The Deception Behind Genetically Modified Foods

Genetically modified organisms have had their DNA altered by genetic engineering called recombinant DNA technology. There are several ways to produce GMO's. Genes can be transferred artificially from one organism to another through a process called cisgenesis or genes can be attached to a virus and artificially introduced from one species to another through a process called transgenesis. This allows plants to become more tolerant to high levels of herbicides and less susceptible to diseases caused by viruses. Through Genetical engineering the toxin Bacillus Thuringiensis has been inserted into corn and other crops so they can produce their own pesticides against insects. Genetically modified foods have been in the market since the 1990's, and there are no laws that require them to be labeled. For some time consumers have been eating GM foods without knowing, and they fear that the same alarming health effects that are being seen in laboratory animals, could in time manifest themselves in people too. Data has shown that animals fed GM foods are exhibiting infertility, developmental problems, organ damage, toxicity and death.

DANGERS OF GMO's.

1. Creation of new viruses and new diseases.
2. New toxins and toxicity.
3. Allergies.
4. Antibiotic resistance.
5. Increased use of chemicals.
6. Side effects and artificial traits will be passed to future generations.
7. Damaging effects will be irreversible.
8. Creation of new weeds resistant to herbicides.
9. Pollution of food and water supplies with chemicals.
10. Decrease in nutritional value.

HOW TO AVOID GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS.

1. Buy 100% organic. By law organic products can not use genetically engineered ingredients.
2. Avoid canola, soy, corn and cottonseed oil. They are the most common GM foods.
3. Read labels.
4. Look at the PLU codes on produce (the stickers on fruits and vegetables). If the code begins with the number 4 it means it is conventionally grown, beginning with 9 means organic and beginning with 8 means GMO.
5. Buy fresh foods since most processed foods are made with genetically engineered ingredients.
6. Instead of buying packaged snacks, make your own.
7. Plant a garden.
8. Learn to cook.
9. Pack your kids lunches.
10. Write to congress and request mandatory GMO labeling laws.

COMMON GMO FOODS.

1. Soy beans
2. Corn
3. Canola.
4. Cotton seed oil
5. Alfalfa
6. Hawaiian papaya
7. Tomatoes
8. Zucchini
9. Sugar
10. Russet potatoes
11. Animal products and dairy from cows treated with RBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone) or cows that are eating GM feed.

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Genetically Modified Organisms

Genetically modified organism are often referred to as GMO's. GMO's are foods that undergo a genetic "modification." Recombinant DNA technology, which is the process of combining genes from different organisms or the rearrangement of an organism's genes that are already present, is used to alter the foods from their natural state.

The first genetically modified organism to be developed on a large scale was the Flavr Savr tomato in 1987. This tomato worked by inhibiting the breakdown of the fruit's cell walls over time. This allowed for increased shelf life even after long shipping and storage times. Since the flavr tomato, thousands of a applications by different companies have been submitted to allow for the testing of GMO products and over 90% of them have been approved.

The most common genetically modified crops are soybeans, squash, tomatoes, corn, and cotton. Other crops that may be genetically modified are potatoes and rice as well as fish, bananas, cows, and fruit trees.

GMO foods can be broken down into 3 classes. The 3 classes are first generation, second generation, and third generation crops. Third generation crops are crops that produce pharmaceuticals and improve bio-based fuels.

Second generation crops include crops with enhanced nutrient content of animal feed. Finally, first generation crops include crops that have enhanced genes such as good insect resistance, a good adaptability to poor weather conditions, and herbicide tolerance.

Benefits of genetically modified organisms include insect and herbicide resistance, increased shelf life of different foods, delayed ripening, increased food production, virus-resistant crops, limited costs of food production, and enhanced nutrient content of different foods. Some foods are being genetically modified to provide immunizations to different diseases.

