Genetic Engineering

This subject is immensely intricate but hugely entertaining and stimulating for a human mind. It involves manipulation of material that has such wide diversity, which is yet not fully covered or even understood by the scientists. This article will try to tackle the subject by explaining its meaning and functions.

What does genetic engineering mean? If we break the words down, then we understand that it is engineering of some material that involves genes. Genetic is something involves genes and genes are the coded information contained within a material that is known as DNA. DNA is a chemical molecule, which contains information about the make up of an organism. For example in our DNA, the information will be about our looks, eye colour, hair colour, size of our body parts, our blood group, etc. So if we have a DNA of any organism we can (on paper) reproduce that very organism as we have all the information about it. It's like having a recipe for a dish, which can be used to make that exactly same dish again and again. DNA is just like a recipe for any organism. Going back to cooking analogy, if we use a recipe to cook a dish, when its cooked we don't like the taste because perhaps there was too much of some ingredient So next time when we cook the dish we either omit that ingredients or substitute with another ingredient. This will cause the dish to be different from the original recipe and may be more to your taste. We can say that recipe has been manipulated or engineered to give us the dish with taste that we like. Well Genetic Engineering is when we manipulate the DNA and try to bring about changes in the organism, which would improve the organism or make it do what would be beneficial to us. For example, an organism such as cow that produces milk, if we manipulate with her DNA and make her produce more amount of milk, we have genetically engineered the cow for our benefit.

As genetic is a huge subject, therefore its engineering stems to many varied directions. The basic technique carried many advantages and disadvantages. The advantages allow us to use this technique to treat or cure many diseases. Genetic Engineering is applied to gene therapy where the faulty gene that is causing the diseases is either replaced with a normal gene or omitted in order to cure the disease. An example is Cystic Fibrosis where one of the gene is faulty, that causes build up of thick mucus in a person's breathing system and the person suffers from chest infection and cough for most of their life. In this case, the normal gene (that does not cause the build up of thick mucus) is inserted into the DNA, which then gives instruction and helps to stop the build up of the mucus. Though this is a good technique to help the problem but it is very expensive and the research takes a long time to be able to clone the normal genes.

It is also used to genetically engineered microorganism. For example manipulating bacteria to produces antibiotics, hormones and enzymes. If we think of bacteria as a photocopier we can understand how it is used to make so many beneficial materials. A bacterium tries to survive by multiplying a very high rate. Whatever it ingests it will reproduce and multiply. If we insert the gene of interest (gene to make antibiotic) in bacterium feed, it will ingest and reproduce bacteria with that particular gene. The bacteria have photocopied information that we require in bulk such as antibiotics.

Genetic Engineering is used to improve nature, change animals, change plants, and to find many answers relating to human activities. Where its uses are immensely beneficial, they also give rise to many social ethical and economical issues. For example when it is used to select either sex of an unborn baby, or select features of baby such as eye colour, hair colour or any other in demand feature, giving rise to designer babies. This technique is also used to produce GM food (genetically modified) which also raises many issues such as if the use of GM food produces more illnesses in people and weather its use is should be allowed.

There is much more research needed to be done to advance this technique. Like everything else in life, it has advantages and disadvantages. Its correct use can be very beneficial for humankind and for that reason it should come with some legal limitations.

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Common Interview Questions For the Upcoming Genetic Engineers

Genetic engineering is not a new term for the world now. This branch of science may be described as the process of manipulating a living gene to generate a desired outcome. It basically deals in RNA technology (cloning), Gene modification, Gene slicing, Tissue culture and Breeding. Genetics has a wide scope if terms of career. If you're all set for a professional interview in the Genetic industry, you need to cover these hot topics. These are the general questions asked by some interviewers.

Describe Klinefelter's syndrome?

It is a characteristic disorder in which the addition of an extra X sex chromosome (aneuploidy) takes place in the genetic makeup of an individual. The females possess an XXX chromosomal structure, while the males comprise XXY. This extra chromosome results in sexual deformity.

What do you mean by Parkinson's Disease?

It is a briefly described as the movement disorder. It results in the deformity of the central nervous system and habitually impairs the mental ability, motor skills, speech, and other functions of the sufferer.

How can you define 'Fruit fly Genetics'?

This field involves various techniques and experiments conducted on the fruit fly, to understand the genetic pattern of the fruit fly (Drosophila). It is the best organism to conduct a research on, for the genetic engineers.

