Transgenics

The use of transgenics depends on the type of organism being modified. Transgenic bacteria are used to produce antibiotics on an industrial scale, new protein drugs and to metabolize petroleum products, or plastics for cleaning up the environment.

By creating transgenic plants, food crops have enhanced productivity and quality. Transgenic corn, wheat, and soy with herbicide resistance, for example, are able to grow in areas treated with herbicide that kills weeds. In 2000, a list of 52 transgenic plants were approved for field trials in the United States alone, and plants included fruits (cranberries or papayas), vegetables (potatoes or carrots), industrial plants (cotton or wheat), and ornamental plants. Although the majority of the improvements remain confidential, it is known that scientists try to improve sugar metabolism, resistance to drought or cold, and yields by modifying photosynthetic abilities of plants. Additionally, tests are on the way to establish feasibility of edible vaccines using lettuce, corn, tomatoes and potatoes. More recent studies suggests that plants can also be used to produce other pharmaceuticals, for example growth hormone, erythropoietin or interferons, however, the amounts produced are too low to be of commercial value as yet.

Transgenic animals are useful in basic research for determining gene function. They are also important for creating disease models and in searching for therapeutics. Recent developments in transgenic technology allow researchers to study the effects of gene deletion, over-expression, and inhibition in specific tissues. Such studies can allow identification of the drug targets in individual tissues or evaluate other gene therapy only in tissues of interest. Commercially transgenic animals are used for production of monoclonal antibodies, pharmaceuticals, xenotransplantation and meat production. New areas in large animal transgenics is expression of a bacterial enzyme phytase in pigs allowing reduction of phosphorus excreted into the environment. In general, by using transgenics scientists can accomplish the results similar as with selective breeding.

Despite their incredible utility, there are concerns regarding transgenics. The Human Genome Project is a large collaborative effort among scientists worldwide that announced the determination of the sequence of the entire human genome in 2000. In doing this, the creation of transgenic humans could become more of a reality, which could lead to serious ramifications. Also, transgenic plants used as genetically modified food is a topic of debate. For a variety of reasons, not all scientifically based, some people argue that transgenic food is a consumer safety issue because not all of the effects of transgenic foods have been fully explored. Also of great debate are the environmental protection issues as the transgenic plants can cross-pollinate with wild varieties, which in turn can lead to unforeseen consequences.