
Glow in the dark? It might seem like science fiction, but they have been around for years. Cabbage that produces scorpion poison? I have been done. Oh, and the next time you need a vaccine, the doctor may give you a banana.
These and many other examples of genetic engineering are present today because the DNA of the organism has been changed and merged with the other DNA to create a completely new set of genes. Genetic engineering (also known as genetic modification) includes the use of laboratory -based techniques to change the DNA sequence of the organism. This may mean changing one base pair (which forms “grades” from the DNA scale), deleting an area of DNA, or adding a new slice of DNA to transfer a desirable feature from one living organism to another. as The National Institute for Human Genome Research explains On its website, “used in research and industry, genetic engineering has been applied to the production of cancer treatments, yeast yeast, genetically modified plants, livestock, and more.”
There are different forms of genetic modification. For several centuries, farmers relied on adjusting traditional crops, through reproduction and cross -crossed vegetable and animal species on the basis of the features they want to see. The laboratory -based genetic engineering was developed in the 1970s and the required copies of the required features from one living object to another. Genome editing (Or CRISPR) is a newer more accurate method and targeting changes to the DNA sequence of changing results; These can aim to change physical features such as eye color or reduce the risk of disease. From the National Institute of Human Genome Research: “These techniques such as scissors work, or cut DNA in a specific spot. Then scientists can remove, add or replace the DNA where it was cut.”
You may not realize this, but many of these genetically modified organisms are already part of your daily life – and your daily diet. In 2020, it was 92 % of the American corn, 94 % of soybeans, and 96 % of the cotton A genetic engineer. Many of these plants are used to make ingredients used in other products, which is why estimates are that 60 % to 70 % of foods processed on grocery store shelves contain genetically geometric components.
Below is a look at some of the strangest genetic plants and animals that already exist – and many of them will soon come. Fortunately, there is no human in this list!
Banana vaccines
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People may soon be immunized for diseases such as hepatitis B and cholera as soon as a bite of bananas is taken. The researchers have successfully designed bananas, potatoes, lettuce, carrots and tobacco to produce vaccines, but they say bananas are an ideal production and delivery vehicle.
When a variable shape of the virus is injected into banana, the genetic material of the virus quickly becomes a permanent part of the plant cells. With the growth of the plant, its cells produce virus proteins – but not the infectious part of the virus. When people eat a bite of Genetically geometric bananaFill in virus proteins, and immune systems include antibodies to fight the disease – just like the traditional vaccine.
Enviropig
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the EnviropigOr “frankenswine”, as critics call it, is a pig that has been genetically changed to better digestion and processing phosphorus. Pigardine compost high in Phytate, which is a form of phosphorus, so when farmers use fertilizers as fertilizers, the chemical enters the water gatherings and causes algae flowers that exhaust oxygen in the water and kill marine life.
So the scientists added the E. coli and DNA mouse to a pig fetus. This modification reduces the phosphorous product by up to 70 %, making the pig more environmentally suitable.
Salmon
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Genetically modified salmon from Aquabounty grows faster than traditional diversity. The company says that fish have the same flavor, texture, color and smell as the normal salmon, and can help treat overfishing problems. However, the discussion continues about whether the fish are safe to eat or are good for the environment.
The genetically designed Atlantic salmon has an additional growth hormone of chinook thickness that allows fish to produce growth hormone throughout the year. Scientists were able to maintain the active hormone using a gene of a sea snake -like fish called the ocean bot, which acts as a “key” for the hormone.
Some opponents are concerned that if this fish escapes or introduces it to ecosystems, it may be related to local species abroad and become invasive.
the The FDA agreed to sell salmon in the United States in 2015A mark on the first time that a genetically rate animal was approved for sale in the United States
Tomato “Flef Safir”
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the Flevr savr Tomatoes were the first commercial genetic designer food that was granted a license for human consumption. By adding an anti -junior gene, the California -based Calvin Company hopes to slow the ripening process for tomatoes to prevent softening and rot, while allowing tomatoes to keep their natural flavor and color.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved FLAVR Savr in 1994; However, the tomatoes were so sensitive that it was difficult to transport, and they were out of the market by 1997. In addition to production and shipping problems, it was reported that tomatoes had a very nice taste: “He did not taste the saber Flavir tomatoes that well because of its diversity.
