CHAPTER 9:

GENETICALLY MODIFIED
ORGANISM

Presented by:
Rommel Layosa
 GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISM?

• Organism either plants, animal,

or microorganism in which genetic
material (DNA) has been altered in a
way that does not occur naturally by
mating or natural recombination.
WHAT IS GENETIC ENGINEERING?

 Genetic engineering is the direct modification of an

organism’s genome, which is the list of specific traits
(genes) stored in DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). Organisms
created through genetic engineering are called genetically
modified organism (GMO) or transgenic organism.
THE GENETIC ENGINEERING PROCESS ON PLANT
GMOs in Food and
Agricultural industries 
1. Pest resistance 
     - made
   in order for farmers not
to use chemicals (ex. 
pesticides) for crop production.
Bt corn. 
A gene from Bacillus thuringiensis was
added to the corn genome via rDNA
technology. Bt corn then produces
toxins harmful on corn borers but poses
no threat when ingested by humans.
2. Virus resistance
- mechanism on how it works is similar
with vaccines 
administered on humans. 
 Ex. GM papaya (rainbow papaya). 
Through tissue culture, the PRSV
(papaya ringspot virus) protein is
introduced to papaya tissue.
The cultured papaya then develops
immunity throughout time giving rise
to rainbow papaya. PRSV is known
to be detrimental on papaya.
3. Herbicide tolerance
- spraying of herbicide only kills
the weeds and not 
the plant. 
Ex. Roundup Ready soybean. A
bacterial gene CP4 EPSPS, tolerant
to Roundup (an herbicide
containing glyphosate) was isolated
and extracted from the microbe and
then inserted into a plasmid. 
4. Fortification
- GM crops added with certain vitamins
and/or minerals. 
Ex. Golden rice.
Vitamin A’s precursor, beta-
carotene is introduced to rice
genome through biosynthesis. As
you eat the rice, you also acquire a
certain amount of Vitamin A. 
5. Increase growth rate
- yields higher growth rate in
comparison to their 
non – GM counterpart. 
Ex. AquAdvantage salmon.
It is an Atlantic salmon, added
with growth hormones from
Chinook salmon, and a genetic
“on switch” from another fish,
the ocean pout. AquAdvantage
salmon consumes 25% less feeds
than non-transgenic
6. Cosmetic preservation
- in order to prevent natural
discoloration.
Ex. Arctic apple.
Browning of apple due to
oxidation is prevented
since PPO (polyphenol oxidase)
is absent on this apple
GMOs in Non-Food Crops and
Microorganism
1. Flower production 
for the modification of floral 
color and longer vase life. 
Ex. Blue rose. 
Derived from lilac or purple
rose whose anthocyanin (gives the lilac
or purple appearance) biosynthetic
pathway was diverted to produce
delphinidin (for blue appearance)
instead. This is made possible by
introducing a gene on lilac or purple
rose’s cultivars.
2. Paper production
- modification on a tree’s lignin
synthesis resulting to 
higher yield of paper production. 
Ex. Poplar tree.
 A gene encoding for ferulic
acid is introduced among
young poplar trees. Ferulic
acid aids in the breaking down
of lignin which is not needed
in paper production. 
3. Pharmaceutical production
- plants are modified in order to
produce pharmaceutical products. 
Ex. Periwinkle plants.
Enhancing vinblastine
(alkaloid on cancer
treating drugs such as
Hodgkin’s lymphoma)
production as bacterial genes
is added to periwinkle added.
4. Bioremediation
- the use of either naturally occurring or
deliberately introduced microorganisms or
other forms of life to consume and break
down environmental pollutants, in order to
clean up a polluted site.
Ex. Alcanivorax.
Type of bacteria that
degrades oil and
used in cleaning oil
spills. 
 5. Enzyme for food production 
 - Enzymes from genetically modified 
microorganisms play an increasing role in
food technology.

Ex. CGTase
(cyclomaltodextrin glyc
osyltransferase).
6. GMO and the medical field
- genetic engineering plays a vital role 
in diagnosis and/or treatment of human
disease through drug production, gene 
therapy, and laboratory researchers.
Ex. Humulin. 
A genetically engineered insulin administered
for those suffering Type I diabetes (type of
diabetes that is insulin – dependent since
the body cannot create sufficient amounts of
insulin). Insulin is an enzyme that aids
in glucose metabolism. At the same time, it
regulates the body’s blood glucose level.
 “ Potential Risks of GMOs

• There are insufficient number of studies on GMO’s

effect(s) on humans and/or the environment since genetic
engineering is still a young branch of science. 
•  Genetic engineering induces mutation among GMOs
”
in which its long term effect is still unknown.
• Human consumption of GMOs might lead to:

More allergic reactions

Gene mutation
Antibiotic resistance
Nutritional value
 Other concerns that genetic engineering poses to
humanity are as follow;

Human Genome Project (HGP)

– mapping of human genes
through HGP also aims to
produce “designer drug” based
on an individual’s genome. This
is viewed as an efficient way of
treating disease. 
Cloning – cloning occurs naturally since
it is an asexual mode of reproduction
among certain organism. Also, in
genetic engineering, we have the 
so-called DNA cloning wherein
thousands, and even millions of DNA
(sequence) are produced through PCR
(polymerase chain reaction). The issue
of humans “playing God” emerged
when the first mammal, Dolly the sheep
was cloned in 1997. 
Direct Environmental Risks

• Disruption of the natural communities through

competition or interference,
• Pose threats or become pest
• Harmful effects to ecosystem
• Negative impact to the consumer of GMO products
Indirect Environmental Risks

• Alteration of agricultural practices

• Impacts on biodiversity
• Varied environmental impacts 
Biosafety on GMO
• Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety [CPB].
• Codex Alimentarius Commission.
• International Development in Labeling of GM
Foods.
Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety [CPB] (2000)

establishes rules and procedures for the safe handling,

transfer, and use of LMOs (living modified organisms). It
focuses on the transboundary movement of LMOs destined
for introduction into the environment and those intended
for use directly as food, feed or for processing.
Codex Alimentarius Commission (2003) 

 specifically the Codex Principles for the Risk Analysis of Foods

Derived from Modern Biotechnology which provides an
overarching framework for undertaking risk analysis of the safety
and nutritional aspects of foods derived from biotechnology
(food safety assessment on:  foods derived from rDNA plants, and
foods produced using rDNA microorganisms).

International Development in Labeling of GM Foods

A GM food will be labeled if it is significantly different

from its conventional counterpart, in terms of
composition, nutritional value and allergenicity.
That's all thank you