GMOs

Friend 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.

Organisms modified with this

gene become red.

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

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.

Normal Fruit Fly

Naturally mutated Fruit Fly

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

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://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/early/2012/07/31/ajcn.111.030775.abstract
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/09/140914-florida-orange-citrus-greening-gmo-environment-science/

Purported Risks of GMOs

Adverse health effects on animals and humans.

Negative environmental impact.

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

Purported Risks of GMOs

Seralinis study showed Roundup Ready crops cause tumors
and organ failure in rats.

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

Purported Risks of GMOs

Rosi-Marshalls study showed adverse impact from Bt corn on
aquatic ecology.

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

Consensus
However, both studies were scrutinized for:

Inadequate design and analysis.

Ethics regarding the care of animals.

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11248-013-9692-9
http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/2986.htm
http://www.nature.com/news/2009/090902/full/461027a.html#B1

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 doesnt mean the tool is bad.

Thank you.