Explain the concept behind Athletic genes.

Genes that are reported to affect the athletic performance of an individual are termed as the Athletic gene.

Explain gene doping.

The non-therapeutic utilization of genetic elements like the cells and the genes and the modulation of gene expression, in order to develop the athletic performance of a person is gene doping.

How can the genetic farming be advantageous for the farmers?

Genetic farming basically deals with the development of genetically modified seeds, plants and fertilizers in order to yield more harvest. It also involves the application of higher technology for improving the agricultural pattern. It simplifies the process of agriculture thereby resulting in the increase of profits.

Describe a few potential harms of genetic engineering?

The development of unsafe chemical products like insecticides, pesticide and various drugs, the involuntary elevation food toxicity levels due to the application of recent food preservation technology, environmental damage due to artificial breeding etc. are some of the visible negative effects of Genetics.

What are the characteristic traits of the stem cells?

Stem cells are the immature, embryonic cells found in the earlier stages of fetus development that are characterized by the capability to renew themselves in the process of mitotic cell division. After division, they can differentiate into a miscellaneous range of cells; in short they are totipotent cells.

What is sickle cell Anemia?

In this genetic disorder, the human RBCs loose their characteristic biconvex shape and distort to form a sickle like shape. This reduces the oxygen carrying capacity of these cells thereby, raising a fatal condition for the humans.

Including the above mentioned questions, you need to focus on the basic concepts of the RNA technology. So, these were the most frequently covered topics. Good luck for your interview!

Confused about how to Search Common Interview Questions. Read more about Engineering Graduate Interview Questions

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How The Uses Of Genetic Engineering Are Endangering Dinner Time

In ancient times, farmers generally relied on the natural elements to plan their planting cycles. Crops were planted during dry season, and harvested before the wet season. Farmers also used organic or natural fertilizers, pesticides and other chemicals to nurture their crops and eliminate harmful pests. As civilization progressed though, and the increasing population placed added pressures on farmers and societies to produce more food, scientists and crop experts began devising new methods for developing crops that were more resistant to varying weather patterns, pests and other external elements. Thus came forth the words genetic engineering.

In genetic engineering, the inherent structure of crops were modified in ways were they are considered safe to be eaten. Some crop breeders and scientists have even induced mutations in a crop's genetic structure though chemicals, radiation and chemicals. The process of altering a crop's genetic structure to make it pest and drought-resistant is now referred to as GMO development, or genetically modified engineering.

Is The GMO Industry Only Worried About Profit?

Today, gene transfer technology is available worldwide, and some even hail this development as a victory against pests and sudden weather changes. However, many worry that few large companies are slowly gaining full control of world agriculture, to the detriment of small farmers in poorer countries.

The GMO industry however counters that poor third-world farmers can actually adopt these GMO technologies, to help them achieve efficient farming practices, as well as to ward off harmful pests from their fields. However, critics of the uses of genetic engineering argue that genetic engineering is a technology is actually making global agriculture dependent only on large multinational companies. The potentially harmful effects of a number of GMO foods have also not yet been fully determined by health researches.

The Public Should Know The Truth Behind The GMO Research

Genetic engineering is not actually a truly safe process. One example of the hazards of GMO research was brought to the public limelight a couple of years ago, when scientists in the US state of Nebraska planned to transfer a gene from a Brazil nut to soybean, to get good quality protein. What happened was that people developed severe allergic reactions to the Brazil nuts. As a result of this debacle, the soybean genetic modification project was discontinued.

Staunch critics of genetic engineering also claim that the process has a negative impact on the environment and food safety. Although there have not yet been any publicly documented cases on any sever illness or environmental damage, the critics fear that the development of more GMO crops may lead to the possibility of creating disease or pesticide-resistant insects, as well as to the development of certain diseases and infections in humans.

Concerned whether the food you eat is genetically engineered or modified?

Recent polls show that over 90% of American's believe genetically engineered food should be labeled. Unfortunately this will not happen until consumers choose to get informed about what they are eating and stop purchasing genetically modified food.

