Genetic Engineering

Overview

• Genetic engineering involves modifying an organism’s genome by adding a new gene.
• The goal is to transfer desirable traits from one organism to another.
• Resulting organisms are called genetically modified (GM).

Key Concepts

• Can involve organisms of the same or different species.
• Examples include:
  • Sheep producing drugs in milk.
  • Bacteria producing human insulin.
  • Crops with improved traits (e.g., larger fruit, disease resistance).

Applications

1. Pharmaceuticals
   • Sheep engineered to produce drugs.
   • Bacteria engineered to produce insulin.
2. Agriculture
   • Crops with larger, better-quality fruit.
   • Disease, insect, and herbicide-resistant crops.
3. Gene Therapy
   • Aimed at fixing inherited disorders by introducing healthy genes.
   • Challenge: Introducing genes into all cells.
   • Potential solution: Gene transfer at early development stages (e.g., embryo).

Pros and Cons of GM Crops

Pros

• Improved crop characteristics (more food, better quality).
• Essential for addressing starvation in developing countries.
• Enhanced nutritional content (e.g., beta-carotene in golden rice).

Cons

• Uncertain long-term health effects.
• Potential ecological impacts if GM plants spread into the wild.
  • Unlikely due to crop-specific modifications.

Gene Transfer Process

1. Isolation of Gene
   • Find and cut out the desired gene using enzymes.
2. Vector Insertion
   • Insert gene into a vector (virus or bacterial plasmid).
3. Gene Transfer
   • Introduce vector to target organism.
   • Organism incorporates gene and expresses desired trait.

Conclusion

• Genetic engineering has diverse applications and significant potential benefits.
• It also presents challenges and risks that need continuous research and management.