In 2006, more than 250 million acres of GMO crops were planted by more than 10 million farmers in greater than 20 countries. The leaders in GMO production are the U.S. followed by Argentina, Brazil, Canada, India, China, Paraguay, and South Africa.

The main negative health effect of GMO foods is the allergic reactions caused by switching the genes around from different foods. This in turn creates foreign substances to the body which causes the body to instinctively fight off. Also, when genes from one food is moved to another food, anyone who was allergic to the first food is now allergic to the other food as well. For example, if you are lactose intolerant and specific gene in milk is then implemented in an apple, although you were never allergic to apples, because of the inserted milk gene, you are now allergic to both milk and apples.

It is currently estimated that about 70% of all food products sold in retail stores in the U.S. contain GMO ingredients. The most common products in the U.S. are corn, soybeans, and cotton. Salmon have also been genetically modified allowing these fish to grow twice the size of normal salmon, grow ten times faster, and intake 25% less food!

There have been many studies conducted on genetically modified organisms that have shown many negative health effects of GMOs. One study published in Journal of Food and Chemical Toxicology conducted on rats showed that rats given GMO food were 2-3 times more likely to die than the controls and rapidly as well. These rats developed high levels of cancer, had large cancerous tumors but the study was unable to identify the direct mechanism that caused the rats to die from the genetically modified food. Another study conducted on hamsters published in the Days of Defense Against Environmental Hazards in Russia showed a link between infertility and GMO food consumption. The hamsters were given genetically modified soybeans causing the hamsters to slow sexual maturity and gradually become infertile.

If you do not want to consume GMO foods in your diet because of potential dangers associated with them, some tips to avoid consuming them include shopping at your local farmer's market, eating organic food, avoiding corn and soybean products, buying "all natural" or organic meat, growing your own produce, and avoiding aspertame, cottonseed oil, and canola oil,

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Biotechnology Timeline: Important Events And Discoveries In Biotechnology

1977:

The Age of biotechnology arrives with "somatostatin" - a human growth hormone-releasing inhibitory factor, the first human protein manufactured in bacteria by Genentech, Inc. A synthetic, recombinant gene was used to clone a protein for the first time.

1978:

Genentech, Inc. and The City of Hope National Medical Center announce the successful laboratory production of human insulin using recombinant DNA technology. Hutchinson and Edgell show it is possible to introduce specific mutations at specific sites in a DNA molecule.

1979:

Sir Walter Bodmer suggests a way of using DNA technology to find gene markers to show up specific genetic diseases and their carriers. John Baxter reports cloning the gene for human growth hormone.

1980:

The prokaryote model, E. coli, is used to produce insulin and other medicine, in human form. Researchers successfully introduce a human gene - one that codes for the protein interferon- into a bacterium. The U.S. patent for gene cloning is awarded to Cohen and Boyer.

1981:

Scientists at Ohio University produce the first transgenic animals by transferring genes from other animals into mice. The first gene-synthesizing machines are developed. Chinese scientists successfully clone a golden carp fish.

1982:

Genentech, Inc. receives approval from the Food and Drug Administration to market genetically engineered human insulin. Applied Biosystems, Inc. introduces the first commercial gas phase protein sequencer.

1983:

The polymerase chain reaction is invented by Kary B Mullis. The first artificial chromosome is synthesized, and the first genetic markers for specific inherited diseases are found.

1984:

Chiron Corp. announces the first cloning and sequencing of the entire human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) genome. Alec Jeffreys introduces technique for DNA fingerprinting to identify individuals. The first genetically engineered vaccine is developed.

1985:

Cetus Corporation's develops GeneAmp polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology, which could generate billions of copies of a targeted gene sequence in only hours. Scientists find a gene marker for cystic fibrosis on chromosome number 7.

1986:

The first genetically engineered human vaccine - Chiron's Recombivax HB - is approved for the prevention of hepatitis B. A regiment of scientists and technicians at Caltech and Applied Biosystems, Inc. invented the automated DNA fluorescence sequencer.

