Re: [asa] genetic engineering question

Merv wrote:
<<
Is there any 'demarcable' difference between the genetic engineering that has been happening since antiquity (i.e. controlled breeding or cross pollinating, etc.) and the modern genetic engineering that most of us think of if we are speaking of it in a critical sense? -- i.e. what is usually meant when somebody says 'that isn't natural' (whatever 'natural' means).?

Or is the entire enterprise just one long indistinguishable gradation of increasing sophistication that remains qualitatively the same at its core??
?>>

This is a good question.? Breeding is a kind of UNnatural selection that no one raises a fuss about.? All the basic grains (corn, wheat, rice, rye, oats, barley etc.)?are nice examples of a kind of genetic engineering.? But this is a little different from what they are talking now with genetic engineering.? Basically what it comes down to is that you insert a particular coding sequence into the genome (the genetic code) of?a plant (or animal) and hope that it will work and do what you intended it to do.? It usually doesn't, which is why you don't see a lot of genetic engineering --- even though conceptually, it might be an attractive idea.

To make?a kind of example, let's say you want an apricot tree that is resistant to a fungus.? You?discover that?a?distantly related species has a?successful biodefense (let's say some gene that?emits a poison that kills the fungus). You?like?apricots and you want them to?have?a good self defense so they last longer and don't produce a lot of brown rot.? So you try to insert that gene into the apricot genome.??Hence you would?not just try?breed in the traditional sense of mixing the two genomes and hoping that?the part you are?after?survives, you are actually directly inserting the part you want directly into the genome of the apricot.

But in many respects, it is not?vastly different from breeding in the broad concept of the word.??It would be a very?silly SciFi, but I could imagine the predictable "mad scientist" movie where?he (always a he, and always with an evil laugh and the twisted "music" in the background)?tries to breed two species?of animals?whereupon some monster emerge.?etc. etc.? ????

So the over-reaction to "genetic engineering" as opposed to breeding seems just a little too over done in the general public. A farmer might be happy to have an apricot?tree that doesn't suffer from the fungus.? The main concern?that could arise is some side effects.? For example, the?biodefense?gene in the apricot?tree might?get?into the fruit itself and turn out to be a human health risk.? Such things?are tested for, I would expect, but sometimes those type of things are hard to pin down.? That could happen as a result of breeding as well -- at least in principle.?? No one is paranoid about eating corn are they???There's all sorts of?stuff in that genome!???

<<?
My less than lofty motivation for asking: I want to know if I'm basically nuts for turning my nose up at artificial sweeteners, etc. because of some misguided notion that those originated in a corporate laboratory rather than a farm kitchen. (actually I have other reasons for rejecting them anyway.)?
>>

That would have more to do with having something that imitates?a real sugar to the receptors on your tongue,?but in fact is not. If it is something that tastes sweet, but basically passes through you without interacting, it does the job. I would just say that it is not a good idea to do those "diet" things because the only person you fool is yourself, but that is?only?my opinion.? At any rate,
the "chemical" part of?it wouldn't seem to be the main issue, as things like food coloring,?preservatives, MSG, artificial flavoring?and what not are all added to processed foods and nobody says much and often they even insist on the food having that silly color, taste and what not.

by Grace we proceed,
Wayne?

??

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Received on Thu Sep 13 10:42:40 2007