What is Genetic Engineering?
Genetic Engineering is the rearrange of genes of differnt organism using biotechnology. It is the manuel process of adding the DNA to organism manually. By the help of genetic engineering new traits are added in organism. Animal cells, plants cells and bacterial cells can be rearranged by the genetic engineering. Back in year 2013 scientists were successful to rearrange the gene of a monkey. The genetic engineering technology helps to change the genetic makeup of cells and transfer of genes. The transfer of genes within and across species boundaries to produce novel organisms. Genetic engineering is used to creating infection-resistant livestock, resistant crops and to improve the quality of different crops.Organisms generated from genetic engineering are known as genetically modified organism. In year 1973 Herbert Boyer and Stanley Cohen generated first genetically modifeid organism “bacterium”, it contained genes for antibiotic resistance. And in year 1974 Rudlof Jaenish inseted foreign DNA in mouse, which was the first genetically modified animal. After that genetical engineered human insulin was produced in the year 1978.
The use of genetic engineering has expanded in different fields like agriculture, research, medicine and industrial bio technology. GMOs are used to gene function and expression in research.The gene function and expression are studied through gain of function, loss of functionexpression and tracking experiments. Genetic engineering has also helped to cure different genetic diseases through gene therapy. Many farmers from different countries are growing Genetically Modified crops.
Process
To create a genetically Modified Organism, engineers first choose what kind of gene they wish to add into the organism. This is determined by the engineers first doing research on what type of organism they want to create. After that the cell containing gene is opened and DNA should be purified. If the gene of the donor organism is well studied then it can be easily accessed from the genetic library. The also can be artifically synthesised but for this process DNA sequence should be known.
Then the isolated gene is inserted into the bacterium. But at first the isolated gene should be ligated into plasmid. When the bacteria is divided the plasmid should be replecated. The gene should be combined with other genetic elements before adding it into the targeted organism. With some research engineers can determine the cell which is successfully transformed. For the better effectiveness gene can be modified in this stage, with the help of recombinant DNA techniques. Recombinant DNA techniques includes restriction digests, molecular cloning and ligations.
Figure: biolostics is used to insert DNA into the plant tissue with the help of gene gun
There are differnt kinds of techniques that can be used to insert the gene into the host genome. There are some bacteria which naturally take up foreign DNA. In other bacteria without thses ability can be induced on them via thermal or electric shock. This will helps to increase the cell membrane permeability to the DNA. Engineers add the DNA into animal cells by the help of microinjection. Agrobacterium- Mediated recombination is used to insert the DNA in plants.
Agrobecteriums T-DNA sequence can help to insert the genetic materials into the plant cell. This insertion is natural insertion. DNA can also be added by the biolistics method, where the particle are coated with the DNA and inserted into theyoung plant cells.
In this process only one cell is transformed with genetic material. The organism will be regenerated from that one cell. In animals the DNA inserted should be present in embryonic stem cells. To differenciate the transformed from untransformed cells selectable markers are used. There are various techniques used to remove selectable marker from transgenic plant. Genome editing can be helpful for gene targeting. Artificiaially Engineered Nucleases is used by the genome editing. At the specific locations in the genome specific double standard breaks are created. Mutations at endogeneous genes are also introduced by the engineered nucleases which can create a gene knockout.
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Image: Polymerase chain reaction is a powerful tool used in molecular cloning
Some Examples of Genetic Engineering
A. Faster Growing Trees
In last some years the demand of wood has increased a lot. It was almost impossible to fulfull the demand because normally trees grows slowly. Then genetically engineered trees were introduced. They are very much strong and grows quickly compared to normal trees. The woods of genetically modified trees are strong and good quality than normal ones.
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Image: Trees
B. Golden Rice
One of the most benifical outcome from gentic engineering is golden rice. It is one of the most healthier food that contain beta carotene. If anyone uses this rice they don’t need to get access to may vitamins. This shows that genitical engineering can also be used to create healthier foods.
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Image: Rice
C. Cows That Gives Milk Like Human Milk
In china some scientists created transgenic cows that gives antimicrobial enzyme. This enzyme is found in large quantity in human milk. This milk can help for the proper development of the immune system. They were successful to create sheep that gives the milk containing therapeautic protein, This can be used in the treatement of cystic fibrosis.
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image: Cow
D. Modified Tomatoes
Scientists were successful to transfer the property of fish which helps to prevent from freezing even at extremly low temperature. At first scientists isolated the gene then integrated into DNA of tomato cells. But these tomatoes are not commercialized yet. In differnt crops genetic engineering is used to improve the nutrition and growth rate of crops.
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image: Tomatoes
E. Modified Mosquitoes
Did you know?
Mosquito has killed many humans even more than in wars. They are very much dangerous and they cna easily transfer disease to the humans. The mosquito species named “Aedes Aegepti” is considered as the most dangerous mosquito species. They can spread disease like yellow feaver, dengue and chikungunya. The male mosquito are unable to bite and transfer disease so only females can transfer disease. A female mosquito lays about 5000 eggs. Scientists of Oxford University created a gene which can kill the female mosquitoes. They created male mosquito with that gene. Their experiment was successful since more than 85% of female mosquitos were killed in 120 days.
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Image: Mosquito
F. Insulin Producing Bacteria
Insulin plays a vital role in the treatment of diabites. Induling are generated from strain of E coil by the help of generic engineering. For the first time genetically engineered human insulin was produced in 1978 and from year 1982 insulin producing bacteria were commercialised.
G. Plants thats fights pollution
The amazing trees that absorb the polluted water and it clean the water before it is released back. These trees were developed by the scientists of University of Washington.
H. Modified Pigs
Scientists were successful to create pigs that can digest phosphorous more than the normal pigs. This has helps to reduce the enviroumental pollution because the pig’s waste contain less phosphorous.
I. Insecticide corn
Farmers need to spray insecticide to kill instects but in some plants scientists created plants that kills instects themselves. With the help of genetic engineering corn was developed to produce poisons that destroys insects. There are few genetically engineered crops tested and corn have some disadvantages like benifical instects are also killed by them.
These were only the few examples. There are many other organism in which genetic engineering are tested. There are some glowing fish created from genetic modification.They are commercially available in some countries like USA. Scientists have also created bananas which can cure the disease like cholers and hepatitis. You don’t need to get vaccinated, just have to eat banana. Scientists are also working to create chickens that can lay eggs with medical protein. Genetic Engineering is broad topic and there are many such examples.
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Image: Genetically Modified Banana
Before We Bid Goodbye
Genetic Engineering is used in the various fields like research, industry, medicine, micro organism, agriculture and animals. Day by day its popularity is increasing. We have heard the critics about genetic engineering in time and again. The modified crops can be benificial for farmers. But there are also some concerns on genetically modified foods. Wheather they are safe for human or not?. In my view the genetically modified crops should be tested well before using it because to prevent someone from missuse the genetic engineering knowledge. Many new products are created with the combining different profiles. In different plants and animals specific traits are developed through the genetic engineering. It has also helps to make us healtheir by tackling and defeating desease.The faster growth rate of different organism is also possible due to genetic engineering.
it still have some negative side but i think it is beneficial at all. So whats your view on Genetic Engineering
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References
Free Images Used From www.pixbay.com & www.wikipedia.org