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Genetically Modified Bacteria
By Andrea Blackburn and Katie Carter
Bio 2 Block A
What are GMO’s?
• Genetically Modified Organisms are
organisms that have been genetically
altered to carry and/or produce a certain
necessary gene. This is done by inserting
the required gene into the organism’s DNA.
• There are three types of GMO’s: animals,
plants and bacteria
We focused on bacteria.
How are GMO’s made?
• A specific gene is chosen and
then extracted from DNA using
a restriction enzyme.
• This gene is then inserted into
a bacterium. Since these are single celled
organisms the gene only has to be inserted
once and because bacteria multiply quickly,
they are an ideal candidate for mass
production of a specific gene.
Why is it relevant to society?
• GM bacteria are relevant to society,
because they are a fast and easy way to
make a lot of a selected gene.
• They can be used to cure and
prevent sicknesses, to create
medicines, to improve the
environment in numerous
ways and to help in many
other ways.
Examples of GM Bacteria Being Used
GM Bacteria Creates Living Photographs
E. coli are normally found in the dark confines of the human gut and
wouldn't normally sense light, so the students had to engineer the
unicellular machines to work as a light sensitive photo-capturing surface.
Much as pixels on a computer screen switch between white and black,
each bacterium either produced a black pigment or didn't, depending on
whether it was growing in a light or dark place in the dish. The resulting
images are a collection of all the bacteria responding to the pattern of
light.
Examples of GM Bacteria Being Used
GM bacteria eats cancer
When tumours grow to a size greater than that of a pinhead the centre
of the cancerous growth becomes starved of oxygen due to the
lack of organized blood capillaries feeding the growth.
The genetically modified C.novyi-NT bacterium thrives in these
oxygen-deficient areas, which are unique to cancerous growths,
and starts to kill the tumour from the inside out. Normal
surrounding cells were largely unaffected as were the exterior of
the tumours as the bacteria don't like the more oxygen rich
conditions.
Examples of GM Bacteria Being Used
Genetically Altered Bacteria Could Block Malaria Transmission
Scientists have discovered a way to help stop the spread of malaria by genetically altering a
bacterium that infects about 80 percent of the world’s insects. Malaria is primarily
transmitted through mosquito bites and kills more than a million people every year.
The ubiquitous Wolbachia bacteria are able to alter male insects so that they can only
reproduce with female insects also infected with the bacteria, resulting in more infected
offspring. Researchers believe that by using genetically altered Wolbachia bacteria, they
could spread genes that leave mosquitoes unable to transmit the malaria parasite.
Ethic and Risk Considerations
• People feel that eventually unintended harmful and dangerous
organisms will be created
•Could overpower wild species
•Reduces living beings to the status of manufactured products
•The use of GMOs in a certain environment could have different
impacts in a different environment
•Maybe the transgene could escape to any other species, either to
non-GM individuals of the same species or to closely related species
Ex. Scientists in Oregon found that a genetically engineered soil
microorganism, Klebsiella planticola, completely killed essential soil
nutrients
Benefits of GM Bacteria
• In the Environment- Possible control of weeds and
feral pest animals, use of GMOs that reduce the use of
toxic chemicals, GMOs to decontaminate toxic waste
sites, GMOs in environmental friendly power
• In Farms- Improved nutrition for people, increased
environmental protection through the reduced use of
pesticides, and increased quality and quantity of
yields, as well as increased farm profitability through
reduced costs and new product opportunities
• For People- New cures for diseases,
ends dental cavities, can end genetically
passed on disease, better technology
in all fields
Bibliography
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www.drugresearcher.com/news/
http://www.purefood.org/ge/klebsiella.cfm
www.scienceagogo.com
www.learner.org/channel/courses/biology/textbook/gmo
www.technologyreview.com/Biztech/19128/
technology.newscientist.com/article/dn10116-gm-bacteria