6.3.10 Uses of Genetic Engineering

Question 1

Uses of genetic engineering

Answer 1

• GM microorganisms
• The production of human insulin
• GM plants and animals
• GM crops
• Insect resistance in soya
• GM livestock
• GM salmon
• GM pathogens

Question 2

What is patenting?

Answer 2

Where the owner of the ‘genetic modification’ of an organism prevents others from replicating their invention for a limited time period

Question 3

How can recombinant human proteins be created?

Answer 3

• Usually produced using eukaryotic cells
• Can carry out post translational modification
• Which can produce a suitable protein
• Or by using GM Microbes

Question 4

How can GM Microbes be useful?

Answer 4

• More cost effective to produce (unlimited availability)
• Simpler
• Faster to produce lots of proteins
• Reliable supply
• Proteins engineered to be identical to human proteins, or have modifications that are beneficial
• Can solve issue of ‘morals’ and ‘ethics’ against using cow or pork produced proteins

Question 5

How can human insulin be produced? Advantages?

Answer 5

• Bacteria plasmids modified to include human insulin gene
• Recombinant plasmids inserted into E. Coli
• Transgenic bacteria are identified by markers
• Isolated, purified, then multiply by binary fission
• Express the protein INSULIN, which is eventually extracted and purified
  .
  Advantages of Producing Insulin like this :
• Identical to human insulin
• Reliable supply
• Fewer ethical problems
• Fewer rejection problems, side effects, allergic reactions
• Cheaper to mass produce
• Useful for people with animal insulin intolerance

Question 6

How can GM Plants be useful?

Answer 6

• Can breed crop strains which are resistant to herbicides (Increases crop yield)
• Resistance to pests (increased crop yield)
• Enriched in vitamins (increased nutritional value)
  .
  Eg. Increased Resistance in Soya

Question 7

How can Genetically modified livestock be useful?

Answer 7

• GMed to grow faster
• Although ethical concerns
• Pharming

Question 8

How are GM Pathogens useful?

Answer 8

• Adenoviruses, which are viruses that infect respiratory tract, can inject their DNA into epithelial cells of lungs and so can act as vectors for gene transfer
• We can genetically modify adenoviruses to be used in gene therapy

Question 9

Arguments Against the Use of GMOs

Answer 9

• Lack of long term research on its effects on human health
• Organic farmers have complained that pollen from GM crops contaminates nearby non-GM crops that have been certified as organic
• Potential reduction in biodiversity for future generations (less genetic diversity in crops so pathogens can wipe the species)
• Herbicide resistant genes could transfer to weed plants creating superweeds, same with superbugs (pathogens)
• Biotech companies charge farmers more money for GM seeds vs non-GM seeds to try and make back the money they have invested in their product
  Seeds can not be kept from GM crops to regrow the crop the following year because GM crops do not “breed true”
  Buying seeds year upon year can be a major struggle for farmers in developing countries