1987:

The first outdoor tests on a genetically engineered bacterium are allowed. It inhibits frost formation on plants. Genentech's tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), sold as Activase, is approved as a treatment for heart attacks.

1988:

Harvard molecular geneticists Philip Leder and Timothy Stewart awarded the first patent for a genetically altered animal, a mouse that is highly susceptible to breast cancer

1989:

UC Davis scientists develop a recombinant vaccine against the deadly rinderpest virus. The human genome project is set up, a collaboration between scientists from countries around the world to work out the whole of the human genetic code.

1990:

The first gene therapy takes place, on a four-year-old girl with an immune-system disorder called ADA deficiency. The human genome project is formally launched.

1991:

Mary-Claire King, of the University of California, Berkeley, finds evidence that a gene on chromosome 17 causes the inherited form of breast cancer and also increases the risk of ovarian cancer. Tracey the first transgenic sheep is born.

1992:

The first liver xenotransplant from one type of animal to another is carried out successfully. Chiron's Proleukin is approved for the treatment of renal cell cancer.

1993:

The FDA declares that genetically engineered foods are "not inherently dangerous" and do not require special regulation. Chiron's Betaseron is approved as the first treatment for multiple sclerosis in 20 years.

1994:

The first genetically engineered food product, the Flavr Savr tomato, gained FDA approval. The first breast cancer gene is discovered. Genentech's Nutropin is approved for the treatment of growth hormone deficiency.

1995:

Researchers at Duke University Medical Center transplanted hearts from genetically altered pigs into baboons, proving that cross-species operations are possible. The bacterium Haemophilus influenzae is the first living organism in the world to have its entire genome sequenced.

1996:

Biogen's Avonex is approved for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. The discovery of a gene associated with Parkinson's disease provides an important new avenue of research into the cause and potential treatment of the debilitating neurological ailment.

1997:

Researchers at Scotland's Roslin Institute report that they have cloned a sheep--named Dolly--from the cell of an adult ewe. The FDA approves Rituxan, the first antibody-based therapy for cancer.

1998:

The first complete animal genome the C.elegans worm is sequenced. James Thomson at Wisconsin and John Gearhart in Baltimore each develop a technique for culturing embryonic stem cells.

1999:

A new medical diagnostic test will for the first time allow quick identification of BSE/CJD a rare but devastating form of neurologic disease transmitted from cattle to humans.

2000:

"Golden Rice," modified to make vitamin A. Cloned pigs are born for the first time in work done by Alan Coleman and his team at PPL, the Edinburgh-based company responsible for Dolly the sheep.

2001:

The sequence of the human genome is published in Science and Nature, making it possible for researchers all over the world to begin developing genetically based treatments for disease.

2002:

Researchers sequence the DNA of rice, and is the first crop to have its genome decoded.

2003:

The sequencing of the human genome is completed.

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Insulin Production From the Milk of Argentine Cow Clones

1. INTRODUCTION:

1.1 Insulin

Insulin is a peptide hormone made of 51 amino acids composing two chains A and B. The A chain has 21 amino acids and the B chain has 30 amino acids. The two chains are linked by intra and inter disulphide linkages. The release of this hormone is mainly initiated by the blood glucose levels.

1.2 Diabetes Mellitus

The inability of the 2-cells of Langerhans to secrete adequate or inability to secrete insulin following the glucose load is said to be Diabetes mellitus. The complications of diabetes are Cataract formation, Acute to Chronic renal failure, Cardiac problems, unhealed wounds, Mycoses etc.

Due to the above said complications, it has impacts on the living standards of people. The worldwide diabetic population is about 200 million. The WHO data reveal that this will become doubled by 2025 ( based on 2002 data ). This implies the importance of this hormone.

