Biotechnology Cont GMO Rachelle Bassen BIOL 190 November

Biotechnology Cont. & GMO Rachelle Bassen BIOL 190 November 22 nd, 2017

How do you genetically modify a crop? DNA must be inserted into the target organism • Gene Gun – shoot DNA into cells • Breaks the cell walls/membranes

Genetic Modification is very slow and $$$ • It is inefficient…only about 50% of the time the genes are transferred successfully • Very time consuming! • 6 -15 years for new GM crops to hit the market • Costs millions of dollars

Transgenic = any organism that has a foreign gene inserted into them • Used in agriculture for growing better crops & raising bigger animals • Used in research to better study animal models

Transgenic bacteria Important uses… • Producing insulin in bacteria extracted insulin injections for diabetics • Producing human growth hormones • Producing clotting factor VIII • Producing Hepatitis B vaccine • Bioremediation = cleaning up the environment such as oil degrading bacteria!

Transgenic bacteria

Transgenic plants Important uses… • Produce human proteins in their seeds…(for medical treatments) • Clotting factors, antibodies & hormones • Plants resistant to herbicides • Plants resistant to insects • Plants resistant to frost, etc • Ex) corn (80% in US), soybean (92% in US), cotton plants

Transgenic plants

Transgenic plants Potential harm? • Evolution of the pests to become more resistant to treatments • Genetic material spread from GM plants related species nearby • Concern about creating “super weeds” • Extremely hardy weeds carrying the GM traits

Biotechnology products: Transgenic plants Copyright © The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. Transgenic Crops of the Future Improved Agricultural Traits Disease-protected Wheat, corn, potatoes Herbicide-resistant Wheat, rice, sugar beets, canola Salt-tolerant Cereals, rice, sugarcane Drought-tolerant Cereals, rice, sugarcane Cold-tolerant Cereals, rice, sugarcane Improved yield Cereals, rice, corn, cotton Modified wood pulp Trees Improved Food Quality Traits Fatty acid/oil content Corn, soybeans Protein/starch content Cereals, potatoes, soybeans, rice, corn Amino acid content Corn, soybeans b. Salt-intolerant a. Desirable traits b(both): Courtesy Eduardo Blumwald Salt-tolerant

Transgenic animals Gene inserted into an egg that will be fertilized and develop into transgenic animal! • Gene pharming = producing pharmaceutical drugs in the milk of farm animals • Larger animals = fish, cows, pigs, rabbits & sheep • Mouse models = using mice for genetic studies • Xenotransplantation = designing “human-like” organs in other animals for organ transplants

Production of a transgenic animal microinjection of human gene for growth hormone donor of egg development within a host goat human growth hormone Transgenic goat produces human growth hormone. milk fusion of enucleated eggs with 2 n transgenic nuclei donor of eggs development within a host goat Copyright © The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. milk Cloned transgenic goats produce human growth hormone.