1. Genetically Modified
Foods
By: Emily Luti

2. How does it work?
 Genes use messages to make certain enzymes.
 By introducing a foreign gene, new enzymes are
made according to that gene.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoCII
huLl8A&feature=related&safety_mode=tr
ue&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active

3. Techniques
 Bacterial Carriers:
 Bacterium such as Agrobacterium,
is able to transfer DNA well to plants.
 Bacterium prepared in special solution to make cell walls more
permeable.
 Selected gene is placed in the extra-chromosomal DNA (plasmid) of other
bacterium and dropped into solution.
 Solution is heated, giving the plasmid access to the Agrobacterium, and
the gene begins to express itself.
 The genetically altered bacterium is allowed to grow, then infect plants for
the gene to be expressed.

4. Techniques
 Biolistics
 Selected DNA is attached to small particles of either gold or
metal tungsten.
 DNA particles are shot into the target cells using pressure.

5. Techniques
 Calcium Phosphate precipitation
 Selected DNA is exposed to calcium phosphate, tiny granules
are created.
 Target cells respond to granules, and surround and digest
them.
 This allows the granules to
release the DNA and deliver
it to the host Nuclei and its DNA.

6. Techniques
 Electroporation
 Prepared cells are surrounded by a special solution with the selected
DNA.
 A short electric shock is passed through the solution.
 The result is a permeable cell wall for the DNA to enter the nuclei
through.
 Cells are placed into another solution which encourages to repair of
their cell walls, locking the foreign DNA within.
 The new DNA is incorporated
into the chromosomes, and
the host has a new gene.

7. Techniques
 Gene Silencing
 The gene that controls the undesirable trait is identified.
 A second copy of the gene, facing the wrong way around, is
attached to the undesirable gene.

8. Techniques
 Gene Splicing
 Restriction enzymes can cut their DNA into “sticky” fragments and paste
them directly to another set of DNA for infection.
 These restriction enzymes are used by scientists to genetically engineer
cells. The DNA is cut, then inserted into a different set of DNA, where DNA
ligase is used to fuse the new gene sequence to the chromosome.
 Alternatively, the gene may be placed into a bacterial plasmid and allowed to
enter the defective cell and deliver the new gene.

9. Techniques
 Lipofection
 Small bubbles of fat, liposomes, are used to carry the specific
DNA.
 The target cells and liposomes are put into a special solution.
 The liposomes combine with the phospholipids in the cell
membrane, allowing the DNA to enter the cell and combine
with the chromosomes.

10. Techniques
 Microinjection
 Selected DNA is inserted into a female ovarian egg through a
glass capillary tube.
 The egg is transferred into the prepared uterus of a female to
grow full term.
 Creates a transgenic animal
that will have all new cells.

11. Techniques
 Viral Carriers
 Selected DNA is added to a virus.
 Virus is then allowed to infect the target.
 As the virus replicates inside the invaded cell, the DNA is
added to the cells genetic make-up.

12. Industry
 Countries using:
 Japan
 Malaysia
 Australia
 Europe (pretty much everyone)
 USA
 Canada
 Most first world countries and some second world
 Most countries require labels for consumer
choice

13. Examples?
 Plants:
 Rice
 Soybean
 Sugar Cane
 Tomatoes
 Corn
 Potatoes
 Peas
 Squash,ect.

14. Examples?
 Meats
 Cattle
 Pigs
 Other products
 Honey
 Cotton
 Oils
 Tobacco
 Dairy
 Vitamins

15. The Debate: Good or Bad?
 Advantages
 Medical Advances
 Edible Vaccines
 Virtual End to World Hunger
 No mal nutrition
 Grown in bulk/ plenty supply
 Cheaper/Faster to Grow
 Don’t have to be rich to plant
 Environmentally Friendly
 No pesticides
 No run-off into water supply
 Sustainable
 Flood/Drought tolerant
 Better Nutrition
 Vitamin enriched
 Better Bang for your Buck
 Grown bigger
 Endless possibilities
 Anything alive can be genetically modified

16. The Debate: Good or Bad?
 Disadvantages
 Opposition
 Religion
 Regulation/ money cost for approvement
 What will it do in the future?
 Health risks
 Allergies
 Help or not?
 Medicine
 Antibiotic resistance
 What could it create?
 Resistant weeds
 Pollination
 Cross pollination in wild
 Choice?
 Labeling/ Health approval in some countries
 Incidents already occurring
 1989 incident killed dozens with infected food supplement L-tryptophan
 2006 contaminated exported rice genes

17. Autobiography
 Butcher, Mavis. "Genetically Modified Food-GM Foods List and
Information." Disabled-World.com. Disabled-World, 22 Sept. 2009.
Web. 16 May 2012. <http://www.disabled-worl.com/fitness/gm-
foods.php>.
 Deakin University- Faculty of Health and Behavioral Sciences. "Genetically
Modified Foods-Techniques.“ Better Health Channel. State of
Victoria. Web. 10 May 2012. <http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au
/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Genetically_modified_foods_techniques>.
 Fedoroff, Nina V. "Engineering Food for All." The New York Times. The
New York Times, 19 Aug. 2011. Web. 16 May 2012. <http://www.
nytimes.com/2011/08/19/opinion/genetically-engineered-food-for-
all.html>.
 Giorgio, V. "Genetically Modified Food." Scienceray. Scienceray, 5 Mar.
2008. Web. 16 May 2012. <http://scienceray.com/technology
/applied-science/genetically-modified-food/>.

18. Genetically Modified Food!!!