GEneTic EngineEriNG

[EmlynAE]

Imagine flying pigs defecating on your windshield, or apes shopping with you in the supermarket. How about being a vegetarian all your life then finding out that human remains are used to grow tomatoes and peppers faster. What about the mice that have been genetically engineered to produce human sperm? How would you feel if your father was a genetically engineered mouse? We can all thank genetic engineering for all these bizarre and unethical advances. I believe genetic engineering should be abolished. What is genetic engineering? Well it’s also called gene splicing; it’s a process of manipulating genes outside its normal reproductive process. Genetic engineering is a laboratory technique used by scientists to change the DNA of living organisms. DNA is the blueprint of each organism. These organisms rely upon the information stored in its DNA for managing every biochemical process. The life, growth and each special features of the organism depend on its DNA.
Utter perfection and beauty, immaculately screened for unwanted genetic diseases, selected hair and eye color, height and even mental capabilities. This is what these scientist yearn to obtain. They also want mass productions of crops and fertilize everything with chemicals and inject steroids to our produce for a bigger and a much marketable portion. Genetic engineering would also help them with animal and human advancements, such as animal to human transplants and vise versa. In this future world, from the very first milk you take, your food is genetically engineered. The natural world is completely made over distorted beyond recognition by genetically engineered trees, plants, animals, insects, bacteria, and viruses. Most of the old diseases are gone or mutated into new forms. In spite of great advancement and milestones they have reached I still firmly believe that this genetic splicing and experimentation must be halted.
Genetic engineering should be abolished. This should stop, its unhealthy for the whole entire planet. Genetically engineered foods are inorganic; they are either grown in a lab or injected and fertilized with harmful chemicals. These scientists take eggs, fish, pigs and cow cells and manipulate them in order for them to have multiple bearings. Some of these bearings are not even checked for infectious or deadly disease that can be transferred to humans who eat them. I understand why the agricultural industry pushes and approve this bizarre doing they just want to manufacture more to sell and feed everyone. Yet is this totally unnecessary? No, Its Not! According to a new report from the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) Global Perspective Studies; by 2030 the world's population is expected to top eight billion. The world can produce enough food to meet global demands. Lastly the main question on everyone’s mind should be why? Why are we taking such crazy unnecessary risk to produce more food with genetic engineering? Genetic engineering is not needed and should be abolished.
Imagine going to school where every one had the Ken and Barbie look, you know the deep blue eyes blonde hair and great assets. How about knowing that all the kids in the neighborhood were specially designed to fit their parents supreme expectations and you weren’t. Wouldn’t you feel like you don’t belong? What if only genetically enhanced humans were the only ones capable of working and being educated? This world of ours would be dramatically changed for the worst. We would all be segregated and great conflicts would eventually occur. This is why I do not support genetic engineering. Competitive sports and would be in a whole different level, where humans would be enhanced to be faster, build more muscles and have superhuman capabilities. It all sounds amazing but our whole way of life will eventually be altered.
I believe in God, I believe he is the only one who can choose and change all of his creations. I just came back from a vacation to Tennessee Mountains, as was on top of a lookout point I couldn’t help but marvel upon the trees, the birds and the endless blue sky. I thought WOW! God made all this for me and you. I had a great sense of peace and purity in my heart. Why would people want to genetically alter Gods perfect creations that he personally made for us? All this Genetic engineering would just completely change our planets homeostasis and ruin it! God made each and everyone special, every creature, plant, rock and river. He made us all to work together for one another to thrive and live in peace. I know in my heart that Genetic engineering is unethical and should not be done and must be stopped.
All in all I am definitely against all types of Genetic engineering. It’s unhealthy for all living things and not needed. Genetic engineering is abhorrently bizarre and would ruin all human civilization as we know it. Lastly, it’s in not what God intended. He made us all beautifully unique in our own ways and no one should change that!

[PatrickHenry]

I think that gene-splicing is a tecnique worth exploring. I also think it has potential for great harm to humanity and even to the planet itself.

I have no problem with laboratory research on genetic modification. Before GM organisms are placed in the larger biosphere, however, there needs to be thorough research by entities that don't profit from selling GMOs.

