GMOs and Awareness

In the day of the poster presentations I really enjoyed the one say know to GMOs. The other two were really good too. Genetically engineered foods first entered the marketplace in 1994 in the form of a tomato known as the Flavr Savr. Since then, the prevalence of GMOs, short for Genetically Modified Organisms, has grown significantly. For instance, it has been estimated by the Grocery Manufacturers of America that 75% of all processed foods in the US contain a GM ingredient. People have different perceptions when it comes to GMOs. Biotechnologists advertise and support genetically modified crops because they believe that the plants have enhanced resistance to pests, disease, herbicides and drought, and thus GMOs could lessen world hunger by producing higher yields. While the benefits of GMOs sound great and helpful to the society, it is necessary to be weary of them as we do not have evidence that they are safe in the long haul for both human consumption and their effects on the environment.?

GM foods or GMOs are two terms used to refer to crop plants that are created for human or animal use that have had genes artificially inserted into their DNA. The latest molecular biology techniques are used to modify plants in the laboratory to enhance traits such as resistance to herbicides or to improve its nutritional content.  Genetic engineering can create plants with the desired trait very rapidly and with high accuracy. A gene responsible for a specific trait can be taken from one plant or even non-plant organisms such as bacteria and transferred into another plant to modify its nature. An example for that is transferring the Bacillus thuringiensis gene to corn to enhance the corns ability to produce its own pesticides against insects.

DNA recombinant technology is one of the techniques used in GMOs. The technique is adding the DNA of one organism to the genome of another. The gene added is called transgene and it gets inserted into a chromosome, and then passes to the progeny as a new component of the genome. There is a need to monitor and verify the presence and amount of GMOs in agricultural crops and in products derived thereof. In addition, it is important to know whether the GMO detected is authorized. Therefore, a reliable detection method is needed. DNA detection using PCR or protein detection by immunological assays like Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay (ELISA) are the most common methods used. Prerequisites for the development of immunological detection methods are the availability of high affinity antibodies directed against the protein to be detected and an active expression of the newly introduced gene in the tissue to be analyzed. It is important to know that genetic modifications do not always result in the production of a new protein and the protein expression levels are not always sufficient for detection purposes. In addition, the new protein may be produced only in certain parts of the organism or its level varies in different tissues or during different phases of the physiological development.  Currently, real-time PCR can be considered the most powerful tool for the detection and quantification of GMOs. The accuracy of the PCR method rely on the type of GMO, food matrix, and processing involved, and the analysis of samples containing low concentrations of GMOs may show a great error.

Currently, the majority of food we consume is genetically modified if it’s not labelled as organic. For example, potatoes produced by Monsanto, one of the big corporations, have their cells injected with anthrax type bacteria. This makes potatoes produce their own pesticide, resulting in the death of any insects that try to eat it. This is what we are consuming too, so how will it affect us in the long term?  Unfortunately, the answer to this question is still widely unknown.

Weighing the advantages and disadvantages of the biotechnology techniques to modify our food, we find that the harm outweighs the benefits. The damage that genetically modified food can cause does not just stop at the plant. The Monsanto brand of pesticide, Roundup, is one of the most toxic pesticide/herbicides on the market. Those plants that have been heavily sprayed with toxic chemicals can withstand anything. Therefore, weeds are now becoming immune and spread without control, which results in large areas of land becoming unusable. Additionally,  the chemical makes its way to the rivers and lakes through watering.

Since genetically modified foods contain proteins that were never introduced to the human body, food intolerance and allergies have increased significantly due to GMOs. This issue ( allergy) was a significant one took my attention since I came to United State, that a lot of people living on allergy medication. Some or let me say not usual number taking it on a daily basis. You gonna say how you know that? I will tell that I used to work in a gas station and some of my morning customer used to buy Claritin  and other allergy medications on a daily basis!!! So since the allergy in the world we living in got beyond the cross line that it is not seasonal any more, that implied it has a strong correlation to what we eat....to GMOs.