Recombinant DNA Technology :

1. Genetic Engineering Recombinant DNA Technology: Genetic Engineering involves____________________________________ __________________________________________________ Transgenic Organisms are_____________________________________ ___________ Ex: Glo-Fish. Glo-Fish contain a gene, originally from a specie of sea coral, that is responsible for the luminescent “Glow”. the cutting of fragments of DNA from one organism and inserting them into a host organism’s genome. the organisms that are the recipients of foreign DNA.

2. Genetic Engineering Transgenic Animals Transgenic animals have been used to study genes and to improve the food supply. Strains of mice have been produced with human genes that make their immune systems act similarly to those of humans. This allows scientists to study the effects of diseases on the human immune system. Transgenic livestock have been produced with extra copies of growth hormone genes. Such animals grow faster and produce meat that is less fatty than that from ordinary animals. Efforts are now underway to produce transgenic chickens that will be resistant to the bacterial infections that sometimes cause food poisoning. A Jersey calf whose cells were modified with genes for producing lysostaphin, a protein that kills Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, a leading cause of mastitis disease in dairy cows. She is the first transgenic cow clone engineered to resist mastitis, which costs the U.S. dairy industry $1.7 billion a year.

3. Genetic Engineering Transgenic Plants Transgenic plants are now an important part of our food supply. In the year 2000, 52 percent of the soybeans and 25 percent of the corn grown in the United States were transgenic, or genetically modified (GM). Many of these plants contain genes that produce a natural insecticide, so the crops do not have to be sprayed with synthetic pesticides. Others have genes that enable them to resist weed-killing chemicals, allowing farmers to grow more food by controlling weeds. Transgenic plants may soon produce human antibodies that can be used to fight disease. One of the most important new developments in GM foods is a rice plant that adds vitamin A to rice, the major food for billions of the world’s people. Corn engineered to produce the Bt toxin reduces the impact of European corn borers

4. Genetic Engineering More and more farmers are using Genetically Modified (GM) crops to help increase profits and reduce the use of pesticides. Should the foods you buy have mandatory labels?

5. CAPT Embedded Task:Biotechnology: Should There Be a Mandatory Label on GM Foods?

7. Choose a GM Food to Analyze • Once you have chosen a GM Food, visit www.gmo-compass.org and research the necessary information for your brochure. The website will have a grocery shopping drop down bar and a selection of GM Foods to choose from. Use this site to help research the following information: • What makes the product genetically modified? • What is the benefit of genetically modifying this product? • What are the current research methods on this product? • Does this product require a label? If so, why? • How does the genetically modified product impact the environment? • Use this information to help you address the issues with the applications of GM products. Use a full panel on your brochure to fulfill this component of your assignment. GM Food to AnalyzeExample: Tomatoes • Genetically Modified Tomatoes • Transgenic tomatoes (FlavrSavr) have a "deactivated" gene. This meant that the tomato plant was no longer able to produce an enzyme involved in fruit softening. • The premise was that tomatoes could be left to ripen on the vine and still have a long shelf life, thus allowing them to develop their full flavor. • Scientists are still working with genetic tools to give tomatoes new traits like resistance to insect pests and fungal and viral pathogens • Etc. etc. Choose a GM Food to AnalyzeUse a full panel in the brochure!