Transcript BioReport
Q: What are they? A: Animals or plants who have had the DNA of other plants or animals introduced into them by scientists. This is ANDi, a baby rhesus monkey whose fingernails glow in the dark due to the jellyfish DNA inserted into him. Recombinant DNA (rDNA) - DNA combined from two sources. Vector - means by which DNA enters host cell Restriction enzyme - cuts/cleaves the plasmid DNA at Specific sites (palindromes). DNA ligase - an enzyme that bonds DNA sticky ends together. Bacteriophage - a virus that infects bacteria Polymerase Chain Reaction - uses DNA polymerase to make many copies (amplify) DNA. GMO - Genetically Modified Organism Step 1: Isolate and replicate the DNA to be injected. Step 2: Insert the gene into a plasmid that can reproduce inside a bacteria. Step 3: Insert the plasmid into the bacteria. Step 4: As the bacteria grow in the lab, they make more and more plasmids. Step 5: Extract the plasmids and modify the DNA as necessary. Step 6: Allow fertilized eggs of whatever critter is getting the DNA to absorb the modified DNA. PLANTS ANIMALS Lower farm Better food production Characteristics can be production costs ( plants resistant to given to animals that pests/ diseases) mimic human diseases and Enhance product will help scientists quality ( increased understand them appearance, nutrition, Possible transplantation of and physical genetically modified characteristics) animal organs into humans There is much controversy over the topic of transgenics, and the argument is in many ways the same as other topics in biotechnology Here is why different groups of opposition are speaking against transgenics: • Religious Leaders - “playing God” • Animal Rights Activists - “exploiting the animal” • “unnatural and violates the laws of nature” • There are also ecological and food-safety issues What is a GMO? A living organism that has been genetically engineered by the insertion of a foreign gene Where are GMO’s being produced? In industrialized parts of the world, mainly North America and Western Europe Why are additudes about GMO’s different around the world? 90% of people that live in North America trust the USDA, whereas in Britain the regulatory agencies are treated with suspicion. There is good reason for this, considering outbreaks such as the mad cow disease. Will humans be able to glow in the dark? If a human has an animal part inserted into them how will that affect the rest of the person? Are there any laws restricting the research of transgenics? • Transgenics can be used to cure disease -materials (such as antibiotics and insulin) can be produced by animals containing genes for enhanced production Transgenics also can lead to better foods -can create “Super Plants” which grow extreamly fast and are resistant to pests -nutrition value can be improved in both meat and plants • The Norwegian Reference Center for Laboratory Animal Science & Alternatives. 12/16/2001.<oslovet.veths.no/transgenics/refrences.html> • Stanford University. 12/17/2001.<www.stanford.edu/~sjaiswal/ethics.html> • AGRIFOR 12/18/2001 <http://agrifor.ac.uk/browse/cabi/detail/667c3358a0a76b7d 8ae41c3cfe0779f5.html> AG Biotech Net.12/19/2001. <agbiotechnet.com/nabc/nabc8/8763_117 .pdf> NewScientist 12/20/2001. <www.newscientist.com/weblinks/catego ries/biotech1.jsp> The Big Blue Website 12/21/2001 <eden.ceh.uvic.ca/resource.htm> Way2Goal 12/22/2001 <way2goal.com/transgen.html>