Topic > Genetically modified organisms: the facts - 1232

IntroductionAny organism whose genetic sequence is altered by the insertion of a fragment of foreign genetic material is considered a genetically modified organism or simply GMO. Recombinant DNA (or genetic cloning) technology allows for such modification using enzymes that occur naturally in almost all organisms. A restriction enzyme is used to cut a specific DNA segment of a "donor" genome and to generate sticky ends in the "host" genome. The cut portion is then joined between the sticky sites with the help of a DNA ligase enzyme that joins them together. Since its introduction into the field of biomedical sciences, the technique has been used for various purposes, which include but are not limited to gene expression studies, functional analysis of a gene, disease modeling, and most importantly, amplification of useful protein products . GMOs have been introduced into a variety of fields including drug development, agricultural and food biotechnology, industrial product manufacturing, and laboratory culture/modeling experiments. Why GMOsGenetically modified organisms provide new intersections in the path to escape today's society of disease, poverty and hunger. Many scientists argue that these GMOs have been widely used in the drug development process to prepare various pharmaceutically important drugs by forming chimeric proteins. The two most notable examples include insulin and humanized immunoglobins (antibodies). Large-scale insulin production was only made possible by cloning the human insulin gene in bacteria to amplify the final product. This made the "drug" less expensive and therefore accessible to a common man in most countries. Humanized immunoglobins are the focus of NK603xMON810 nsgenic corn paper fed in long-term breeding studies in mice. Unpublished report: Institute fur Ernahrung, Austria.• Finamore, A., Roselli, M., Britti, S., Monastra, G., Ambra, R., Turrini, A., & Mengheri, E. (2008). Intestinal and peripheral immune response to corn MON810 ingestion in weaned and aged mice. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 56(23), 11533-11539.• De Vendômois, J. S., Roullier, F., Cellier, D., & Séralini, G. E. (2009). A comparison of the effects of three GM maize varieties on mammalian health. International Journal of Biological Sciences, 5(7), 706.• Snell, C., Bernheim, A., Bergé, J.B., Kuntz, M., Pascal, G., Paris, A., & Ricroch, A.E. (2012) . Health impact assessment of GM plant-based diets in long-term, multigenerational animal feeding studies: a review of the literature. Food and chemical toxicology, 50(3), 1134-1148.