♥ welcome
♥ about the bread
Created: 10 April 2010Leader: Lynnette Heng
Members: Lorelle Ang
Soh Chin Yi
Goh Ai Ting
Li Yuen Ying
♥SIP placements
Lynnette: KK Hospital- DietitianChin Yi: Gardenia- R&D
Ai Ting: Singapore Sports Council- Nutritionist
Yuen Ying: KH Roberts- lab assistant
Lorelle: OSIP (China)
GENETICALLY MODIFIED (GM) FOOD
Monday, July 5, 2010
- GM foods are crop plants developed for consumption by human or animal using the latest molecular biology techniques.
- Food-crops are genetically modified by incorporating one or more genes into the crop’s genome using a vector containing several other genes, including a minimum, viral promoters, transcription terminators, antibiotic resistance marker genes and reporter genes.
- By incorporating genes into the crop, the crops tend to have improved desired traits like greater resistance to herbicides and pests or better/higher in nutritional contents.
- Genetic modification are special sets of technologies that alter the genetic makeup of organisms such as animals, plants, or bacteria, using organisms or their components, such as enzymes, to make products.
- Genetic modification involves the identification, isolation, and introduction of specific gene(s) from donor to recipient organisms.
- Genetic modification also allows the transfer of genes between different organisms.
Five general steps to genetic engineering.
- Firstly, the DNA is extracted from the organism known to have the desired trait.
- Secondly, the single gene will be isolated from the entire extracted DNA then followed by mass-production of the cloned gene.
- When cloning is completed, the gene is designed and packaged.
- The modified gene will then be mass-produced in a host cell in order to make thousands of copies.
- Fourthly, a process called transformation will take place whereby the gene is introduced into the cells of the plant being modified.
- Backcross breeding is the final step where the transgenic crop is bred and selected in order to obtain high quality plants that express the inserted gene in a desired manner.
An example of GM potatoes is the use of Bacillus thuringiensis genes, a naturally occurring bacterium that produces crystal proteins that are deadly to insect larvae but non-toxic to humans and livestock. This enables the potatoes to produce its’ own pesticides against insects.
- Food-crops are genetically modified by incorporating one or more genes into the crop’s genome using a vector containing several other genes, including a minimum, viral promoters, transcription terminators, antibiotic resistance marker genes and reporter genes.
- By incorporating genes into the crop, the crops tend to have improved desired traits like greater resistance to herbicides and pests or better/higher in nutritional contents.
- Genetic modification are special sets of technologies that alter the genetic makeup of organisms such as animals, plants, or bacteria, using organisms or their components, such as enzymes, to make products.
- Genetic modification involves the identification, isolation, and introduction of specific gene(s) from donor to recipient organisms.
- Genetic modification also allows the transfer of genes between different organisms.
Five general steps to genetic engineering.
- Firstly, the DNA is extracted from the organism known to have the desired trait.
- Secondly, the single gene will be isolated from the entire extracted DNA then followed by mass-production of the cloned gene.
- When cloning is completed, the gene is designed and packaged.
- The modified gene will then be mass-produced in a host cell in order to make thousands of copies.
- Fourthly, a process called transformation will take place whereby the gene is introduced into the cells of the plant being modified.
- Backcross breeding is the final step where the transgenic crop is bred and selected in order to obtain high quality plants that express the inserted gene in a desired manner.
An example of GM potatoes is the use of Bacillus thuringiensis genes, a naturally occurring bacterium that produces crystal proteins that are deadly to insect larvae but non-toxic to humans and livestock. This enables the potatoes to produce its’ own pesticides against insects.
- Arpad Pusztai. (2001). Genetically Modified Foods: Are They a Risk to Human/Animal Health?. Retrieved on 1st June 2010, from American Institute of Biological Sciences. Website: http://www.actionbioscience.org/biotech/pusztai.html
- Whitman, D.B. (2000). Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful? CSA Discovery Guides Retrieved on 4th July, from CSA. Website: http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/gmfood/overview.php
- Genetic Modification Advisory Committee, Singapore. (2007) Genetic Modified Organisms. Retrieved on 2nd July 2010, from GMAC. Website: http://www.gmac.gov.sg/Index_FAQs_Genetically_Modified_Organisms.html
- Union of Concerned Scientist. (2010) Genetic Engineering Techniques. Retrived on 18 June 2010, from UCSUSA. Website: http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_agriculture/science_and_impacts/science/genetic-engineering-techniques.html
- Human Genome Project Information. (2008) Genetic Modified Foods and organisms. Retrieved on 2nd July 2010, from ORNL. Website: http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/elsi/gmfood.shtml
- Union of Concerned Scientist. (n.d.) Genetic Engineering Techniques. Retrieved on 18th June 2010, website: http://croptechnology.unl.edu/download.cgi
- Brandner, D. L. (2002). PCR-Based Detection of Genetically Modified Foods. Retrieved on 4th July, from http://ucbiotech.org/resources/manuals/GMO_detection.pdf