Essay on Genetically Modified Foods

How can genetically modified food affect our society? GMOs are crops which have been scientifically manipulated to receive certain results. The United States proves their commitment to this movement, as their grocery shelves are filled with them. However, not many stand with the U.S., as many countries have banned biotech foods because of their risks. Genetically modified foods are a risk to our society as they may contaminate other productions, but they resist weather patterns; they lack the necessary tests to provide information about their possible dangers, however they are envisioned to be a solution to many health issues; furthermore, they dominate the food industry by not allowing variety, but on the other hand, GMOs may help future issues of food shortages.

This lab is about moving genes from one thing to another using plasmids. Plasmid has the ability to replicate, so it replicates independently, and separately from the chromosomal DNA. Plasmid are one or more small piece of DNA and they enter cells as a double strand DNA. When they enter the cell as a doubke strand they do not invade he chromosomal DNA. We will also transform bacteria into GFP which is mainly from the jelly fish Aequorea Victoria. The GFP causes the the jelly fish to fluorescent and glow in the dark. After the transformation, bacteria starts to make the GFP which causes them to glow a green color under a ultraviolet light.

A new kind of foods called the genetically modified foods has been creating a quiet revolution in the American market for the past several years. Scientists are able to produce these new foods by transferring genes from one organism into another across species boundaries. This new technique has been developed to improve the shelf life, nutritional content, flavor, color, and texture of foods. Since 1994, about 45 genetically modified foods such as tomato, corn, soybeans, canola, and potatoes have been marketed in the United States. About two-thirds of foods that are processed in U.S. contain genetically modified ingredients. So, we the people are consuming these foods without realizing the fact that they are not produced naturally.

For this experiment, E. coli was best for genetic engineering because of their size, and their fast reproduction (Spilios, 2017). E. coli will be genetically transformed using an engineered plasmid. A plasmid is a circular piece of DNA which independently replicates and multiplies because it has its own origin of replication (Spilios, 2017). The pGLO is the plasmid used in this experiment. Plasmids are used as vectors and they contain manipulated genes such as genes coding for antibiotic resistance for drugs like ampicillin. This antibiotic resistance of such serves as the selectable marker in genetic transformation and for genetic transformation to proceed, the cell must reach competency which is the physiological state that is required for the vector plasmid to get into the cell for transformation (Spilios, 2017). While competency can be reached naturally in some organism, it must be reached artificially in E. coli through treatment with CaCl2 and exposing them to heat shock using incubation (Spilios, 2017).

“Eat your vegetables, they're good for you”, The words a kid never wants to hear. People scan food packages for whole grains and fibers, avoid sugar, and don’t even think about buying something with trans fats. Just when people thought they knew how to eat healthy, there's another problem: Genetically Modified Organisms. Some opponents would have you believe these ingredients are the dietary curse of the decade. How concerned should people really be though? This is one of the most debated questions around the world. Many environmental organizations protest against genetic engineering, but numerous companies continue to use it in food production. The issue of Genetically Modified foods has been investigated by many different scientists for many

Genetic transformation occurs when genes are inserted into another gene to change the organism’s trait (Weedman2016). In this experiment, we proceeded to transform the E. coli bacteria with a gene that contained green fluorescent protein. The green fluorescent protein is used in experiments because it beams a green color under a UV light (Chalfie2008). Typically, it is used to mark the expression of genes, which is why it serves as the symbol for all gene expressions (Tsien1998). In the experiment, we will be using pGLO as the organisms that will transmit the disease, otherwise known as a vector. The pGLO in the experiment

Genetically modified crops are harmful to humans and the environment and shouldn't be used. Agriculture should proceed in harmony with nature and nature only. That is why some people have decided to buy organically grown food. From their experiences with organic food, they believe that the organic system can be economically practical. This system also provides a wide range of environmental and social benefits, and most importantly, it enables consumers to make a choice about the food they eat. According to Diana Brander, an American biology teacher, we should have the choice of the type of food we eat.

