What is it?
Genetic engineering refers to the modification of an organism’s genome either by directly manipulating its base pairs or combining it with another genome.
Applications
Genetic engineering opens the doors for all sorts of solutions and innovations in agriculture, medicine, and technology: genetically modified crops have existed since 1994 generally with better nutritional value and increased resistance to herbicides; a variant of insulin is produced from bacteria that can help those with Type I Diabetes, where abnormally low insulin levels cannot regulate the blood sugar well enough; some sheep are able to produce a therapeutic protein to treat cystic fibrosis. The list goes on. It would not be a surprise if genetic engineering can finally cure cancer or HIV one day.
How it Works
To expand on how genetic engineering is used in producing insulin, scientists start with a particular bacteria that they would see fit for insulin production. A part of a bacteria’s genome exists in a circular form called a plasmid, which is the optimal type for DNA manipulation. Plasmid is extracted from a bacterial cell, and a piece of it is cut by enzymes, which act like “molecular scissors.”
Source: Khan Academy
Usually, DNA is cut in a staggered manner with single-stranded ends hanging off called “sticky ends”. This makes either cut strand easier to join with another strand as the sticky ends help keep both parts in line.
The gene for producing human insulin (which is cut or copied from the human genome) is then inserted into the gap in the plasmid. Finally, the modified plasmid is put into a different bacteria, which are then left to divide in fermentation vessels with the nutrients they need. The insulin that is produced still remains part of the bacteria-nutrient mixture, so it needs to be passed through a filtration process, yielding pure insulin ready to be packaged and sent to diabetic patients.
Controversies
Because of how powerful it is, gene editing in humans raises many ethical questions. As with any new technology, initial commercial applications may only be available at high costs, shutting off accessibility on the basis of wealth. And, with a goal to perfect the human body, what will become of those with disabilities and disorders? If everyone becomes unnaturally perfect, then what will happen to athletics, what will prodigious intelligence count as (something that made scientists like Einstein famous)? What if the procedure is abused or criminalized?
Safety concerns are also widely discussed. The stakes of illegally or unsafely tampering with an embryonic genome can be consequential for the future baby. While the technology sounds exciting with all its remedial and convenient applications, it is opening a whole can of worms that we may not be ready to handle yet.
What is Next?
As much as the prospect of genetic engineering seems promising, it’s better to be safe than sorry. It is still a cutting-edge research field, so I think it’s definitely too premature to expect commercial applications on humans any time soon. This is one of those things that makes me think back to the invention of nuclear arms, how they were so powerful, they literally almost ended us; hopefully, genetic engineering is not one of those things.
Don’t get me wrong: gene engineering has considerable capabilities and can possibly cure currently incurable diseases like HIV and cancer. However, just like any new technology, it comes with its caveats that need to be constrained and regulated appropriately so it benefits humanity. If we are able to pull this off in the future in a safe way, we may challenge nature’s inevitable forces—evolution and perhaps aging. The future is exciting, but also worrying.
Sources:
- Krish Patel, MEDItalks & Thoughts (East Coast) Member
thecarbyneuniverse@gmail.com
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