Both animals and bacteria can be modified to produce substances that can be used to help treat those people who cannot produce the substance naturally themselves. You can make transgenic organisms by inserting a gene from one organism into another to make it produce a new substance. Bacteria can be modified to produce insulin. But often, prokaryotic cells are too simple to be able to produce complex mammalian proteins, so other animals, for example sheep have to be used. While still an embryo, Tracey the Sheep was injected with the gene that produces the AAT protein. Once born Tracey would produce excess amounts of the AAT in her milk. This could then be extracted and placed in humans who could not produce AAT themselves.
Transgenic animals can be created so that their organs can be transplanted into human beings without being rejected by the normal immune processes. This is achieved by genetically modifying the cells in those organs to 'look like' human cells to the human immune system.
Food can be genetically modified to either increase the amount or quality of the crop. There has been much controversy over the safety of genetically modified food. Some people believe that it my either be harmful to eat, or that it may harm the environment. Food can now be transported hundreds of miles and still end up on the supermarket shelf looking as fresh as if it was picked that day.
People like to know what they are eating, and with swapping genes they believe that they don’t know what is in their food, it is unnatural to play with the genes and that the scientists do not know what may be produced by mixing genes. However the scientists say that eating genetically modified food cannot harm you and that everything has been extensively tested. Plants have been modified from hundreds of years through selective breeding, modern technology has just speeded up the process.
There is concern for organic farms and that GM pollen could infect them, but then organic farms are also under-threat from herbicides and pesticides. If placed at a reasonable distance GM crops should not interfere with organic crops.
Some believe that GM could solve world hunger by helping farmers in third-world countries where land is scarce to make a better yield. But, the amount of food in the world is not the problem, we already have more than enough food, it’s the distribution of food stores by the governments that is the problem.
GM technology is said to make more profit for the farmer, seed producer and biotech company shareholder, however there has been no demonstrable benefit to the consumer shown. But small farms may become less economical to run while in competition with larger one.
Although sheep can be made to produce useful proteins, many animals are mutilated and killed for these experiments. But aren't human lives of higher moral value than animal lives? GM of animals is strictly controlled by the cruelty to animals legislation.
Crossing species barriers is considered ‘unnatural’ but then, all technology is unnatural, also we have had mules, a cross between a horse and donkey long before genetic modification, but no one we complaining then.
There is also ethical implications of GM. Some believe that it is ‘playing God’, but… “Human discovery and invention can be thought of as resulting from the exercise of God-given powers of mind and reason." (Church of England Board)
Who’s the person to decide where to draw the line? Where should GM stop? If it is okay to GM animals – then why not continue onto humans? Animal organ transplants puts humans as been superior to animals, and some people say rightly so. Who has the right to treatment, only the rich people?
Overall these advances in technology have the ability to improve many people’s lives. But it has to be used with caution as it could easily become out-of-control. Many of the techniques need refining and more research done on them. Also the general public need to be given more information on the subject so that they have the ability to make informed choices when it comes to taking treatment or simply deciding what to eat.