The genetic engineering of foods has, in one sense, been in existence for hundreds of years. The first time Gregor Mendel bred different varieties of pea plants to observe the various traits present in their offspring, the concept was born. Today, genetic engineering has developed into one of the most complex and advanced fields of scientific thinking, all the while provoking many questions and acquiring many opponents along the way. While there are compelling arguments presented for each side of the issue, the simple fact is that genetically modified (GM) foods are a reality, especially in the United States, as they are already present in many products that are consumed on a daily

It can be difficult to discern as to why there is so much controversy over genetically modified ingredients within our food supply. I myself have heard so many accounts of the opposing sides to this debate and some things can get misconstrued along the way. The article “FAQs about GMOs” by Jean Halloran presents specific questions and answers related to the topic of genetically modified foods, or GMOs. Includes the effects that GMOs have on consumers’ health, social aspects of labeling GMOs, and environmental influences of GMOs.

Everywhere where you go, there are fast food companies advertising their products. You take a road trip to your family's house, and what do you see? Rest stops filled with fast food restaurants. According to Google maps, there are close to 50,000 fast food chains across the United States. (with Mcdonald's being the largest restaurant chain.) Fast food companies go above and beyond to lure you to buy their products. But what exactly is in their food? Not many people look into that. All they're looking for is a quick fix and convenient food. But, what is this food doing to your body? How do you know what you're

What if people could create an organism that was stronger than it was previously? More resistance to diseases, poisons, and that could thrive in a hostile environment? That is what scientist are creating with GMOs (Genetically Modified Organism) but mostly with plants that farmers produce for food such as corn or soybeans. Scientist can create modified organism when they pick an organism (such as corn) and then have certain changes introduced into their DNA using genetic engineering. It is different from breeding because instead of getting random genes, scientists are putting the desired gene directly into the plants’ DNA. Genetically modified foods are a controversial topic throughout most of the country but most Americans would be

Could it be that there are dirty little secrets lurking inside the foods you put on your table? “Do you really know what’s inside the tomato you just put on your salad? Do you care to know if that cheeseburger you just ate is not infused with liquid nitrogen?” There are no notices, no warnings and most definitely no labels. Genetically modified food (GMF, GM Crops, or Bio-Food) are the norm in America today. Some even say we are just another Human Experiment for our American Government. While others claim if it weren't for scientists and their experiments we would never have discovered genetics and DNA.

Recombinant DNA production also requires a living organism. In 1973 Boyer and Cohen developed a method to insert DNA from one organism into the DNA of bacteria. The first step in producing a recombinant DNA protein is to identify what portion of host DNA codes for a desired protein. After the DNA has been identified, the specified section of host DNA is removed and isolated using unambiguous DNA cutting proteins. The DNA fragment is inserted into a previously opened bacteria plasmid. The altered plasmid is inserted back into the bacteria. The plasmid replicates and produces many copies of the exogenous gene. Finally, the bacteria are stimulated to transcript the gene for the protein that it codes for and the protein can be harvested.

The coding region of the gene is usually fused to a promoter, most commonly used is the 35S promoter from cauliflower mosaic virus (CMV), in order to promote higher expression levels. (Snow et. al, 1997) The popular method for genetic engineering of crop plants is natural gene transfer via an Agrobacterium tumefaciens vector, a bacterium normally found in soils. The transfer-DNA (T-DNA) vector is made by inserting the desired gene fragment in between specific 25bp repeat domains in the bacterium. The vector is then inserted into the Agrobacterium and "the virulence gene products of Agrobacterium actively recognize, excise, transport, and integrate the T-DNA region into the host plant genomes." (Conner et. al, 1999) The amount of DNA transferred is only about 10kb and the nature of the gene is usually well understood. The expression of the gene introduced can also be controlled by adding additional sequences that might allow the gene to be constitutively expressed, expressed only in certain cell types, or expressed as a result of different environmental changes. This method of gene transfer, however, will only work for the natural host range of the bacterium and therefore other methods are used for additional crop plants. Such methods are uptake of naked DNA by electroporation or particle gun bombardment. The use of genetic markers, as mentioned previously, allows for the preferential growth of cultures that contain the new genetic

Genetic modification of organisms in general is a biotechnological process that forces genes to behave according to certain characteristics. Changing characteristics of organisms is based on changing their DNA (tech deoxyribonucleic acid; the acid which carries genetic information in a cell). It is being used for modifying genes in plants, animals or micro-organisms. It is being also used especially with food in order to improve the nutritious quality, make less use of chemicals such as pesticides, which proved to be extremely harmful, and sometimes to add flavour.