1.3 History of Insulin

Baunting and Best developed the use of insulin therapy in 1921. Insulin was the first protein to be sequenced by Frederick Sanger in 1950s. For about 60 years diabetics were dependent on natural sources of insulin with attendant problems of supply and quality. In the late 1970s and early 1980s recombinant DNA technology enabled scientists to synthesis insulin in bacteria.

The best natural source of insulin is human insulin which can be isolated in crystalline form from the cadaver of human. It costs approximately about 5000$ per vial, which is practically impossible. As diabetes affects irrational of sex, race, economic status which led scientists to think of alternate techniques that will bring down the production cost. Using plasmid vectors, scientists produce insulin from E.coli by rDNA technology. It has its own advantages and disadvantages. It has low generation time but the chances for contamination are high.

2. TRANSGENIC ANIMALS

Generation of transgenic animals is complex in terms of both technical difficulty and ethical problems.

2.1 Utilisation of Transgenic Animals to Produce Proteins

The use of transgenic animals to produce the proteins of human interest was already in practice. One of such example is production of tissue Plasminogen Activator (tPA) in the milk of goats. Here the mammary control DNA and coding DNA for tissue plasminogen activator are utilized to produce rDNA. The hybrid gene is inoculated in to fertilized egg ( isolated from a goat ) by microinjection. The microinjected fertilized egg is transferred to a foster mother. Then the hybrid gene carriers were mate to produce the transgenic female homozygous for the transgene. This transgenic technology enables goats to secrete tPA in milk. A similar technique with little modifications is used to make cows secrete insulin in milk. 2.2 Procedure

Here the animal selected is Jersey heifer which is known for its abundant milk production. The mammary control DNA of Jersey heifer fetus is isolated. In animals and Plants, the DNA to Protein ratio is less. Hence the nuclei isolated first. This increases the ratio of DNA to Protein and avoids contamination of chromosomal DNA by DNA from cytoplasmic organelles. The nuclei opened , the RNA and Protein are enzymatically digested, then the DNA is precipitated.

o The coding DNA for human insulin is isolated in the same manner.

o It is then treated with type II Restriction Endonucleases to cut at specific sites.

o The required DNA sequences are joined together using DNA ligase enzymes.

o The hybrid gene is introduced in to the cell by microinjection. Once the gene enters the cell should enter the nucleus.

o The Jersey heifer's eggs are taken and the nucleus is removed using a micropipette.

o The genetically modified nuclei are fused with enucleated eggs using cloning techniques.

o The electrical stimulus cause cell dividing and an early embryo is developed.

o The embryo cells are separated and are implanted in surrogate mother cows.

o It gives rise to 4 genetically modified calves in 385 ± 5 days.

o These calves will reach maturity in 18 - 24 months at which they are capable of producing milk.

o Once they start producing milk, the insulin can be obtained by purification and refining of milk using protein purification techniques like HPLC.

- Scientists isolated the specific cell types from Jersey heifer's fetus from a slaughter house

- The rDNA is introduced in to the cell which reaches the nucleus

- The genetically modified nuclei is fused with enucleated cattle eggs using cloning techniques

- The electrical impulse starts cell division

- The cells are individualized and can be implanted into 4 surrogate mother cows

- The mother cow will give birth to genetically modified calves in 385 ± 5 days

- The genetically modified calves will reach adulthood in 18 - 24 months

- Once they start milk production, the insulin can be obtained by purification and refining of milk.

3. Conclusion

o This technique will definitely can reduce the production cost by atleast 30%.

o The complications can be overcome by further working with this.

o This will definitely cause a revolution in the utilization of transgenic animals for protein production if the usual difficulties are solved.

4. BIBLIOGRAPHY

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BIOTECHNOLOGY Mohan. P. Arora ( 2004) Himalaya Publishing House

GENETIC ENGINEERING Desmond S. T. Nicholl, Paisley ( 2002 ) Cambridge University Press

MOLECULAR BIOTECHNOLOGY- Principles and Applications of Recombinant DNA Bernard R. Glick and Jack J. Pasternak ( 2002 )

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