I like what this site has to say Genetic Engineering (Biotechnology) (Index)

Scientists are concerned that engineered organisms might harm people’s health or the environment. For example, engineered crops might contaminate the food supply with drugs, kill beneficial insects, or jeopardize valuable natural resources like Bt toxins. Engineered fish may substantially alter native ecosystems, perhaps even driving wild populations to extinction. To protect human health and the environment from engineered products, we need strong federal oversight and active citizen participation. We urge you to join in our efforts to strengthen U.S. regulation of agricultural biotechnology products. Our current priorities are to: * Convince the federal government to establish regulations to protect the food supply and environment from contamination by engineered pharma and industrial crops * Persuade the Environmental Protection Agency to conduct rigorous reviews of ecological risks and require strong resistance-management plans before approving crops producing Bt toxins * Press the federal government to strengthen its oversight of the environmental risks of engineered fish * Urge the Food and Drug Administration to require safety testing and labeling before biotech foods are allowed on the market

[Jack]

"All this genetic engineering" is an attempt, one among many, to improve life on this planet for all its people, not just your band of believers. You are all free to not participate. But you have no right to attempt to dictate to everyone, many who don't share your viewpoint, how they go about living. Every segment of society is free to choose whether or not to partake of what science can offer, just as they're free to follow your beliefs.

[PatrickHenry]

Quote by: Isherwood "All this genetic engineering" is an attempt, one among many, to improve life on this planet for all its people, not just your band of believers. You are all free to not participate. But you have no right to attempt to dictate to everyone, many who don't share your viewpoint, how they go about living. Every segment of society is free to choose whether or not to partake of what science can offer, just as they're free to follow your beliefs.

Would you entertain the possibility that certain corporate entities care not what harm may be done by GMOs, but are deeply commited to making a profit from technology that may have serious flaws?

Or do you subscribe to the notion that Monsanto is a model corporate citizen?:eek:

[Jack]

Any technology can be abused. Research will need to be looked at critically and the results well tested. But the fear of abuse shouldn't deter us from trying to find ways to make life better for those in need. We may find that genetic manipulation doesn't work as we hoped. We'll never know if we refuse to investigate and experiment.

[Marconius]

People have a right to decide for themselves what technology they wish to use. Feel free to not buy GE products and not use the technology but why would you care what other people choose to do to themselves?

Making genetic engineering illegal wont make it disappear it will only make it cost more to access while at the same time being less safe. If there is a market for something, someone will sell it and buy it.

Also keep in mind that anything you can do with genetic engineering you can do through selective breeding, it is just less efficient and takes longer.

There is nothing in the bible prohibiting genetic modification in any form so it seems to be okay with your religion.

[PatrickHenry]

Quote by: Marconius People have a right to decide for themselves what technology they wish to use. Feel free to not buy GE products and not use the technology but why would you care what other people choose to do to themselves?

That is precisely the reason for restricting the release of GMOs into the general biosphere. Particularly before thorough testing. Arpad Pusztai is a scientist who wanted to seek better testing before foisting GM foods on the public. You might be interested by his views. Welcome to Árpád Pusztai's Homepage

Quote by: Marconius Making genetic engineering illegal wont make it disappear it will only make it cost more to access while at the same time being less safe. If there is a market for something, someone will sell it and buy it.

I agree that making it illehgal is impractical. Releasing untested GMOs is hazardous, though.

Quote by: Marconius Also keep in mind that anything you can do with genetic engineering you can do through selective breeding, it is just less efficient and takes longer.

Big fallacy. How do fish genes get selectively bred into plants?

Quote by: Marconius There is nothing in the bible prohibiting genetic modification in any form so it seems to be okay with your religion.

Yeah, religion shouldn't be the barrier to GM. Common sense might be, though.

[Geneticist]

Quote by: EmlynAE What is genetic engineering? Well it’s also called gene splicing; it’s a process of manipulating genes outside its normal reproductive process.

Please explain to me what is the "normal" reproductive process. One thing that the geneticist quickly learns that there is nothing in genetics that man has done that does not already occur naturally.

Agrobacterium tumefaciens is a plant pathogen which genetically engineers plants. The bacteria hijacks the plants own cellular machinery to ligate bacterial genes into the plant genome. These genes cause the plant to grow tumors which produce rare amino acids that the bacteria utilizes as a carbon source. Viruses often times insert genes into the genome as well and will remain quiescent in the genome for some time before becoming active. In fact a good portion of the genomes of many species are in fact of viral origin.

