1. GMO Scientistmel.com Patreon.com/scientistmel Twitter.com/scientistmel
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2. GMO
What is it?
Why do it?
How does it work?
Potential Issues?

3. GMO- What is It? Genetically Modified Organism
Genes altered not by nature
Both related & nonrelated species
Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) can be defined as organisms (i.e. plants, animals or microorganisms) in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally by mating and/or natural recombination. The technology is often called “modern biotechnology” or “gene technology”, sometimes also “recombinant DNA technology” or “genetic engineering”. It allows selected individual genes to be transferred from one organism into another, also between nonrelated species. Foods produced from or using GM organisms are often referred to as GM foods.

4. GMO- What is It? Artificial Selection Farmers/Breeders Related Species
Artificial selection is how we have larger crops, larger cows, more milk making cows…farmers have been altering genes through cross breeding plants and selecting for desired traits for thousands of years. GMO just takes it a bit further to expedite the process.

5. GMO- Why do it?

6. Mitigates Nutrient Pollution
GMO- Why do it?
Sustainability
Enhance biodiversity
Improves soil
Reduces CO2
Conserves water
Mitigates Nutrient Pollution

7. Larger crops with less land
Larger crops with less land. Insect resistant crops provide pest control that is targeted towards problematic bugs but not important ones like pollinators. Adding the benefit of herbicide-tolerant plants means fewer pesticide applications. With global warming being an issue, generating drought tolerant plants is crucial. Conservation tilling instead of soil tilling allows plant remnants to be left on top of the soil and seeds placed within that plant/soil residue...becoming mulch. Advances in GMO conservation tilling which also reduces CO2 emissions. Furthermore all of these practices also conserves water as less tilling and drought tolerant plants means less water is used. There are plants being developed that uptake nitrogen more readily as many plants slowly absorb this crucial nutrient. This will allow farmers to purchase less nitrogen and therefore less nitrogen runoff into surrounding water supplies.
Human population is increasing. GMO’s provide larger crops and food for less money. With climate change and global warming on an increasing trend, food will likely become more expensive. GMO is going to be necessary in order to combat the rapid change in climate to help aid plants in surviving and adapting to the quick changes

8. GMO- How it Works
This image comes to us from Harvard.edu.

9. GMO- How it Works
Critically thinking and a bit of luck is how researchers find a desirable trait in a plant or organism. One example is an herbicide tolerant bacteria that could survive in the presence of roundup. By applying this gene for this trait to specific plants, it allows these plants to survive in the presence of the herbicide. The herbicide then targets the unwanted plants but the genetically modified ones survive. Another example involves rice that has a gene to make pro-vitamin A. By applying this gene to a widely used crop, like corn, it could aid in meeting th needs of communities who have a deficiency of vitamin A. Genetic analysis is required in order to isolate the portion of an organisms genome in order to determine which gene controls the trait of interest.

10. There is a genetic database that allows some help in determining what each gene does. However, if there is no information for a particular trait/gene combo, scientists can knock out and/or delete a gene to see the effect on protein expression. Does the trait show up or not when a gene is deleted or silenced? If that trait does not show up, they know they have found the right gene. One technology called seed chipping allows scientists to take a slice of a seed to perform genetic analysis while allowing enough of the seed to remain intact for use in planting. This aids in generating a genetic database to help cross reference traits and genes to allow ease in finding which trait goes with which gene.

11. GMO- How it Works

12. Plants are not so easy to genetically modify
Plants are not so easy to genetically modify. They do have cell walls and rigidity that has to be overcome. A combination of genetically modified bacteria using DNA, nanoparticles, and a scifi sounding gene gun…seeds are blasted with .22 caliber charges forcing the gene into the plants. A few companies don’t really do this anymore. They instead use modified bacteria that act like a trojan horse to invade cells with the new gene allowing it to enter into the plant’s genetic code.
Once the genome has been altered, researchers double check that only the gene of interest has been changed and correctly at that. Once that passes inspection, the plants are studied under strict conditions to determine how well they reproduce and survive. There is even technology that tracks optimal seeding and growth conditions in order to generate the best possible outcome. This also gives further insight to farmers as to how to plant the seeds and upkeep to give the highest chance for the best yield.

13. GMO- Issues? Farm Animals are not GMO Potential biodiversity breech
No real human harm found

14. There is some concern that modifying plants causes potential health issues for individuals. These issues primarily focus on allergens, gene transfer from GM foods to the body…ie: gut bacteria. Some concern arises in regard to antibiotic resistance and gene transfer. The probability of gene transfer from foods to human cells is exceedingly low. GMO’s that do not have gene transfer associated with antibiotic resistance are encouraged. Most countries have stringent guidelines and investigations associated with GMO’s. These regulatory bodies look at how the organism is affected, if it changes the overall organism to an unrecognizable state, if there are any toxic aspects because of the gene modification, as well as any other potential health issues that can arise. The last issue involves outcrossing to plants in the wild…essentially GMO plants breeding with wild plants. This means conventional seeds get mixed with GMO seeds. This may have an indirect effect on food safety and security.
In 2014 an analysis of GMO studies was published.The authors combed through 10 years of GMO research and found that GMO foods did not pose any risk on humans in the 10 years worth of studies that have been performed on them.

15. GMO- Issues?
An overview of the last 10 years of genetically engineered crop safety research
Food and Feed
Environmental Impact
Health
Traceability

16. “We believe that genetic engineering and GE crops should be considered important options in the efforts toward sustainable agricultural production. Our collection of scientific records is available to researchers, communicators and teachers at all levels to help create an informed and balanced public perception on the hot issue of GE use in agriculture.”
Public perception of GMO is a substantial concern as people push against what they think is “un natural”. But what people need to understand at this point is that what we are doing to the environment and have been doing to the environment was never “natural” and hasn’t been for thousands of years. With the push in climate change affecting crops globally, GMO has become a necessity. We can not afford to pick and choose what we consider natural and un-natural in a world where we have contaminated our planet through blatant excess and pollution. If we are to survive, we need to understand our current state of the world and work to better the planet. We have changed our world in many ways…and many of them are not natural…furthermore, nature wants to kill us. The more toxic we create our planet, the more we have to modify the genetic code in order to adapt and survive…this happens with our basic necessities…food, water conservation, and sustainability.

17. GMO
What is it?
Why do it?
How does it work?
Potential Issues?

18. Sources

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