Genetically Modified
Organisms (GMO)
Ethical Issues in Bioengineering
KPLIMBO
NATURAL SELECTION
• Individuals with characteristics most suited to
their environment are more likely to survive
and reproduce. The genes that allow these
individuals to be successful are passed to their
offspring.
• ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE
• In a large population of bacteria, there may be
some that are not affected by an antibiotic. These
survive and reproduce - producing more bacteria
that are not affected by the antibiotic.
SELECTIVE BREEDING
• traditional method for improving crops and livestock
• Different varieties of plants and animals with desired
characteristics can be developed by selective breeding
• Major Steps in Selective Breeding
1. decide which characteristics are important enough to select
2. choose parents that show these characteristics
3. choose the best offspring from parents to produce the next
generation
4. repeat the process continuously
The Aberdeen Angus bull is bred for beef The Friesian cow is a dairy breed
SELECTIVE BREEDING
SELECTIVE BREEDING
GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS
• an organism or microorganism whose genetic material has been
altered to contain a segment of DNA from another organism
(Genetics Generation, 2015)
• involves the insertion of DNA from one organism into another
OR modification of an organism’s DNA in order to achieve a
desired trait
• an organism or microorganism whose genetic material has been
altered by means of genetic engineering
SELECTIVE GMO
BREEDING vs • Very fast
• Slow • Precise
• Imprecise • Can introduce genes into
an organisms that would
• Modification of genes that not naturally occur
naturally occur in
organism
Related Terms
TRANSGENIC
- A gene is moved from one non-
closely related species to another.
CISGENIC/INTRAGENIC
- A gene is moved within the same
species or a closely related species.
SUBGENIC
- A gene is edited to amplify, delete,
insert, silence, or repress the gene.
Man has been manipulating DNA in plants
and animals for millennia
Man has been manipulating DNA in plants
and animals for millennia
Important Traits of GM Crops
1. Herbicide tolerance
2. Insect tolerance (produces toxins to kill pest)
3. Improved nutrition
4. Disease resistant
5. Stress tolerance (low/excess nutrient levels)
6. Longer shelf-life
7. Better appearance and taste
8. Medicinal uses
9. Industrial uses
Insulin (SemBioSys Genetics Inc. – safflower)
Atryn (anti-coagulant)
Cancer fighting eggs
Banana vaccines
GMO in Medicine
Algenol Biofuels Rapeseed (i.e., canola)
GMO in Biofuel
Enviropig i.e., “Frankenswine”
Poplar trees remove
Able to digest and process
groundwater contaminants
phosphate
GMO in Bioremediation
Golden Rice
Aquavantage Salmon
AquAdvantage salmon
Environmental Benefits of
GMOs
REDUCTION IN PESTICIDE USE
• A global study showed that for the first 17 years (1996-
2012) of biotechnology crops (Brooks and Barfoot, 2005):
Pesticide use has been reduced by 503 million kg
Environmental footprint associated with pesticide use reduced
by 18.7%
GHG emissions from agriculture reduced to an equivalent of
19 million cars
Environmental Benefits of
GMOs
SOIL CONSERVATION
• In the USA, herbicide tolerant crops have increase the
adoption of conservation and no-till practices, saving
nearly 1 billion tons of soil per year (Fawcett and
Towery, 2002)
Environmental Benefits of
GMOs
PROMOTE and MAINTAIN BIODIVERSITY
• Biotech cotton has been reported to have a positive
effect on the number and diversity of beneficial
insects in US and Australia (Carpenter et al, 2002)
• In the Philippines, adoption of BT corn did not show a
negative effect on insect abundance and diversity
(Yorobe et al., 2004)
Environmental Safety Assessment
of GM Crops
GMO INTERACTION Environment
Role of the introduced gene and its effect on the recipient plant.
GM crops are thoroughly evaluated by developers, regulatory bodies and
academic scientists.
In the Philippines, the policy is provided by DA Administrative
No. 8 series of 2002.
Environmental Safety Assessment of
GM Crops
Unintentional effects to the environment:
Impact on non-target organisms
Gene flow
Persistence in the environment
GMO INTERACTION Environment
BT
CORN
Bacillus thuringiensis
• Bacterium found in soils throughout
the world
• It naturally produced crystal-like
proteins (Cry proteins) that
selectively kill a few specific insect
species
BT CORN
oGene from Bt for producing the crystal-
like insecticidal protein was
incorporated in the genome of corn
oMOA: the protein, when ingested by the
larva of the target insect, is activated in
the gut’s alkaline condition – punctures
gut
Impact on Non-target
Organisms
The case of BT CORN and the MONARCH
BUTTERFLY
• Bt toxin is very specific but effects on non-
target, especially closely-related to the target
pest, should be evaluated
• In June 1999, it was reported in the US that the
pollen of Bt corn had a negative impact on
Monarch butterfly larvae
The case of BT CORN and the
MONARCH BUTTERFLY
• Lab study of Cornell University
• Issue: Bt corn pollen, like any other corn pollen, can
blow onto milkweed leaves which are the exclusive
diet of Monarch butterflies
• Caterpillars suffered when fed with milkweeds
leaves heavily dusted with Bt corn pollens.
