Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are organisms whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. This involves combining DNA from different sources to create novel genes, which are then transferred to an organism to modify its traits. Examples provided include GloFish (zebrafish with jellyfish genes), Golden Rice (rice with vitamin A genes), virus-resistant papayas, herbicide/pest-resistant corn, pest-resistant eggplant, anthocyanin-rich purple tomatoes, gold-striped genetically modified seahorses, fluorescent cats, glow-in-the-dark fish, spider-fern hybrids, apple-grape hybrids called grapples, giant raisins, rubber cork

1. GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGAMSMS
A genetically modified organism (GMO) or genetically engineered organism (GEO)
is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering
techniques. These techniques, generally known a"s recombinant DNA technology, use
DNA molecules from different sources, which are combined into one molecule to create a
new set of genes. This DNA is then transferred into an organism, giving it modified or
novel genes. Transgenic organisms, a subset of GMOs, are organisms which have
inserted DNA that originated in a different species.
The GloFish was the first genetically modified animal to
become available as a pet. It is a natural Zebrafish which
has had genetic information from bioluminescent jellyfish
added to its DNA. It was originally produced to provide a
warning system for pollution but with the addition of
further colors its viability for the pet market became
clear. It was introduced to the US market in December
2003 by Yorktown Technologies of Austin, Texas.
Golden Rice
Golden rice is a variety of Oryza sativa rice produced
through genetic engineering to biosynthesize beta-
carotene, a precursor of pro-vitamin A in the edible parts
of rice. The scientific details of the rice were first
published in Science in 2000.tt1 Golden rice was
developed as a fortified food to be used in areas where
there is a shortage of dietary vitamin A. In 2005 a new
variety called Golden Rice 2 was armounced which
produces up to 23 times more beta-carotene than the original variety of golden rice.
Since 1998, genetically modified papayas have been
cultivated in Hawaii, USA. They are resistant to a
domestic viral disease. In the EU, genetically modffied
papayas are not approved.
Transgenic Maize
Transgenic maize (corn) has been deliberately genetically modified
(GM) to have agronomically desirable traits. Traits that have been
engineered into corn include resistance to herbicides and resistance to
insect pests, the latter being achieved by incorporation of a gene that
codes for the Bacillus thuringiensts (80 toxin. Hybrids with both
herbicide and pest resistance have also been produced. In 2009,
transgenic mnze was grown commercially in 11 countries, including
the United States (where 85% of the muze crop was genetically
modified), Brazil (36% GM), Argentina (83% GM), South Africa
(57% GM), Canada (84% GM), the Philippines (19% GM) and Spain Q0% cM).

2. Pest Resistant Eggplant
The new genetically engineered eggplant produces a
natural pesticide that was derived from the bacteria
Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). This natural pesticide makes
the eggplant more able to resist attracks from the
destructive fruit and shoot borer. This pest is known to
destroy about 40 percent ofeggplant harvests annually in
South and Southeast Asia.
Genitically Modified Tomatoes
The engineered tomatoes contained anthocyanins
throughout the entire fruit at levels comparable to
blueberries and blackberries (2.83 mg of anthocyanins per
gram of tomato). As a side effect, the tomatoes became
purple upon ripening. The newly-inserted genes were
passed on to future generations of tomatoes, lasting through
five generations as of the time the paper was prepared.
Do these engineered tomatoes work when they're
incorporated into the actual diet of living animals? They
seem to help mice that lack a gene (p53) tlrat is damaged in about half of the cancers in
humans. Mice lacking p53 develop a variety of cancers at an early age and have an
average life span of 142 days, and they live a maximum of 211 days. A diet consisting of
modified purple tomatoes extended the life span of these mice to an average 182.2 days;
some mice lived up to 260 days. Regular tomatoes had no affect on the average life span.
Gold Seahorse (Vietnam Technology)
We have seen beautiful handicrafts of gold. But can you
imagine a real living creature with sparkling gold on the body?
Bizane as it might sound but this is exactly what scientists at
Vietnam's National University's College of Science have done.
They have produced genetically modified seahorses with
golden sfipes on the body.
The scientists combined light emitting genes ofjellyfish with
gains of gold and inliected the combination into the seahorse
egg cells. The outcome was seahorses with sparkling gold on
the body.
Fluorescent Kitties (Korea)
Researchers in South Korea have cloned a cat and
modified its genes so that it will glow red under
ultraviolet light, the Korea Times reports. The
Gyeongsang National University researchers, led by Prof.
Kong Il-keun, modified the genes of Turkish Angora cats
so that a red protein would glow in their skin when
exposed to ultraviolet light, the paper rqrorts.