You can take action by staying informed about GMOs at http://geneticallyengineeredfoodnews.com

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Genetic Engineering, Mosquitoes, and Anger in a Tropical Paradise

Debates about genetic engineering have been making headlines for a long time. Most of the genetic engineering debates have involved food production. Many food companies utilize genetic modification to allow the crops to resist rotting and pesticides. In recent years, the genetic modification of animals for food and non-food purposes has become an equally contentious subject. Such a debate is raging right now concerning mosquitoes and the island city of Key West.

Recently an England-based company, Oxitec, which specializes in genetically modified insects, is in the process of attempting to release a mosquito in Key West, Florida that will hopefully reduce the probability of a virus that causes the dengue fever in that area. The dengue fever is a particularly nasty disease that is characterized as being extremely uncomfortable for the afflicted individual.

The South Florida area and the Caribbean have been areas that the dengue fever has had prevalence in recent years. The current mosquito control plan is based around pesticides and chemically attempting to eradicate the specific type of mosquito that carries the dengue fever, Aedes aegypti. Aedes aegypti mosquitoes originally come from Africa and can carry yellow fever, dengue fever, and other diseases.

The method Oxitec is using to quell the population of mosquitoes is a modified version of something developed in the 1930s and 1940s known as the Sterile Insect Technique. This process is where a company sterilizes a large amount of male insects in the same breed and then releases them into the wild. Once in the wild, these mosquitoes mate with the females and either have no offspring or have offspring that does not survive.

Oxitec has tested their method in a few other locations already and have achieved success in reduction of mosquito populations in those areas. Grand Cayman and Brazil both implemented this mosquito control policy and saw population reductions of 80 and 90 percent respectively.

Some residents of Key West and environmentalist are outraged at this proposal. In fact, the outrage has spread to the tune of 100,000 signatures on a Change.org petition that hopes to catch the attention of the Governor of Florida, Rick Scott, and a host of other local politicians.

The opposition to Oxitec, led by Key West resident and mother of 3 Mila de Mier, contests that there is not of knowledge surrounding the possible effects of releasing genetically modified insects into the environment. That being said, Mila de Mier who formed the petition is extremely active on the largely liberal petition site.

The petition gained a lot of steam after coverage in national news sources from online publications that included New York Times, The New Yorker, CNN's blog, and other reputable sources with heavy readership.

Many have criticized that the majority of signatures on the petition are not from residents of the region, but from environmental activists around the country. Despite this fact, many residents have come out against the proposed Oxitec initiative in Key West. Many people contest that the Oxitec method is much more environmentally friendly than using pesticides to treat the mosquito issues.

While Oxitec says that these methods are harmless and have showed success, the residents have a right to express their opinions about how the handling of their local ecosystem. One of the questions at hand is how the company should handle the delicate situation. Additionally, the government needs to decide on whether the method is the right thing for the community. Oxitec, who has projects pending in France and other regions, could implement other projects before Key West. This could help the company gather research on the safety and effectiveness of the method in order to ease the minds of the Key West community.

If you have your own South Florida pest problem, get in contact with a Miami Pest Control professional. Suncoast Pest Control is a Tampa Florida Exterminator serving much of South and Central Florida

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Biodiversity and Genetic Engineering

Genetic Engineering is a process of artificially modifying plant or animal cells by cutting and splicing DNA from one cell into another for the purpose of transferring desirable qualities that will make a crop resistant to herbicides, insects, or to enhance food value. When genetic engineers insert a new gene into any organism, there are what are called position effects. These effects can lead to unpredictable changes in patterns of gene expressions and genetic functions. The protein product of the inserted gene may carry out unexpected reactions, producing potentially toxic products.Genetically modified foods in U.S. markets include tomatoes, squash, yeast, corn, potatoes, canola and soybeans (which are used in 60 % of all processed foods, such as bread, pasta, candies, ice cream, pies, biscuits, margarine, meat products and vegetarian meat and cheese substitutes). Genetically engineered foods not tested nor labeled as genetically altered could jeopardize our health.

Living organisms are highly complex, and genetic engineers cannot predict all the effects of introducing these new genes. Problems may develop from this process: new toxins and allergens, loss of bio-diversity in seed and crops, or damaging health effects from manipulated food crops. When new genetic information is introduced into plants, bacteria, insects, or animals, it can then be passed into related organisms through naturally occurring processes such as cross-pollination.

It is estimated that 70% of the current genetically modified (GM) harvest is made up of herbicide-resistant crops (HRCs) designed to tolerate high levels of exposure to broad-spectrum herbicides, enabling farmers to spray only one heavy dosage per year, but still this does not break the overall cycle of dependence upon chemical applications.

