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GMOs are living beings whose DNA has been modified using genetic engineering techniques. There are two classes of GMOs: cisgenic and transgenic. Transgenic microorganisms are commonly used in applications such as producing insulin for diabetes treatment and promoting crop growth. GMO research is controversial due to ethical concerns and potential environmental impacts.
Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are living beings whose deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) has been modified by humans using genetic engineering techniques. The mechanism for creating a GMO is called the recombinant DNA technique. It involves combining DNA strands from different sources to create a new DNA molecule that has a different combination of genes than occurs naturally. The newly created DNA is then inserted into a living organism or into an egg or sperm, resulting in a genetically modified organism.
There are two classes of genetically modified organisms, cisgenic organisms and transgenic organisms. Cisgenic organisms are GMOs that result from the combination of different DNA strands, all of which come from the same or very similar species. All of the DNA used in the process comes from closely related organisms, generally defined as organisms capable of reproducing together. For example, DNA could be taken from a wild oat variety that has some beneficial trait, such as resistance to a certain type of pest. This DNA could then be spliced with the DNA of a cultivated variety of oats to produce a new strain that has desirable traits from both varieties.
Transgenic organisms are genetically modified organisms that include DNA from two different species. Transgenic microorganisms are the most commonly created transgenic organisms. The simple DNA of bacteria lends itself to relatively simple recombinant DNA methods.
There are many examples of transgenic microorganisms used in a variety of applications. Some bacteria are genetically engineered to produce insulin for the treatment of human diabetes. Other bacteria are engineered to produce blood proteins to promote clotting for the treatment of hemophilia. In agriculture, some transgenic microbes are used to stimulate better crop growth and to produce toxic chemicals that inhibit the proliferation of some crop pests.
GMO research is often considered controversial for a variety of reasons. Ethical issues aside, the creation of genetically modified organisms and their introduction into the environment can have unforeseen impacts. Growing GM crops in agriculture can lead to the spread of those GM organisms into the wider environment, as it is difficult to completely isolate the organisms in open fields. Pollen from a GM crop can, for example, easily cross large spaces and potentially cause the GM plants being grown to crossbreed with an existing species in a neighboring field.
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