What we do as humans is no more unnatural than what nature does. In fact, everything which is used by man to manipulate genes is natural in origin. It is ultimately an enzymatic process. For example, in a simple molecular cloning scheme (not to be confused with the popular culture's perception of cloning) two pieces of DNA, the vector and the insert, are spliced using restriction enzymes which originate from bacteria. The insert is isolated and added to the vector along with another enzyme called a ligase. Ligase is found in various species and viruses throughout nature and catalyzes the compination or ligation of two ends of DNA. The result is that the insert has now been combined with the vector and now you have a recombinant piece of DNA. For the record this is a very brief and over-simplified version of the process. If anyone wishes more details I am willing to add them.

Utter perfection and beauty, immaculately screened for unwanted genetic diseases, selected hair and eye color, height and even mental capabilities. This is what these scientist yearn to obtain. They also want mass productions of crops and fertilize everything with chemicals and inject steroids to our produce for a bigger and a much marketable portion.

Whoa, you presume quite a bit. First off, what is the problem with wanting to eliminate genetic disease. Those with genetic diseases suffer horribly and as a Christian I believe that we should work to eliminate such suffering.

As for the idea of "designer babies" and controlling how people look or act through genetic engineering, this is an idea that exist primarily in science fiction and is actually opposed by nearly every scientist.

Lastly you accusations in regards to agriculture. It should be noted that the use of steroids, chemicals, and such has been driven primarily by industry and market, not science. The US's voracious appetite for cheap food at any cost has created a market and system that rewards cheap mass production at the expense of the environment and possible health effects. When it is the government's policy to continually pay farmers to produce corn and soybeans despite market gluts for over a decade the result has been the industrialized agriculture that exists today.

The truth is that genetic modification has the ability to decrease our chemical dependency and so eliminate a major source of pollution.

Genetically engineered foods are inorganic; they are either grown in a lab or injected and fertilized with harmful chemicals.

They are completely organic. Inserting a new gene into a species does not make the product of that gene any less organic than it did in the source organism.

And for the record, non-genetically modified organisms are also fertilized and injected with chemicals. In fact genetically modified plants, such as BT-Corn use less pesticides than non-GM Corn. As for livestock, there are very few genetically modified livestock on the market, yet they all are for the most part injected with steroids and vaccines.

Some of these bearings are not even checked for infectious or deadly disease that can be transferred to humans who eat them.

Im not sure what this has to do with genetic engineering. A new genetically engineered product must undergo years of harsh testing before it can be marketed. As for infectious diseases, you are no more in danger from a disease in a GM product than from a normal one. They all undergo the same regulations for health and GM products undergo much harsher testing for any possible allergic of other health effects.

I think you have several issues not related to Genetic engineering mixed up.

No, Its Not! According to a new report from the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) Global Perspective Studies; by 2030 the world's population is expected to top eight billion. The world can produce enough food to meet global demands.

But lets look at the other benefits besides the idea that we need to feed everyone.

Genetically modified crops can cheaply mass produce medicines and in a form that is more accessible to poor people in third world countries.

It can create more nutritious food that contains essential nutrients lacking in the diet of poor people in third world countries. For example, Vitamin A deficiency causes blindness in millions of children around the world and even death. Golden Rice was genetically engineered to have increased Vitamin A content to supply these individuals with their needed Vitamin A.

Imagine going to school where every one had the Ken and Barbie look, you know the deep blue eyes blonde hair and great assets. How about knowing that all the kids in the neighborhood were specially designed to fit their parents supreme expectations and you weren’t. Wouldn’t you feel like you don’t belong? What if only genetically enhanced humans were the only ones capable of working and being educated? This world of ours would be dramatically changed for the worst. We would all be segregated and great conflicts would eventually occur. This is why I do not support genetic engineering. Competitive sports and would be in a whole different level, where humans would be enhanced to be faster, build more muscles and have superhuman capabilities. It all sounds amazing but our whole way of life will eventually be altered.

Thats why we have government regulation to prevent abuse. Few if any scientists actually support such ideas and they are primarily the realm of science fiction.

I believe in God, I believe he is the only one who can choose and change all of his creations. I just came back from a vacation to Tennessee Mountains, as was on top of a lookout point I couldn’t help but marvel upon the trees, the birds and the endless blue sky. I thought WOW! God made all this for me and you. I had a great sense of peace and purity in my heart. Why would people want to genetically alter Gods perfect creations that he personally made for us?

I believe in God too. I also believe that He has given us stewardship over nature and the tools in which to modify it. Genetic engineering has incredible capacity for good, to eliminate so many problems. It also allows us to study and garner an increased understanding of the natural world, thats why I see nothing inherently wrong with it.

