Genetically modified organisms - the name alone conjures up images of disheveled scientists in lab coats, twisting genetics "because we can." In reality genetic engineering can be rather beneficial, producing things like...
- Ruppy the Glowing Puppy
- Climate Friendly Cattle
- Mosquitoes Built to Die
- Swift-Growing Salmon
- Perfect Pigs for Pork or Pets
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| Genetically modified salmon have already been approved by the FDA... (anonymous via Pixabay) |
Ruppy the Glowing Puppy
Ever wanted a dog that glows in the dark? Ruppy the puppy may be just the pooch for you. Produced by Korean scientists, Ruppy (a portmanteau of ruby and puppy) is a beagle that glows red under ultraviolet light.
The glowing dog was created by infecting dog fibroblasts (connective tissue cells) with a retrovirus carrying a fluorescent protein gene. These fibroblasts were used to replace the nucleus of canine embryos, before they were replanted in donor dogs.
The process isn't perfect - 344 embryos led to a total of 7 pregnancies, only 6 of which made it to term. On the plus side, the dogs have turned out to be viable and capable of passing on their glow to their own puppies.
Climate Friendly Cattle
Humans have farmed cattle for many centuries now, but the beasts do have some serious downsides to go along with their leather, meat and milk. Flatulence from their digestive processes is a significant contributor to methane free in the atmosphere, meaning they are a significant source of the greenhouse gasses driving climate change.It’s not actually the cow that produces all this methane, but the gut flora they carry. By modifying these microorganisms to be more efficient and produce less methane, scientists hope to reduce the overall emissions of greenhouse gas produced by the cattle. Just to give an example of how much methane these creatures can produce, approximately 18000 cows died in 2023 Texas when their methane was ignited by malfunctioning farm equipment.
Researchers have also been working on reducing the amount of allergenic proteins in cow milk. In developed countries approximately 2-3% of humans are allergic to cow milk for the first year of their life - and this can be a real problem given the decreasing tendency towards breastfeeding. By knocking down the amount of β-lactoglobulin in the milk, scientists hope to render it usable for all humans.
Researchers have also been working on reducing the amount of allergenic proteins in cow milk. In developed countries approximately 2-3% of humans are allergic to cow milk for the first year of their life - and this can be a real problem given the decreasing tendency towards breastfeeding. By knocking down the amount of β-lactoglobulin in the milk, scientists hope to render it usable for all humans.
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| Some mosquitos were engineered to die... and take their offspring with them. (ekamelev via Pixabay) |
Mosquitoes Built to Die
Mosquitoes are a pest in many parts of the world, but are a serious health risk in places like Brazil and Africa. They can carry diseases such as Zika or yellow-fever, which they pass on to humans with a bite.
In an effort to constrain the burgeoning population of these insects, scientists released swarms of genetically modified male mosquitoes in Brazil between 2013 and 2015. These mosquitoes were designed to die, carrying a lethal gene that would kill both themselves and any offspring they produced. In the lab, only 3% of females that mated with these mosquitoes were able to produce offspring - and even these died shortly after.
In an effort to constrain the burgeoning population of these insects, scientists released swarms of genetically modified male mosquitoes in Brazil between 2013 and 2015. These mosquitoes were designed to die, carrying a lethal gene that would kill both themselves and any offspring they produced. In the lab, only 3% of females that mated with these mosquitoes were able to produce offspring - and even these died shortly after.
Though this method seems to have worked (native mosquito populations have dropped by as much as 85% in some areas) there is a concern. It seems that some of the “doomed” offspring have survived and have introduced some new genes into the local bloodsucker population – the results of which are yet to be revealed.
Swift-Growing Salmon
A more mundane but fairly useful GMO is the AquAdvantage salmon, a fish granted approval by the USA Food and Drug Administration. This fish has been deemed fit for human consumption and unlikely to have any impact on the environment – though precautions are being taken to prevent any escapes. Female eggs are produced and sterilized at a secure facility in Canada before being transported to growing pens in the highlands of Panama, giving little opportunity for a “breakout.”With all this focus on isolation, you might be wondering what superpower this fish has – well, it simply matures around twice as fast as a non GMO salmon. The concern held by environmentalists is that it would out-compete a baseline salmon if it got into the wild, possibly driving the original version to extinction.
On the other end of the spectrum, Chinese scientists have made “micropigs” by disabling a gene for growth hormone. The end result is a miniature pig that is similar to a puppy in size. These micropigs might be an ideal lab-animal (full sized pigs take quite a bit of space and are fairly dangerous) or household pet.
Another experiment by Harvard researchers involved editing the genes of pigs to make human compatible organs. Yet another study in Edinburgh produced pigs immune to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome, a disease that costs the European pork industry almost £1.5 billion pounds per year. Given that there is no vaccine or cure for the syndrome and around 30% of the pigs in England are infected at any given time, this could be great news for anyone who loves bacon!
Perfect Pigs for Pork or Pets
The humble pig is a common element of meat diets, inspiring a team of Chinese and South Korean researchers to produce a much meatier version of the animal. By editing a single gene, the pigs can be made to produce twice the normal amount of muscle – making them ideal for meat production. Since this is a relatively minor change, the researchers hope that regulatory bodies will take a permissive stance on approving the creatures for human use.
On the other end of the spectrum, Chinese scientists have made “micropigs” by disabling a gene for growth hormone. The end result is a miniature pig that is similar to a puppy in size. These micropigs might be an ideal lab-animal (full sized pigs take quite a bit of space and are fairly dangerous) or household pet.
Another experiment by Harvard researchers involved editing the genes of pigs to make human compatible organs. Yet another study in Edinburgh produced pigs immune to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome, a disease that costs the European pork industry almost £1.5 billion pounds per year. Given that there is no vaccine or cure for the syndrome and around 30% of the pigs in England are infected at any given time, this could be great news for anyone who loves bacon!
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