organisms to be modified in the laboratory, due to the relative
ease of modifying their genetics

Genetically modified bacteria are used to produce the protein insulin to treat
diabetes.[65] Similar bacteria have been used to produce biofuels,[66] clotting factors to
treat haemophilia,[67] and human growth hormone to treat various forms of dwarfism

Virus
In 2017 researchers genetically modified a virus to express spinach defensin proteins.
The virus was injected into orange trees to combat citrus greening disease that had
reduced orange production 70% since 2005.

Crops

Genetically modified crops (GM crops, or biotech crops) are plants used in agriculture,
the DNA of which has been modified using genetic engineering techniques. In most
cases the aim is to introduce a new trait to the plant which does not occur naturally in
the species. Examples in food crops include resistance to certain pests, diseases, or
environmental conditions, reduction of spoilage, or resistance to chemical treatments
(e.g. resistance to a herbicide), or improving the nutrient profile of the crop. Examples in
non-food crops include production of pharmaceutical agents, biofuels, and other
industrially useful goods, as well as for bioremediation.

Conservation

Genetically modified organisms have been proposed to aid conservation of plant

species threatened by extinction. Many trees face the threat of invasive plants and
diseases, such as the emerald ash borer in North American and the fungal disease,
Ceratocystis platani, in European plane trees.

Mammals

Some chimeras, like the blotched mouse shown, are created through genetic
modification techniques like gene targeting.

Genetically modified mammals are an important category of genetically modified

organisms.Ralph L. Brinster and Richard Palmiter developed the techniques
responsible for transgenic mice, rats, rabbits, sheep, and pigs in the early 1980s, and
established many of the first transgenic models of human disease, including the first
carcinoma caused by a transgene. The process of genetically engineering animals is a
slow, tedious, and expensive process. However, new technologies are making genetic
modifications easier.

RESTRICTIONS
When nations ban the importation or cultivation of GMO products, such moves are
generally driven not by science, as the independent science organizations in every
major country have come out with public statements that GM products are safe. Other
factors are trade protectionism, pressure from activists, public uneasiness or a desire to
protect a country’s image—such as the French belief that genetic crops could
“contaminate” the country’s reputation as a world food capital. As is often the case with
GMOs, the situation in the European Union suggests how divisive and political this
issue has become.

CONTROVERSIES
There is controversy over GMOs, especially with regard to their use in producing food.
The dispute involves buyers, biotechnology companies, governmental regulators,
nongovernmental organizations, and scientists. The key areas of controversy related to
GMO food are whether GM food should be labeled, the role of government regulators,
the effect of GM crops on health and the environment, the effect on pesticide
resistance, the impact of GM crops for farmers, and the role of GM crops in feeding the
world population. In 2014, sales of products that had been labeled as non-GMO grew
30 percent to $1.1 billion

There is a scientific consensus that currently available food derived from GM crops
poses no greater risk to human health than conventional food but that each GM food
needs to be tested on a case-by-case basis before introductionNonetheless, members
of the public are much less likely than scientists to perceive GM foods as safe. The legal
and regulatory status of GM foods varies by country, with some nations banning or
restricting them, and others permitting them with widely differing degrees of regulation.

SUGGESTIONS
The analysis undertaken for this study indicates several important suggestions.

• There is an urgent need to create awareness among the farmers about the bio technology
and provide training to cotton farmers about the recommended refuge technology.

• Foreign multinationals are dominant in Indian transgenic cotton market and resultant
monopoly driven high seed prices, so there is a need to develop indigenous transgenic cotton
seeds by keeping in mind the agro climatic conditions of the region. This is expected to be more
beneficial to Indian farmers.

• Transgenic cotton seeds should be made available at affordable prices to increase the use by
small farmers and to increase their profitability. Government should subsidize the cost of Bt
seeds to encourage the farmers to adopt transgenic cotton seeds.
• There is a strong need for transgenic crop scientists to make specialized information easily
available to the general public, policy makers, and political activists in an easy language.
Relationship between the scientific community and the general public must also be
strengthened so that negative public perception about the technology could be reduced.

• Some dishonest dealers selling illegal / fake transgenic cotton seeds. Farmer should avoid
such illegal varieties. The regulations in the market are not enough to protect the farmer from
adulterated seeds, ineffective pesticides. So the regulatory system should be strict enough.

• There is a strong need for an institutional setup that can provide information, credit and other
inputs to transgenic crop farmers.

CONCLUSION
In conclusion Genetically Modified Organisms have more positive effects than negative
effects in the environment. Although it is an expensive process it may be the future of
science. The layman’s understandings of the concept are narrow and not much
developed. The incomplete clarity of this term has caused public uneasiness and has
thus lead to imposing restrictions by the government.

In the future modifications of genetics can give rise to an entire new manmade
ecosystem and efficient production of crops and food.

Due to this the existing species could also be saved from extinction.

It is a fact that we probably eat 30,000 GMO’s every day. Therefore we could say that
there is already a lot of advancement in the field of genetically modified organisms.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetically_modified_organism

https://www.loc.gov/law/help/restrictions-on-gmos/index.php

https://www.statista.com/statistics/739995/amount-of-gm-food-eaten-by-consumers