• “Our study was conducted in the lab and, while it
raises an important issue, it would be inappropriate
to draw any conclusions about the risk to Monarch
populations in the field solely on these initial
results.”
The case of BT CORN and the
MONARCH BUTTERFLY
• How much Bt corn pollen should larvae ingest for it to be toxic?
• Likelihood of exposure of the larvae to that much pollen?
Findings:
Monarch caterpillars have to be exposed to Bt pollen levels
greater than 1000 grains/cm2 to show toxic effects.
Caterpillars are found to be present on milkweeds during the 1-
2 weeks that corn sheds pollen but pollen levels were found to
average only about 170 grains/cm2.
Health Concerns of GMOs
Direct health effects (toxicity)
Tendencies to provoke allergic reaction (allergenicity)
Specific components thought to have a nutritional or toxic
properties
The stability of the inserted gene
Nutritional effects associated with genetic modification
Health Concerns of GMOs
Herbicide and GM Corn May Cause Tumors, Early
Death
France, 2012
a 2012 experiment studied the effects of feeding
GM corn to rats over a two-year period
Used albino Sprague-Dawley rats
Health Concerns of GMOs
RESULTS:
up to 50% of the males and 70% of the females fed
GM corn died during the 2-year study compared with
30% of the males and 20% of the females in the
control group.
tumors were reported in 50% to 80% of the females
compared with only 30% of the controls
Scientists quickly criticized this study and rejected
the results.
Health Concerns of GMOs
What went wrong?
• A very small number of rats were used (20 sample size)
• Species of rats chosen is prone to tumors
• Species of rats has high mortality rate at 2 years of age
under normal conditions
• The lead scientist at the time of study publication
announced the release of book and film about the
work – CONFLICT OF INTEREST
Many people express health concerns regarding the safety of
genetically modified foods.
However, there are currently no documented health effects
from GMOs, nor are there any GMOs on the market whose
nutritional content is altered in any way. The modifications that
are made to the food crops (pesticide and herbicide resistance)
do not change the nutritional content.
Ecological Concerns of GMOs
The capability of the GMO to escape and
potentially introduce the engineered
genes into wild populations
The susceptibility of non-target organisms
(e.g. insects which are not pests) to the
gene product
The stability of the gene
The reduction in the spectrum of other
plants leading to loss of biodiversity
Ownership Issues on GMO
• Napa Biotech, an agribusiness specializing in the production of genetically
modified grapes, sells seeds for red grapevines to wineries throughout the
Napa Valley. The red grapes produced by Napa Biotech grow very
successfully in the Napa Valley and are thriving despite more extreme
temperatures resulting from global climate change. The climate is so vital
to a successful harvest that wineries purchase these genetically modified
seeds to ensure against an unpredictable future. When a contract is signed
between a winery and Napa Biotech, the winery agrees to purchase seeds
every year and not replant any of the seeds the following year.
• After three years of doing business with Napa Biotech, a winery in Napa
called Gianna Vintners decides to end their contract and stop receiving
seeds from the company. Over the past five years, Gianna Vintners’
business has increased and the winery is willing to risk crop failure with
non-GM (traditional) grapes.
Ownership Issues on GMO
• Later that year, Napa Biotech sues Gianna Vintners for breach of contract.
The biotech claims that the winery is illegally using their GM seeds after
the contract ended. Attorneys for Napa Biotech present evidence of some
new GM grapevines growing in the fields of Gianna Vintners. The winery
claims they did not actively use the genetically modified seeds, and the
few new GM grapevines must have been a result of natural processes, like
grapes from last year falling to the ground and sprouting. Napa Biotech
argues that the seeds belong to Napa Biotech, and that because the seeds
had not been properly licensed, a portion of the vineyard’s profits should
now belong to Napa Biotech. Gianna Vintners counters that they do not
have the technology to determine which plants in their field are GM, and it
is unreasonable to expect them to take extreme measures to ensure that a
few GM plants don’t grow on their own. Still, the contract signed by
Gianna Vintners is very specific about the reuse of Napa Biotech seeds.
tampering with nature
introduction of foreign material into
foods that are abstained from for
religious reasons
FDA Voluntary Guidelines for
Labeling
1. If GMO food is significantly different, the name must be
changed to describe the difference.
2. If a bioengineering food has a significantly different
nutritional property, its label must reflect the difference.
3. If a new food includes an allergen, the presence of that
allergen must be disclosed on the label.
Would meat, eggs, and dairy products form livestock that are fed
with transgenic crops require labeling?
1-2: Give 2 important traits of GM crops
3-4: Give 2 examples of GMO in medicine
5: Give 1 example of GMO in bioremediation
6: Give 1 environmental benefit of GMO
7: Give 1 health concern of GMO
8. What nutritional component of wild carrot was genetically
increased in concentration to produce the orange-colored
carrot we know today?
9. TRUE or FALSE. Genetic modification is more precise than
selective breeding.
10. TRUE or FALSE. In genetic modification, one can introduce
genes into an organism that would not naturally occur in
that organism.