3. The scientists modified the skin cells of the mother cat by using a virus to make the
protein fluoresce, according to the Times. Four of the glowing kittens were bom in
January and February of this year, but only three survived. Researchers found that cells
throughout the dead kiuy fluoresced red, the paper said.
Genetically Modifred Fish (GIow in the Dark Fish)
Scientists in Singapore originally created the fish to detect
pollution, adding a color gene from a sea anemoneto zebra
fish eggs. If there are pollutants in the water then the fish light
up, in up to five different colors.
The American company Yorktown Technologies quickly
recognized the business potential of glowing fish and secured
exclusive marketing rights in the US. "GloFish fluorescent
fish are safe forthe environment and make wonderful pets for
new hobbyists and experienced enthusiasts alike,u the
company's Web site claims.
Fern Spider
The spider is a cross between a common Italian Wolf spider
(Lycosa tarantula) and the ponga fern (Cyathea dealbata).
The purpose of this bizane crossbreed was to study the
survival rates of spiders with built in camouflage versus
those without in a series of studies on Natural Selection at
Massey University inNew Zeatand.
Grapple
The grapple is a relatively new fruit which is a genetic
cross between an apple and a $ape. The fruit combines the
size of the apple with the texture of an grape and the flavor
of both parent fruits. The grapple was originally designed
to provide a much higher vitamin-c dose per fruit for ttrird
world aid. The majority of the firnding for the fruit came
from UNICEF.
Graisin
The graisin [giant raisin] is a variety of raisin which
has been modified to grow to enormous proportions.
The graisin was produced by the National Institute of
Genetics in Japan due to the Japanese love of large
fruit and the recent popularity of western foods such
as raisins. The texture and taste is identical to that of
its genetically normal parent and it is served raw or
thinly sliced in a stir fry.

4. Rubber Cork Tree
Cork trees have long been used for producing cork-stoppers
for wine though some wine producers have also begun using
plastic corks. Wine enthusiasts have not taken to the rubber
corks and so, in order to appease the traditionalists and the
cost-cutting wine makers, SABIC innovative plastics have
developed a tree which is a cross between a rubber tree and a
cork tree. The corks taken from the bark of this new tree
look like real cork and have the same porous qualities, but
has the permanence and flavorlessness of rubber. Ghislain de
Mongolfier, current manager and great grandson of the
founder of champagne producer Bollinger, said: "This new
cork is the greatest thing to happen to wine since the
invention of bubbles".
Umbuku Ltzard
This creature is the only one on the list which was not
designed for a practical reason, but merely to prove that it
could be done. Genetic Engineers in Zimbabwe (formerly
Rhodesia) managed to unlock a dormant "flying" strand
in the DNA of the Umbuku lizard, a very small and rare
lizardnative to Africa. It is believed that the lizard is a
descendent of the Pterodactyl, which lost its ability to fly
some millions of years ago. To date only 6 of these flying
Umbuku have been produced and they are kept seperate
from the natural Umbuku due the risk of cross breeding.
Paper Tree
The paper tree has been developed to reduce production costs
and loss of tree life in the paper manufacturing industry. The
recent explosion in popularity of recycled paper products
lead a Swiss based company to develop a tree which grows
square leaves that, when dried" are already usable as writing
paper. In the image above we see a company employee
holding a dried leaf beside the trunk of one of the many
Paper Trees now grown by the company.
Tin
The Tiny Piney is a miniature pine tree which is a mere
2cmtall when fully grown. It was originally developed to
provide a fast growing source for pine-tree smell to be
used in the fragrance industry but in very little time its
usefulness in other areas became obvious. This tiny pine
tree is now hugely popular as an edible plant in Papua
New Guinea where it is dipped in a batter made from
coconut milk and shellac beetle shells and deep fried. The
Tiny Piney (official trademark) has a very subtle pine flavor which is enhanced by the
coconut milk, The Tiny Piney is usually eaten as a dessert.

5. Dolion
This is probably the most remarkable example of
how far science is able to go with modern DNA and
cross fertilizationtechniques; the dolion is a uoss
between a lion and a dog. In order to produce this
incredible rare animal (only 3 dolions exist in
laboratories - the photo above is of Rex, the first
ever produced), individual strands of DNA from
each creature must be combined and re-inserted in
to a host egg. This is similar to the liger (lion/tiger
crossbreed) with the exception that the liger is able
to be produced without prior manipulation of the
DNA of either breed of animal.
The liger is a hybrid cross between a male lion
(Panthera leo) and a tigress (Panthera tigris). Thus, it
has parents with the snme genus but of different
species. It is distinct from the similar hybrid tiglon. It is
the largest of all known cats and extant felines.
Ligers enjoy swimming which is a characteristic of
tigers and are very sociable like lions but are more
likely to live past birth than tiglons. However ligers
may inherit health or behavioural issues due to conflicting inherited traits, but this
depends on the genetic traits of the parents. Ligers exist only in captivity because the
habitat of the parental species do not overlap in the wild. Notably, ligers typically grow
larger than either parent species.
Tiglon
A tiglon (pronounced /ntargler/) or tigon is a hybrid
cross between a male ttger (Panthera tigris) and a
lioness (Panthera /eo). Thus, it has parents with the
same genus but of different species. The tiglon is not
currently as common as the converse hybrid, the liger;
however, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries,
tiglons were more cofirmon than ligers.
Lemurat
With the growing wealth of Chin4 many rich Chinese
women are seeking alternative and exotic pets to show
off their money. This has lead to a number of Chinese
medical and scientific research companies to compete
for this new income source by producing cross breed
animals. The most successfii (financially) so far has
been the Lemur Cat. It is (as the name suggests) a cross
between a lemur and a cat. It retains the soft fur of the
cat and the coloring, but has the striped tail and yellow
eyes commonly found on a lemur. It is more ferocious than the average cat but it is
generally no more dangerous than a Chihuahua dog. The scientific rurme for this new
breed is Prolos Fira.