GMOs Social Aspects

What is a Genetically Modified Organism?

• Popular culture perspective– food organism (plant/animal)– made in a lab – “Frankenfood”– Short term production– Negative connotation – Worries derived from

• Company centric modifications

• Effects on the environment

• Effects on human health

• Scientific culture perspective– Any organism that has undergone genetic modification due to

human intervention• Foods

– Plants– Animals

• Drugs– Microbes

» Bacteria» Fungi» Archea

• Materials• Etc.

– Short and long term production of modification• Domestic Selection (breeding) – entire human history of agriculture• Molecular Biology manipulations

What is a Genetically Modified Organism?

Why Modify an Organism?

– Drought resistant– pest resistant– larger yield with less inputs– What others….

….

• Tobacco– First Genetically Modified Plant (using

molecular techniques)– 1983 moved antibiotic resistance to plant via

Agrobacterium tumefaciens – 1986 approved for commercial sale

Notable GMOs

• Soy Bean (Glycine max)– 1000 BCE, oldest archeological preserves found in

Korea (Daundong site in Ulsan)– Spread throughout asia– Spread to US in 1765– Intensive breeding programs in 1850-1980– Major proliferation during WWII in US, because of oils

and then after as a feedstock for animals– 1995 first GMO food released in US market. Roundup

ready soybeans• 1997 8% US soybeans GMO• 2010 93% US soybeans GMO

Notable GMOs

• Corn (Zea maize)– Long term domestic selection

Notable GMOs

4,000 years

Central America

Larger kernel

Smaller root

Draught tolerant

Faster production

• Corn continued– Intensive Breeding

• 1901 – 1990s– Hybrids, crosses, Mendelian Genetics

– Molecular manipulation• 1996 Bt corn

– Toxin (protein crystal) from bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis

• 1998 Rounduptm Ready Corn– glyphosate herbicide -> inhibits aromatic protein

synthesis in leafy plants

Notable GMOs

• Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)• FLAVR SAVR Tomato

– The first commercially available GMO food, was marketed in the United States in 1994.

– Developed by Calgene– Added antisense gene vs

Polygalacturonase – Slows ripening process– Better for shipping– Better for flavor

Notable GMOs

Notable GMO’s

• Insulin in E.coli– Insulin is 51 aa protein used to treat diabetes– Historically insulin was supplied from pig

pancrease• Not same as human insulin (1 aa difference)

– Allergies

• 1970’s – more diabetics then pigs being slaughtered in US. Shortage

– 1977 Genentech makes first recombinant insulin in E.coli

• FDA approved in 1982• Benefits

– It is human insulin– Production is easily scalable– Cheap to produce

Notable GMO’s

Extract DNA

PCR Insulin

Clone into plasmid

Transform E.coli

Grow E.coli

Induce E.coli

Harvest E.coli

Proteins

Purify Insulin via Chromatography

Selective pressure

Notable GMO’s - future• Algae

– Not a fully developed GMO in the market place YET

– Biofuels and other lipid production processes are driving innovation on GMO algae quickly

– Will expand into our first big GMO that has the potential to get loose in the oceans

Notable GMO’s - future

• Synthetic Biology – yeast / e.coli

• Build new metabolic pathways in bacteria and yeast.

• Feed designer yeast sugar and they make the fuel for you

Single gene production via plasmids

Entire pathways (multiple enzymes)

Old school Synthetic Bio (new)

Environmental Concerns

• “Outcrossing”– Genes make their way from GMOs to wild

species or neighboring non-GMO crops• Has been seen in Roundup ready and Bt corn• Mexico – doesn’t allow GMO corn, but finds it

Environmental Concerns

• Ecological Damage– Insect population crashes

• Bt and other insect targeting GMOs• Harm pollinators• Removing insects from environment can cause

other pests to fill their niche• Accidental gene transfer (antibiotics etc.)• Selective pressure for insects resistant to GMOs

Environmental Concerns

• Ecological through pesticide/herbicide use– Increases use of chemicals

• Selection pressure on wild type organisms• Increase accidental spills• Run off from fields to water supply• Effect on non-target organisms

– DDT effect on raptors, rodents, amphibians

• Many herbicides have hormone like properties– Amphibians especially sensitive (warning organism

“canary in the coal mine”)

Environmental Concerns

• Monoculture– The use of GMOs heavily promotes the growth of

monocultures– Low diversity across the worlds crops makes them

very susceptible to a single environmental factor wiping out a large amount of global food production

• Economic danger– War– starvation

• Species collapse danger – Bananas – Chestnut blight

Economic Concerns

– Monopolization of food market by a few companies

• Price fluctuation / fixing• Changes reflect corporate need over consumer

need because no competition– Few product choices– Lack of innovation

• Regulation as of now is poor across international borders for GMO

Health Concerns• Ingestion of Toxins/modifications

– Bt toxin• Effects on humans seems minimal, but long term studies

needed

– Antibiotics• Often used as part of the GMO development process.• Could effect human microbiome

– Huge complexity of organisms that live in us– Just learning to identify them– Don’t know how antibiotics etc effect community structur

– siRNAs• Used often in GMOs to up or down regulate growth in a plant

– Some may have effect on human cells

Health Concerns

• Ingestion/exposure to associated chemicals– Herbicide use in on the increase

• More GMO crops• Needing higher titers to fight outcrossing events

(AKA superweeds)

– Herbicides such as Roundup can kill placental cells. Farm workers have a higher incidence of pregnancy related problems. Gylphosate effects estrogen synthesis.

Health Concerns• Allergens

– Moving genetic material from one to another– Lots of viral and bacterial “parts”– Can cause cross reactions that cause people to

become sensitive to host food – Soy Allergies are on the rise in industrial nations

• Brazil – allergies to soy are trigged by soybean that has albumin from Brazil Nut to increase methionine

– Egg allergies caused by Flu vaccine– IgE are how most GMOs are screened, but that

leaves out huge array of allergy scenarios• IgE responses are typically immediate

Regulation

Regulators World Wide– Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

– World Health Organization (WHO)• Codex Alimentarius is the joint committee

responsible for international GMO regulation or policy influence

– Est. 1961– Responsible for developing procedure to asses safety of

GMO foods/drugs

Homework

– Find your favorite food and research to find the GMOs that have been made from this organism

– In a response of approximately 300 words pick one of the GMOs of your favorite food and discuss the benefits and the dangers of the modification

• An appropriate response will incorporate a brief history of the organism and modification to the organism. The next two paragraphs will be about the dangers and benefits of the modification. The final paragraph or sentence should be your opinion on if the dangers out weigh the benefits or the benefits out weigh the dangers.