[PatrickHenry]

Quote by: Geneticist The US's voracious appetite for cheap food at any cost has created a market and system that rewards cheap mass production at the expense of the environment and possible health effects. When it is the government's policy to continually pay farmers to produce corn and soybeans despite market gluts for over a decade the result has been the industrialized agriculture that exists today.

"Cheap food at any cost" has a funny ring to it doesn't it? But I agree that the US agriculture system has gone wrong.

Quote by: Geneticist The truth is that genetic modification has the ability to decrease our chemical dependency and so eliminate a major source of pollution.

It also has other "abilities" that are not so benign, correct? Do you have any issues with the release of GMOs into the general biosphere, where their DNA can interact with naturally occuring organisms?

Quote by: Geneticist ... And for the record, non-genetically modified organisms are also fertilized and injected with chemicals. In fact genetically modified plants, such as BT-Corn use less pesticides than non-GM Corn....

What else does BT corn do? I mean, how does it differ from natural corn? portland imc - 2003.06.20 - GE Corn Associated with Major Reproductive Problems in Pigs & Cows

Quote by: Geneticist ... A new genetically engineered product must undergo years of harsh testing before it can be marketed. As for infectious diseases, you are no more in danger from a disease in a GM product than from a normal one. They all undergo the same regulations for health and GM products undergo much harsher testing for any possible allergic of other health effects.

You need to document this, because I think your argument may be flawed. The research may be done entirely by those who stand to profit from the release of GMOs and independent science that may raise questions is not funded...

Quote by: Geneticist ... Genetically modified crops can cheaply mass produce medicines and in a form that is more accessible to poor people in third world countries. ...

Could be. But what if the DNA from those crops replicates in the natural environment and a lot of folks who don't need those drugs start getting doses unaware?

Quote by: Geneticist Thats why we have government regulation to prevent abuse. Few if any scientists actually support such ideas and they are primarily the realm of science fiction.

Agreed, but what regulation do you cite?

Quote by: Geneticist I believe in God too. I also believe that He has given us stewardship over nature and the tools in which to modify it. Genetic engineering has incredible capacity for good, to eliminate so many problems. It also allows us to study and garner an increased understanding of the natural world, thats why I see nothing inherently wrong with it.

That's good news that I agree with, brother! As I stated earlier in the thread, research is one thing; widespread dissemination of organisms with altered DNA could cause unexpected problems. Further research and testing is required for safety.

[Marconius]

[quote=PatrickHenry;311388]That is precisely the reason for restricting the release of GMOs into the general biosphere. Particularly before thorough testing. Arpad Pusztai is a scientist who wanted to seek better testing before foisting GM foods on the public. You might be interested by his views. Welcome to Árpád Pusztai's Homepage


Big fallacy. How do fish genes get selectively bred into plants?
QUOTE]

I agree that testing should always be done before any product goes public, I am just pointing out that making something illegal is the worst way to make something safe.

I wasnt suggesting you can breed fish and corn, I was pointing out that through natural processes you can get many of the same effects through selective breeding. For example they spliced some fish DNA into tomatoes to make them more resistant to frost. This could be accomplished through selective breeding by slowly lowering the temperature on a crop of tomatoes and over years using the ones that do the best as the stock of next years crop.

If your biggest problem is the crossbreeding between GE crops and regular ones that happens because of pollen and seed spread, most of the produce we eat is far from what is produced in the wild since we selectively breed all of our crops.

[PatrickHenry]

Marconius, are you aware of the StarLink controversy of a few years ago here in America?Transgenic maize - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

There were a number of allergies leading to anaphylactic shock that happened in the population at large. StarLink was withdrawn from the market, but the transgenic material has already spread into the seed stock of corn in the US. We may never get rid of it...

[Marconius]

Quote by: PatrickHenry Marconius, are you aware of the StarLink controversy of a few years ago here in America?Transgenic maize - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia There were a number of allergies leading to anaphylactic shock that happened in the population at large. StarLink was withdrawn from the market, but the transgenic material has already spread into the seed stock of corn in the US. We may never get rid of it...

Yes, I remember that incident and I dont think that anyone should be growing GE food not meant for human consumption in the open with food crops. I was only talking about food meant for humans.

I also think that stringent testing is required because of the potential problems.

[Hostile55]

Mice producing human sperm? Apes shopping next to us in the supermarket?? Flying pigs???

Sounds like progress to me.