Genetically modified foods are created by introducing foreign genes into organisms like plants and animals. This allows them to express new traits like herbicide tolerance or enhanced nutritional content. There are several techniques used, including bacterial carriers, biolistics, electroporation, and viral carriers. Many countries grow and consume GM crops, with common examples being soy, corn, cotton, and canola. Supporters argue GM foods can help end world hunger and be environmentally friendly, while critics cite concerns about health risks, antibiotic resistance, and unintended environmental impacts. The debate around potential benefits and drawbacks of this new technology continues.

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!!!