Genetically Modified Organisms: bane or boon

Genetically Modified Organisms

           The uprising population throughout the world demands for tremendous needs of nutrition, mainly for survival. Malnutrition is one of the undying effects of poor nutrition, which is self-evident to the majority.  Children are the vulnerable individuals that are most affected by this condition. Rough skin and hair, bony physique and poor eyesight are some of the notable manifestations of these deficiencies. Death is the final resort if not directed immediately.

           Most places where high cases of malnutrition are rampant are located on deserted, arid and impotent lands where survival is almost impossible. The alarming situation had made the scientist to create a sophisticated response in eradicating the said problem. From how many years of studying with several trials and errors they come up to the creation of big-engineered organisms which is prominently known as genetically modified organism (GMO),  organism whose genome has been engineered in the laboratory in order to favour the expression of desired physiological traits or the production of desired biological products. In conventional livestock production, crop farming, and even pet breeding, it has long been the practice to breed select individuals of a species in order to produce offspring that have desirable traits. In genetic modification, however, recombinant genetic technologies are employed to produce organisms whose genomes have been precisely altered at the molecular level, usually by the inclusion of genes from unrelated species of organisms that code for traits that would not be obtained easily through conventional selective breeding.

          

         

          Many industries stand to benefit from additional GMO research. For instance, a number of microorganisms are being considered as future clean fuel producers and biodegraders. In addition, genetically modified plants may someday be used to produce recombinant vaccines. In fact, the concept of an oral vaccine expressed in plants (fruits and vegetables) for direct consumption by individuals is being examined as a possible solution to the spread of disease in underdeveloped countries, one that would greatly reduce the costs associated with conducting large-scale vaccination campaigns. Work is currently underway to develop plant-derived vaccine candidates in potatoes and lettuce for hepatitis B virus (HBV), enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), and Norwalk virus. Scientists are also looking into the production of other commercially valuable proteins in plants, such as spider silk protein and polymers that are used in surgery or tissue replacement (Ma et al., 2003). Genetically modified animals have even been used to grow transplant tissues and human transplant organs, a concept called xenotransplantation. The rich variety of uses for GMOs provides a number of valuable benefits to humans, but many people also worry about potential risks. 

reference: http://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/genetically-modified-organisms-gmos-transgenic-crops-and-732