Improving Food Crops
In Canada, modifying food crops for resistance to herbicides ![clip_image002[5]](http://www.alterdna.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/clip_image0025.jpg "Ongoing Research in Genetic Engineering")
where weeds are a problem is currently of high priority. Monsanto, an American agricultural company, in particular is perfecting RoundUp® and Dicamba tolerance in grains and cotton. One of the stumbling blocks is political resistance to the introduction of genetically modified grain into the human food chain. Environmental groups have sued to have further testing prior to releasing genetically modified grains.
![clip_image004[5]](http://www.alterdna.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/clip_image0045.jpg "Ongoing Research in Genetic Engineering")
In Australia, the goal of research is drought tolerance, insect resistance and disease resistance for food crops such as corn and soybeans. Again political ![clip_image006[5]](http://www.alterdna.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/clip_image0065.jpg "Ongoing Research in Genetic Engineering")
opposition by environmental groups is a factor in how rapidly the research can progress, and the new seed varieties with these traits can be released for general use.
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Assuring the Safety of Genetically Modified Organisms
![clip_image008[5]](http://www.alterdna.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/clip_image0085.jpg "Ongoing Research in Genetic Engineering")
Another major area of research concentrates on assuring that the modified genes are not transmitted to untargeted organisms. This is of special concern for genetically modified bacteria since bacteria are known to commonly exchange genetic material. As an example, recent experiment involving a genetically modified strain of Streptomyces lividans in soil showed no transfer of the modified agarase dag gene to other species of bacteria occurring in the soil in situ.
Read More: .
![clip_image010[5]](http://www.alterdna.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/clip_image0105.jpg "Ongoing Research in Genetic Engineering")
To mitigate the concerns of environmentalists, development of testing methodologies to assure the safety of human consumption, that genetic material will not be accidentally transferred to wild plants, and that there will not be detrimental effects on desirable insects such as butterflies. This testing must meet 25 guidelines published by ISO. Of special concern is the introduction of genes from Bacillus thuringenes (Bt) into food crops that produce the toxin that is responsible for killing various caterpillars that can harm crops such as maize.
Read More: http://www.intertek-labtest.com/brochures/2121930
http://www.gmo-safety.eu/en/.
Genome Sequencing
![clip_image012[5]](http://www.alterdna.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/clip_image0125.jpg "Ongoing Research in Genetic Engineering")
To facilitate genetically modified of crops, another active area of research is the sequencing of food-crop genomes. This enables them to identify the genes that control the characteristics they want to modify by inserting new genetic material.
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Gene Therapy
![clip_image014[5]](http://www.alterdna.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/clip_image0145.jpg "Ongoing Research in Genetic Engineering")
Gene therapy uses non-pathogenic viruses that have been modified to include a piece of human DNA. The virus is then used to insert the healthy copy of the gene in the human DNA. Replication of the virus to repair multiple cells and replication of the modified cells then will cure the disease.
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Biofuels
![clip_image016[5]](http://www.alterdna.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/clip_image0165.jpg "Ongoing Research in Genetic Engineering")
One active area of research for the production of biofuels is investigating ways to make conversion of cellulosic economically competitive. There are three approaches. One is to modify the plant to make the plant itself produce cellulose that helps with the breakdown of cellulose and to modify the lignin. The second approach is to develop bacteria that will convert the cellulose to a sugar that can then be easily converted to ethanol. Another approach is to increase the polysaccharide content of the plant which increases the amount of ethanol that can be produced directly from the plant without including the cellulose.
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Bacterial Production of Insulin
![clip_image018[5]](http://www.alterdna.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/clip_image0185.jpg "Ongoing Research in Genetic Engineering")
The development of transgenic bacteria to produce insulin that is identical to human insulin is underway. This would replace the bovine and porcine versions of insulin that are currently used since some people develop antibodies to these forms of insulin, neutralizing the effectiveness and causing inflation where the insulin was injected.
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Production of Other Useful Substances
Other enzymes and useful proteins are also produced by genetically modified bacteria as well. These include lactic acid and derivatives as useful food additives, sodium gluconate, and sorbitol that have a variety of applications.
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Pollution Clean-up
![clip_image020[5]](http://www.alterdna.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/clip_image0205.jpg "Ongoing Research in Genetic Engineering")
Other bacteria have been modified to help clean up oil spills and toxic waste. Bacteria that have a proclivity for breaking down the oil or toxins in the soil are engineered to increase this natural ability.
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Transgenic Lab Animals
![clip_image022[5]](http://www.alterdna.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/clip_image0225.jpg "Ongoing Research in Genetic Engineering")
Transgenic organisms are those that have genetic material from a different species inserted in their DNA, making them a chimera of sorts. The first transgenic monkeys with a human gene inserted to give birth to offspring with the inserted gene have been developed. This demonstrates the feasibility of breeding primates that have particular human traits and will lead to further research into determining the cause of various diseases and looking for a cure.
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June 13th, 2009 at 2:51 pm
Lest we forget, a better beer!
Better beer: college team creating anti-cancer brew
Rice students enter ‘BioBeer’ in synthetic biology’s iGEM contest
College students often spend their free time thinking about beer, but some Rice University students are taking it to the next level. They’re using genetic engineering to create beer that contains resveratrol, a chemical in wine that’s been shown to reduce cancer and heart disease in lab animals.