Genetic Engineering for Better Agriculture, Food and Medicine Prof.Dr. Shahana Urooj Kazmi University of Karachi
People invented winemaking about 10,000 years ago. Followed by ensiling. Then meat preservation. And genetic selection.
1 st transgenic plant created Mutagenesis breeding 1983 1 st fertile intergeneric cross mid-1700 s 1860 s 1920 s 1940 s Darwin and Mendel science-based selective breeding 8000 BC 1 st fertile between species cross Selective breeding within species
Antibiotics Embryo transfer Production of insulin and other products via recombinant techniques i.e. GMO s
Organisms to which genes coding for specific, desirable traits from another (often unrelated) organism have been inserted.
Isolate plant cells Grow undifferentiated callus Transform cells Redifferentiate callus Grow transgenic plant
1. Institutional Biosafety Committee 4. End of the process Permit may be issued for Contained use, for field trials, Or commercial commodities 2. Technical Advisory Committee 3. National Biosafety Committee
Selective Breeding Mutagenesis Genetic Engineering Level Precision Whole organism Molecule Molecule Thousands of genes Unknown Single gene Certainty Genetic change poorly characterized Genetic change poorly characterized Gene function well understood Limits Between species and genera Not applicable No limitations
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Irrespective of method used, goals are: Higher yields Pest resistance Tolerance to environmental stress Harvesting and processing traits More nutritious Decreased levels of natural plant toxins
1. Higher yielding crops, more efficient use of land 2. Can save money and promote higher profits 3. Longer shelf life, less waste e.g Tomatoes from genetically modified seeds stay fresh longer. 4. Enhanced taste and quality 5. Reduced maturation time
6. Increased and improved nutrients and stress tolerance 1. A single gene genetically engineered into cauliflower can increase production of beta-carotene 100 times. 2. A gene can be implanted into a soybean upgrading the soy protein to a quality equal to that of milk. 3. Corn can be modified to contain its two limiting amino acids, lysine or tryptophan 7. Improved resistance to disease or illness 8. Foods can be enhanced with phytochemicals that help maintain health and reduce the risks of chronic disease. 9. Improved crop resistance to disease, pests, weeds and herbicides 10. New products and growing techniques - Individuals allergic to milk may be able to buy milk that has been treated with the lactase enzyme. 1. Creating decaffeinated coffee beans are in a process of research.
Bacillus thruingiensis Bt gene is inserted into crop Crop is infected by European corn borer Pest dies when feeding on any part of plant
The US produces nearly twothirds of all GM crops grown around the world. Over one-third of all GM crops are grown outside US.
sweet potato resistant to a US strain of a virus that affects one out of the more than 89 different varieties of sweet potato grown in Africa rice with increased iron and vitamins - golden rice maize with enhanced levels of the essential nutrient lysine which provides better quality protein for animal feeds. a variety of plants able to better tolerate nonbiological stresses which are commonly encountered in a nonnal growing season, such as water, and nitrogen limitation, or survive extreme growing conditions, such as high salinity Cont.
or acidic soils, or hot weather. Such traits can provide more reliable crop performance over an extended period of cultivation. Transgenic rice has been developed by a Californian company to improve oral rehydration therapy for diarrhea. In sub-saharan Africa and parts of Latin America and Asia, diarrhea is the number-two infectious killer of children under the age of five, accounting for some two million deaths a year. Recent 2005-6 trials in a Peruvian Hospital have demonstrated that specialized milk proteins lactoferrin and lysozyme made in transgenic rice plants improve the effectiveness of oral rehydration solution used to treat diarrhea.
The principal GM foods derived from plants are soybean, maize, canola and cotton seed oil. Genetically Engineered foods have the genes of other organisms inserted into them to gain the added affect, for example, some plants that have natural immunities to bacteria can have the gene that causes this isolated and added to another crop. The first commercially grown genetically modified food crop was a tomato created by California company Calgene called the FlavrSavr.This tomato was made more resistant to rotting,, and did not need special labeling. Calgene was allowed to release it into the market in 1994, where it was welcomed by consumers who purchased the fruit at two to five times the price of standard tomatoes.
GM technology has been used during the past 10 years or so to develop new drugs and treatments for diseases. Tobacco is Genetically Engineered to Produce Vaccine against amoebiasis - a disease predominantly affecting Latin America, Africa, and Asia. The UN World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that amoebiasis, caused by the parasite Entamoeba hisolytica, affects 50 million people worldwide each year and causes 100,000 deaths. Tests on animals have found that the tobacco-derived vaccine prompts an immune response that is four to 20 times greater than that from other engineered antigens.
The production of human proteins within bacteria, such as blood clotting factor VIII, insulin and blood cell growth factors. As they are produced in human body in small amount. Therefore, the ability to insert the genes encoding these proteins into bacteria has been an important step forward. It is now possible to produce industrial scale quantities by growing such modified bacteria at large scale in fermenters. Crops are also used to produce human proteins. In the U.S., rice has been engineered to produce alpha-antitrypsin; in the United Kingdom transgenic sheep have been used to produce this protein, which is used to treat liver disease and hemorrhages. In the late 1990s, about a quarter of all insulin, growth hormone, hepatitis-b vaccine, and antibodies for cancer treatments were produced by GMO's.
bst is a natural protein that regulates milk production. The bst gene is spliced into an E Coli bacterium, which is grown in large numbers. bst is isolated and mixed with a slow-release carrier for injection into milk cows. Cont
Just like the production of BST: Same process used to make human insulin. Works better than animal insulin. No adverse reactions. Vaccine delivery. Working on putting a human insulin gene into plants a Hepatitis vaccine in bananas. Ideal for third world countries. Pennies per dose instead of $125.
Several varieties of Bt cotton have been produced by CEMB and NIBGE In CEMB Bt transgenic rice and cotton are being tested in the field for insect resistance and biosafety issues. Monsanto is importing Bt Cotton seeds (Bollgard) from India to Pakistan Pioneer Pakistan Seed Ltd. are importing maize (Hercules) resistant to European corn borer
The risks associated with crop genetically modified by new biotechnology techniques are essentially the same as the risks of crops modified by selective breeding and mutagenesis. National Academy of Sciences, 1987, 89, 2000 International Academy of Sciences, 2000 UK Select Comm on Sci & Tech, 1993 FAO/WHO 1991, 1996 OECD, 1993, 98 U.S. FDA/USDA/EPA, 1984, 86, 89, 90, 91, 92.. Ecological Society of America, 1989 World Bank Science Panel (CGIAR), 1997
Risk should be assessed on the nature of the organism and not on the method by which it was produced. FAO/WHO, 1991, 96, 2000 American Medical Association, 1989, 2000 OECD, 1993, 98, 2000 International Academy of Sciences, 2000 Ecological Society of America, 1989 Royal Society, 1998 Environmental Defense Fund, 1988 International Food Biotechnology Council, 1990
Science Based Risk Assessments Case-by-case review because risk varies with the crop, trait and environment Finding of zero risk unobtainable, therefore must use relative risk. Ask reasonable & relevant questions; accept reasonable answers (nice to know vs. need to know)
New genetic technologies are causing a revolution GMOs give: Biggest prospects, biggest pitfalls Philosophy on evaluating GMOs: Actively seek potential problems Scientists must not adopt a defensive attitude Using just information from DNA work provides a slower but safe route GMOs will ultimately be used widely, and for more innovative purposes.