Gene technology and ethics

Genetic manipulation of microorganisms

• GM bacteria used to create large quantities of useful substances
• Used to store a living record of the DNA of another organism in DNA libraries <-- source of DNA fragments for further genetic engineering applications
• Widely used tool in research for developing medical techniques and industrial processes
• Genetically engineered pathogens not as widely used for health and safety risks --> used only for medical research and is strictly regulated

Ethical concerns

• Relatively little ethical debate over GM microorganims except for the manipulation of pathogens for biological warfare

GM plants

• Help feed the ever-growing population
• Overcome environmental issues 

   Insect resistance in GM soya beans

• Major world crop
• Scientists inserted a gene to make them resistant to pest insects and to resist weed killer
• Farmers can spray fields with weedkiller without killing the soya beans --> reduce competition 
• Farmers don't need to use pesticides
• Enables bigger yields with less labour and less expense

      Benefits and risks of GM crops

• Pest resistance --> reduce amount of pesticide spraying so protects the environment and helps farmers, higher yields , non-pest insects may be damaged by the toxins, pest may become resistant
• Disease resistance --> crop varieties resistant to common diseases to reduce loss/increase yield, genes may spread to wild populations and cause problems
• Herbicide resistance --> herbicides can be used to reduce competition and increase yields, biodiversity reduced, fear of superweeds
• Extended shelf-life --> reduces food waste, reduce commercial value and demand for the crop
• Growing conditions --> plants can grow in wider range of conditions
• Nutritional value --> value of crops can be increased, people may be allergic to the different proteins
• Medical uses --> plants may be used to produce human medicines

      Patenting and technology transfer 

• People in less economically developed countries prevented from using GM plants because patents make them too expensive

GM animals

• Harder to produce GM vertebrates
• Scientists researching use of microinjections and modified viruses to carry new genes to animal DNA
• Goals include the transfer of disease resistance or to modify the physiology of farm animals (swine-fever resistant pigs or faster-growing salmon)

      Pharming

• Pharming = genetic engineering of animals to produce human medicines
• Creating animal models --> addition or removal of specific genes so that animals develop certain diseases for testing of new therapies
• Creating human proteins --> introduction of human gene coding for medically required protein, gene is inserted into pregnant cow, sheep or goat so that the gene is expressed and the protein is present in their milk

      Ethical issues

• Should animals be genetically engineered to be tested on?
• Is it right to put human genes into animals?
• Are we certain it doesn't cause harm?
• Does modifiyng animals reduced them as commodities?
• Is the animals' welfare compromised?

Gene therapy in humans

• Some human diseases are the result of faulty genes
• Somatic gene therapy = replacing the mutant allele with a healthy allele in the affected somatic cells
• Only a temporary solution --> the somatic cells are replaced by stem cells which only have the faulty allele before long
• Treatment won't stop the faulty gene being passed on to any children the individual has
• Germ line gene therapy = inserting of healthy allele into egg or embryo immediately after fertilisation (IVF)
• Illegal for human embryos
• Potential impact on human embryos is unknown
• Human rights of unborn baby could be seen as being violated
• Technology may eventually be used to let people choose desirable characteristics for their offspring