Everything you need to know! Genetic Engineering Everything you need to know!

Bioluminescence

Scientists used a bioluminescent gene from a jellyfish to create “glowing” green mice! These are all baby mice, with no hair yet. The inserted gene makes the skin glow under ultraviolet (UV) light. These 3 in the middle are normal baby mice. Photo taken under UV light.

WHY????? Who knows… Genetic Engineers CAN take DNA (genes) from one organism and add it to the DNA (genes) of another organism… But, just because we CAN do it, doesn’t mean we should!

You already know…. Two types of Genetic Engineering: Selective Breeding Done for Thousands of years! Humans “selectively breed” different organisms to get the traits we want Breeding dogs from wolves Recombinant DNA Humans create “Genetically Modified Organisms” (GMOs) to get the traits we want Virus resistant Tobacco plants Insect resistant corn GMOs

Selective Breeding Choosing two organisms of the same species and mating them to get the best traits of each parent to show up in the offspring. Manipulating traits NOT manipulating genes!

Selective Breeding: Example A I’m giving ½ my genes! I’m giving ½ my genes, too! I’m so glad Farmer Jane introduced us! Our offspring will be so handsome & healthy & tasty! Tough wild boars mated with friendly meaty pigs give you robust & meaty pigs for your farm. Tough Boar + meaty pig = Superpig

Selective Breeding: Example B Brahman cattle: Good resistance to heat, but poor beef. English shorthorn cattle: Good beef but poor heat resistance. Santa Gertrudis cattle (cross of 2 breeds-same species!) RESULT = good beef and resistant to heat! hot weather cow + beefy cow = supercow

Selective Breeding: Example C Ancient corn from Peru (~4000 yrs old) Choosing only the best corn plants for seeds results in better crops over a long time.

Selective Breeding: Example D = little red tomato + big green = BIG RED TOMATO

The Lemato……… YUCK!

Advantages of Selective Breeding Get improved organisms Don’t need any special tools or lab Can be performed easily by farmers & breeders

Disadvantages of Selective Breeding Undesirable traits from both parents may appear in the offspring Think: “royals” and inbreeding! Recessive disorders can appear! Disease can accumulate in the population You may end up with deaf dalmatians, boxers with heart disease, labradors with hip problems…

Remember! Selective breeding crosses organisms (same species) with desirable traits to produce offspring that have the traits from both parents! This has been done for thousands of years…

Genetic Engineering Involves identifying certain genes and moving them (splicing them) from one organism to another – possibly to a different species - or removing the gene entirely! Manipulating DNA Creating GMOs

Genetic Engineering: Details Cutting a DNA sequence out of one organism Using Restriction Enzymes Inserting it into another organism’s DNA sequence Splicing (using Enzymes) This produces an organism that has a new trait it would not have developed, naturally, on its own

Altering an Organism’s DNA Insert or Remove DNA from the genome of one organism Restriction Enzymes CUT DNA Create “sticky ends” (unmatched nucleotides) We like to use bacteria…

Creating Human Hormones & More…. Manipulate Bacterial DNA (Plasmids) Insert Human gene sequences into Bacterial Plasmid DNA Recombinant DNA genetic engineering

Genetic Engineering: Make chickens with no feathers. Scientists engineered chickens to be featherless by REMOVING the gene in chicken DNA that causes them to grow feathers… Makes Perdue’s job easier! Make chickens with no feathers.

Genetic Engineering: Cabbage plant + scorpion venom = bug-proof veggies Scientists added a gene for producing a small amount of scorpion venom to cabbage plants to kill pesky caterpillars that eat the crops!

Genetic Engineering: Give tomatoes the ability to make their own form of anti-freeze. Placing the “anti-freeze gene” from a cold-water fish in tomatoes, so the tomatoes can still grow in cold weather.

The Food We Eat…. Chickens…1957, 1978, 2005 You Got Beef?

Remember! Genetic engineering involves the manipulation of genes! Gene: a segment of DNA

Advantages of Genetic Engineering Will get improved organisms Can create organisms with traits not previously thought possible Can remove “bad” genes Reduces the chance of getting “undesirable” organisms

Disadvantages of Genetic Engineering Co$tly Must be performed in a lab with special equipment Ethical issues Possible long term negative affects We don’t know about yet…. Negative environmental impacts We don’t know about yet…

There are GOOD points… as well as BAD points…. Genetic engineering has very few limits - except our imagination, and our moral or ethical code… There are GOOD points… as well as BAD points…. genetic engineering -- the future GE - CRISPR

Good Point…. Think about Ashanthi… CURED by Gene Therapy….

Bad Point…. Where does it end??? What you should know…. Genetically Modified Humans????? What do you think????

REVIEW Selective Breeding Genetic Engineering Process has been around for thousands of years Combines the best traits of two organisms Same Species Results in organisms that have the desirable traits of their parents Genetic Engineering Relatively new process performed in labs Manipulates/alters the genetic makeup of organisms Not Always Same Species Results in organisms with new traits that would not appear naturally!

GE SB SB GE GE BOTH SB SB GE GE Scientific Example or Fact GE or SB? Farmers removed the gene in chicken DNA to make them grow featherless. This process attempts to combines the best traits of 2 parents. Dog breeders wanted to breed a dog that would run fast but also be born with long, shiny fur, looking for the best characteristics from the parents. Scientists take out a gene for bioluminescence from a jellyfish and put that gene into a mouse’s DNA to see if it will have a glowing effect. This process is relatively new and done in science labs. This results in organisms with new combinations of traits that may never have existed before. English Shorthorn cattle, which produced good beef were bred with Brahman cattle from India to make the offspring both tasty and resistant to heat and humidity. This process has been around for thousands of years. Scientists removed a gene for fat in bison to make their meat leaner. This process can be done using organisms of 2 very different species. GE SB SB GE GE BOTH SB SB GE GE

Without Rules…. Dr. Josef Mengele – Hitler’s Angel of Death

Just because you CAN… Doesn’t always mean you SHOULD…