LYCEUM –NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY

INSTITUTE OF GRADUATE AND PROFESSIONAL STUDIES

Tapuac District, Dagupan City, Pangasinan

NAME: UNGRIA, ERICSON C. DATE: JULY 8,2023

PRESENTER: EMMALYN O. ORIA PROFESSOR: DR. ESMIE T. AGPALO

GENETIC MANIPULATION

1.What is genetic engineering/Genetic manipulation?

Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification or genetic

manipulation, is the modification and manipulation of an
organism's genes using technology. It is a set of technologies used to change
the genetic makeup of cells, including the transfer of genes within and
across species boundaries to produce improved or novel organisms.
New DNA is obtained by either isolating and copying the genetic material
of interest using recombinant DNA methods or by artificially
synthesising the DNA. A construct is usually created and used to insert this
DNA into the host organism. The first recombinant DNA molecule was made
by Paul Berg in 1972 by combining DNA from the monkey virus SV40 with
the lambda virus. As well as inserting genes, the process can be used to
remove, or "knock out", genes. The new DNA can be inserted randomly,
or targeted to a specific part of the genome.[1]
An organism that is generated through genetic engineering is
considered to be genetically modified (GM) and the resulting entity is
a genetically modified organism (GMO). The first GMO was
a bacterium generated by Herbert Boyer and Stanley Cohen in
1973. Rudolf Jaenisch created the first GM animal when he inserted foreign
DNA into a mouse in 1974. The first company to focus on genetic
engineering, Genentech, was founded in 1976 and started the production
of human proteins. Genetically engineered human insulin was produced in
1978 and insulin-producing bacteria were commercialized in
1982. Genetically modified food has been sold since 1994, with the release of
the Flavr Savr tomato. The Flavr Savr was engineered to have a longer shelf
life, but most current GM crops are modified to increase resistance to insects
and herbicides. GloFish, the first GMO designed as a pet, was sold in the
United States in December 2003. In 2016 salmon modified with a growth
hormone were sold.
Genetic engineering has been applied in numerous fields including
research, medicine, industrial biotechnology and agriculture. In research,
GMOs are used to study gene function and expression through loss of
function, gain of function, tracking and expression experiments. By
knocking out genes responsible for certain conditions it is possible to
create animal model organisms of human diseases. As well as producing
hormones, vaccines and other drugs, genetic engineering has the potential
to cure genetic diseases through gene therapy. The same techniques that are
used to produce drugs can also have industrial applications such as
producing enzymes for laundry detergent, cheeses and other products.

2. Do you think genetic engineering is a good thing?why?

Genetic engineering made it possible to create crop varieties regarded

as “more beneficial”. Unlike selective breeding, modern genetic
engineering is more gene-specific. One of the downsides of selective breeding
is the possibility of generating traits that are less desirable. This is averted
by modern genetic engineering that introduces specific genes. Since the
process is rather straightforward, it is relatively faster than selective
breeding (in terms of coming up with crops with the desired traits

Genetic engineering now makes it possible for millions of people with type 1
diabetes mellitus to get safe insulin. Agricultural genetic engineering also
feeds the world.
Even if those were the ONLY things to come from genetic engineering—and
it’s far from it—that would be reason enough for me to say without question,
YES, I am in favor of genetic engineering. It’s one of the best tools at our
disposal now for significantly reducing human suffering and needless
death.

3. What are people worried about who oppose genetic engineering?

There are many risks involved in genetic engineering. The release of

genetically altered organisms in the environment can increase human
suffering, decrease animal welfare, and lead to ecological disasters. The
containment of biotechnological material in laboratories and industrial
plants contributes to the risk of accidental release, especially if the
handling and storage are inadequate. The purely political dangers
include intensified economic inequality, the possibility of large-scale
eugenic programs, and totalitarian control over human lives. How should
the acceptability of these risks be determined? We argue that the assessment
should be left to those who can be harmed by the decisions in question.
Economic risks are acceptable, if they are condoned by the corporations and
governments who take them. The risks imposed on laboratory personnel by
the containment of dangerous materials ought to be evaluated by the
laboratory personnel themselves. All other risks are more or less universal,
and should therefore be assessed as democratically as possible. If risk-taking
is based on the choices of those who can be harmed by the consequences,
then, even if the undesired outcome is realized, the risk is acceptable,
because it is embedded in their own system of ethical and epistemic values.

4. Do you worry about eating GM (genetically modified) food?why?

No. There is no evidence that a crop is dangerous to eat just because it is GM.
There could be risks associated with the specific new gene introduced, which
is why each crop with a new characteristic introduced by GM is subject to
close scrutiny. Since the first widespread commercialisation of GM produce
18 years ago there has been no evidence of ill effects linked to the
consumption of any approved GM crop.

Before any food produced using GM technology is permitted onto the

market, a variety of tests have to be completed. The results from these tests,
including results from animal feeding trials, are considered by the
authorities responsible for determining the safety of each new GM product
his makes new GM crop varieties at least as safe to eat as new non GM
varieties, which are not tested in this way.
There have been a few studies claiming damage to human or animal
health from specific foods that have been developed using GM. The claims
were not about the GM method itself, but about the specific gene introduced
into the crop, or about agricultural practices associated with the crop, such
as herbicide treatments. The statistical analysis and methodology of these
studies have been challenged. All reliable evidence produced to date shows
that currently available GM food is at least as safe to eat as non-GM food.