Genetically modified trees
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The trees are genetically changed to grow faster, and the wood is better and even the discovery of biological attacks. Genetically engineered trees supporters say biotechnology can help reflect the removal of forests while meeting the demand for wood and paper products. For example, the Australian Eucalyptus trees were It has been changed to withstand frozen temperaturesLoblolly pine trees were created with the least lane, the material that gives the trees hard.
However, critics argue that he does not know enough about the effect of trees designed on their natural environment – they can spread their genes on natural trees or increase the risk of wild fires, among other defects. However, the US Department of Agriculture granted approval in May 2010 to Erorgin, a biotechnology company, to start field trials for 260,000 trees in seven southern states.
Dark glow
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In 2007, South Korean scientists changed the DNA of the cat to make the animal glow in the dark and then took this DNA and cloned other cats from it, creating a group of thin clip and fluorescent. Here’s how they did this: researchers took skin cells from Turkish Cats and used a virus to include genetic instructions to make red fluorce protein. Then they put the nuclei designated for the gene in the eggs for cloning, and the cloned fetuses were planted again in the donor cats-which makes the cats alternative mothers to clone.
Previous research in Taiwan led to three pigs glowing the fluorine green. Wu Shen-District, Assistant Professor at the Institute of Animal Science and Technology at Taiwan National University (NTU), with a pig in the picture above.
What is the purpose of creating a pet that doubles like a night light? Scientists say that the ability to engineer animals with fluorine proteins will enable them to create artificial animals with human genetic diseases.
Cows less decreased
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Cows produce large quantities of methane as a result of digestion; It is produced by bacteria and is a secondary result of high cell meals of cows that include grass and straw. Methane is a major contributor – and it is only connected to carbon dioxide – for the effect of the greenhouse, so scientists were working on a genetic engineer cow that produced less than methane.
Agricultural research scientists at Alberta University identified bacteria responsible for methane production and design a The cattle line that creates methane is 25 % less From the average cows.
Medical eggs
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British scientists have created a strain from Genetically modified chicken Which produces cancer anti -eggs. Animals have added human genes to their DNA so that human proteins are secreted in egg whites, along with complex medical proteins that resemble medications used to treat skin cancer and other diseases.
What exactly these eggs contain diseases? It lay eggs that contain Mir24, which is a molecule with the ability to treat malignant skin cancer, arthritis, and human filter B-1a, which is an antiviral drug similar to modern treatments for multiple sclerosis.
Pollution control factories
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Scientists at the University of Washington Engineering poplar trees Pollution sites can be cleaned by absorbing groundwater pollutants through their roots. Then polluted plants are destroyed into non -harmful secondary products that are combined into their roots, legs, leaves, or release in the air.
In laboratory tests, genetically modified plants Remove up to up to 91 % of the chlorothillin trio– The most common pollutants of groundwater in US Superfund sites – from a liquid solution. Regular poplar plants removed only 3 % of pollutants.
Plants like a ultra -carbon structure
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Humans add about nine gigs of carbon to the atmosphere annually, and plants and trees absorb about five of those gigatons. The remaining carbon contributes to the effect of greenhouse and global warming, but scientists work to create genetically geometric plants and trees that have been improved to capture this excess carbon.
Carbon can spend contracts in leaves, branches, seeds and flowers from plants; However, the carbon for plant roots can spend centuries there. So, The researchers hope to create vital energy crops with large root systems Which can capture and store carbon underground. Scientists are currently working to genetically modify dummy like SwitchGras and Miscanthus due to wide root systems.
Toxic cabbage
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Scientists have taken the gene that highlights toxins in scorpion tails and searched for ways to combine cabbage. Why do they want to create toxic cabbage? To reduce the use of pesticide pesticides while preventing larvae from harmful cabbage crops. These genetically modified cabbage The scorpion poison that kills the larvae produces When they bite the leaves – the poison is adjusted so that it is not harmful to humans.
Goat on the web
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Strong and flexible spider silk is one of the most valuable materials in nature, and it can be used to make a group of products – from artificial ligaments to umbrellas – if we only can produce them on a commercial scale. In 2000, Nexia Biotechnologies announced that she had received the answer: Anza produced web protein for spiders in her milk.
The researchers entered a silk gene of spiders in the DNA of goats in a way that makes the goats make the silk protein only in their milk. Then the “silk milk” can then be used to manufacture a web -like material called biosteel.