A Genetic Engineering Grab Bag

Odd items from the laboratory

© 2000 Streamline Publications

What’cha get if you cross a beaver with a Douglas fir?

A tree that can cut itself down.

Papermaking is pollution prone and uses diminishing forests of trees as a source of cellulose. During processing toxic chemicals are employed to break down lignin—the component that imbues a tree with rigidity and strength.

Scientists at Michigan Technological University working on a program funded by the USDA, National Science Foundation, and a pulp and paper company, have found a way to reduce lignin by about half and increase cellulose in growing trees through genetic modifications. The potential is that these trees, which grow faster than unmodified trees, will produce pulp that needs less chemical processing. The increased growing speed and higher cellulose content means that less land need be used to meet paper manufacturing demands.

Proponents, who agree that additional research is needed to assess the potential for adverse environmental impact, point out that with current needs and expected population growth, environmental damage is assured without such a change. GM trees offer the possibility that paper manufacturing costs and chemical disposal needs can be reduced.

Environmentalists are concerned how the ecosystem could be affected in unexpected ways and point as an example to the damaging effect genetically modified corn pollen (containing a pesticide) has had on monarch butterflies.

MONKEYFISH

A jellyfish gene—responsible for making the jellyfish glow—has been successfully introduced into rhesus monkey embryos. Researchers at the Oregon Health Sciences University mixed monkey sperm with strands of jellyfish DNA. Using an injection technique that human fertility clinics employ, the sperm with its extra gene was introduced into the monkey eggs. The resulting embryos glowed. The experiment resulted in the birth of George—who scientists describe as a, “normal, happy frisky monkey,”—that does not glow.

The purpose of the experiment was to see whether a custom monkey could be created for research purposes. The jellyfish gene was used because it would be easy to discriminate from the host animal genes.

The Oregon scientists pointed out that their work was not intended for use with humans and would be unlikely to work anyway. While the idea of creating a modified human was denied, a biologist from the Salk Institute suggested that if something can be done, people will do it.

SUPERSALMON

Fish farmers are eagerly awaiting FDA approval for salmon with genetic modifications that are expected to lower market prices while increasing profits and protecting wild fish populations.

Aiming to create a farmable fish for cold conditions, the salmon were given an “antifreeze” gene from flounder—a species that survives freezing. The effect on the salmon, however, was not to protect against cold but to cut by half the time needed for the modified fish to reach harvestable size. The discovery was a boon to many fish farms facing eventual bankruptcy because of low wholesale prices. Time to market and feeding costs would be reduced.

Critics argue that supersalmon farming will increase pollution from fish waste and there is a danger of escaped fish breeding with wild species.

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