GMOsFriend or Foe?

What is a GMO?

GMOs are more than crops and the companies that produce them.

What is a GMO?

According to the World Health Organization, a GMO is  defined as organisms in which the genetic

material has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally by mating or natural recombination.

http://www.who.int/foodsafety/areas_work/food-technology/faq-genetically-modified-food/en/

How are GMOs created?• DNA is like a universal language for life.• Genes are segments of DNA that contain the

blueprint for characteristics.

http://agbiosafety.unl.edu/basic_genetics.shtml

Organisms modified with this gene become red.

How are GMOs created?Humanity has been responsible for conventional forms of genetic modification since the dawn of

agriculture.

http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/selection/corn/

How are GMOs created?• Genes are limited to those of the predecessor.• Random mutations will occur.

http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/thenewgenetics/chapter1.html

Normal Fruit Fly Naturally mutated Fruit Fly

How are GMOs created?

http://student.purduecal.edu/~trgomez/1250_webtext.htm

Applications of GMOs• Medicine• Research• Agriculture

Applications of GMOs• E. Coli bacteria was genetically engineered to

produce human insulin.• Research is ongoing on preventing peanut

allergies and tooth decay.

http://ca-biomed.org/pdf/media-kit/fact-sheets/FS-GMO.pdf

Applications of GMOs• Golden Rice is a modified rice that provides

vitamin A.• Oranges were modified to resist the disease

Huanglongbing.

http://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/vad/en/

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/09/140914-florida-orange-citrus-greening-gmo-environment-science/

http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/early/2012/07/31/ajcn.111.030775.abstract

Purported Risks of GMOs• Adverse health effects on animals and humans.• Negative environmental impact.

http://earthopensource.org/index.php/reports/gmo-myths-and-truths

http://www.responsibletechnology.org/

Purported Risks of GMOsSeralini’s study showed Roundup Ready crops cause

tumors and organ failure in rats.

http://www.enveurope.com/content/26/1/14

Purported Risks of GMOsRosi-Marshall’s study showed adverse impact from

Bt corn on aquatic ecology.

http://www.pnas.org/content/104/41/16204

ConsensusHowever, both studies were scrutinized for:• Inadequate design and analysis.• Ethics regarding the care of animals.

http://www.nature.com/news/2009/090902/full/461027a.html#B1

http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/2986.htmhttp://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11248-013-9692-9

Consensus• Overwhelming evidence supporting danger of

pesticides and herbicides, such as Bacillus thuringiensis.

• No evidence concluding GMOs are inherently dangerous.

Conclusion• Genetic Modification is a technology.• Hurting yourself with a tool doesn’t mean the tool

is bad.

Thank you.