This process has already created some herbicide-resistant "super weeds" causing many farmers to have to spray even greater quantities of herbicides on their GM crops because the weed species have become even harder to control. Cross-species transfers between fish and tomatoes, or other unrelated species that would not have happened in nature may create new toxins, diseases, and weaknesses that can spread across species barriers. This new combination of host genes and introduced genes have unpredictable effects. These artificially induced characteristics can be passed on to subsequent generations and other related organisms. Transferring animal genes into plants also raises important ethical issues for vegetarians and religious groups.

Another form of genetic engineering is used to create BT crops by inserting a genetically modified gene into a plant gene from a soil organism called Bacillus Thuringiensis (a pest-specific powder used, only when it is needed, by organic farmers and gardeners). This inserted gene causes the plant to produce a substance that makes it toxic to certain insects - creating a built in pesticide - eliminating the need for chemical sprays. However, insects exposed to these transgenic crops over sustained periods of time may develop immunity to BT, and even harsher pesticides will be needed to control the problem.

Genetic engineering companies are carrying out a potentially dangerous global experiment by introducing large numbers of genetically engineered foods into agriculture and food supplies which may have unanticipated and harmful side effects leading to national and/or global food shortages.

More than 50% of the crops developed by biotech companies have been engineered to be resistant to herbicides. This could promote a rapid appearance of resistant insects, destroy the beneficial insects, or alter soil organisms and ecosystems. In addition, the pesticide produced by the plant may be harmful to the health of consumers.

There is no way of knowing the overall, long-term effects of genetically engineered foods on the health of those who eat them. Since most genetically modified foods are not be labeled, manufacturers have already introduced genetically modified ingredients into many of our foods. Labeling should be required for any food that contains a genetically engineered ingredient, or has been produced using GM organisms or enzymes. This would help scientists trace the source of health problems arising from eating these foods. Food scares and epidemics are increasingly commonplace, and in response, the demand for organic food is skyrocketing. Greenpeace has launched a new version of their popular Shopper's Guide, which is an online resource to help you find out whether the food in your shopping basket is GM free go online to Shoppers Guide to GM Foods there are hundreds of products are listed that are genetically modified or have genetically modified ingredients.

The Importance of Biodiversity includes social-cultural, economic, and environmental elements. Genetic biodiversity provides not only healthy crops, it also allows for new plant and seed varieties, maintains soil fertility and its microorganisms, and makes soil and water conservation a priority. Agricultural diversity maintains our bio-diverse plants, seeds, animal food sources, croplands, pastures, range lands and the microbial and fungal sources necessary for healthy soil. Another growing objection to genetic engineering is that we don't need to figure out how to grow more food.

According to the Institute for Food Development Policy, nearly one third of the worlds land area is used for food production and we already grow more than enough to feed everyone. If the vitality, biodiversity, and health of our soil and crops can be improved, plants would be naturally resistant to pests and disease. We need to educate our farmers about the benefits of bio-diversity, soil sustainability, plant and animal health, natural pesticides, composting, and companion planting.

It has been estimated that only 1% of pesticides applied to crops reach the insects they are designed to kill; the other 99% pollutes the air, soil, food, water, kills wildlife, ruining the vitality of the soil. In the past it has been acceptable for farmers and gardeners to buy and spread chemicals and pesticides over their crops instead of understanding the mechanisms of sustainable organic growing methods, and the importance of biodiversity. As consumers demand more organic foods and growing methods, governments, agribusinesses, giant chemical companies, farmers, and home gardeners will be motivated to eliminate the use of genetically altered seeds and plants, carcinogenic pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides. Hopefully, this will grow to include the livestock and fisheries industries currently using antibiotics, chemical food additives, growth regulators, and hormones.

"When the planes still swoop down and aerial spray a field in order to kill a predator insect with pesticides, we are in the Dark Ages of commerce. Maybe one thousandth of this aerial insecticide actually prevents the infestation. The balance goes to the leaves, into the soil, into the water, into all forms of wildlife, into our selves. What is good for the balance sheet is wasteful of resources and harmful to life."
-Paul Hawkin from The Ecology of Commerce

Frank and Vicky Giannangelo
Copyright (c) 2008 Giannangelo Farms Southwest

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