Intro

This morning I’d like to talk to you about the future, that is not very far away, AND the present.
I’d like to talk to you about genetic engineering and some of its applications and try to
convince you that it is that an evil thing that some people believe it is.

Firstly, I would like introduce you to the basic concepts that may be helpful to the
understanding of this technology.

So, I will start with a question: What is the DNA?

The DNA is a complex molecule that we find in every single cell of the human body and it
contains all the information our organism needs to function properly. So it is like a huge library
inside our cells that has every single information about us: our hair color, eye color, height,
everything.

And how is it related to Genetic Engineering. Let’s see the definition. Genetic engineering is
“…”. And it is done by applying a technique that we call CRISPR. So it consists in using a protein
called CAS9 to rewrite a certain segment in the DNA molecule that we want to alter, in order
to activate some specific (desired) characteristic in an individual.

And by applying this technique we open many doors to many applications in a variety of
domains: for energy generation, for the chemical industry, …

We’ll see some of these applications throughout this presentation.

Medicine

And the first one that I’d like to address here is medicine. So, we have many uses for genetic
engineering in medicine. For instance, we can use it to tackle the problem of producing insulin
for diabetic patients.

So, Type I Diabetes is a malfunction of the pancreas, the organ that is responsible for the
production of insulin. Thus, a diabetic patient has an insulin deficit, which leads to sugar
regulation issues.

But diabetics need to get insulin from somewhere else to live. Where do we obtain it?

We use genetic engineering.

We get a bacteria. We get the gene for insulin and we inject it in this bacteria. And then, with
time, it starts producing insulin for us. We just have to store it.

Diabetes is a disease that affects 6% of global population. Before we had to extract insulin
from cows and pigs, which is costly and it is a method that doesn’t meet the demand.
However, since 1982, with the approval of this new method using bacteria, diabetics can buy
the hormone much easier and for much smaller prices.

The other application that I’d like to talk is for the cure of genetic diseases. You probably know
some of these diseases appearing on the screen. Now, imagine being able to prevent a baby
from being born with these conditions. No more down syndrome, ….

In order to do this, scientists need to modify genetically human embryos. That is the problem.
We can’t just do tests with embryos.
However, in China, in 2015 and 2016 they did experiments with embryos. The aim of the
research was to try tackling a genetic blood disorders called Thalassemia. They didn’t have
concrete results but it helped to give some enlightment for scientists in this domain.

And this is the future of genetic engineering in medicine.

Agriculture

Another huge area that is using this kind of techniques nowadays is agriculture, it comes with a
many benefit to us.

The first one, being the less use of pesticides in agriculture. With genetic engineering, we can
modify plants DNA so that they can produce a substance that may kill insects and that is
harmless to human beings. Therefore, we get rid of pests and we reduce the use of pesticides.

Another advantage, is that, with GM plants, we are able increase the amount of food being
produced by a single plant. Thus, in the same area, we can double or triple the food
production.

Besides, with this kind of technology, we are able to make crops more resistant to time. This
products will take more time to spoil hence making it possible to extend shelf time of the food
product.

Theses techniques are already in use nowadays.

But now, I’d like to ask you a question? Are you afraid of Genetically Modified Food? Well,
according to a survey carried out by Pew Research Center, 39% of Americans think it is actually
bad for health.

However, studies show that “eating GM plants is no more risky than its non-GM equivalent”.
But don’t take my word for it, the reference is right there. It is a research carried out by the
National Academy of Science.

(Besides, regulation exists)

Besides, GM plants that are destined to be eaten are checked for possible danger, and the
results are evaluated by multiple agencies, just like any other food products.

In the US, they have the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), the CTNBio in Brazil and ESFA in
Europe to regulate the production of GM food.

So, you as can see it is safe to eat genetically modified food.

Conclusion

So, throughout this presentation I showed you some applications of genetic engineering in
some specific domains like medicine and agriculture. How this technology helps us develop
drugs for diabetic patients, how it helps us improve the way we do agriculture nowadays and
some possible applications for the future in order to tackle genetic diseases.

A couple of years ago, if somebody stopped me and said that this kind of things would be
possible, I would say “What kind of scientific-novel are you reading”. But it actually is
happening and I hope it continues in full swing so that we reap the rewards of it as soon as
possible.

Thank you.

Vocabulário:

- Controversial topic
- Technological progress

Men have always been good in engineering life.