Genetically Modified Organisms Research Articles

Awareness of Grade 9 Students in Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) Food Products: A Survey Study

Awareness of Grade 9 Students in Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) Food Products: A Survey Study

Interactive database of genome editing applications in crops and future policy making in the European Union.

European R&D in plant breeding is lagging behind, bound by strict genetically modified organism (GMO) regulations, applied to all crop varieties obtained with genome editing techniques. We developed an online database of worldwide genome editing applications in crops to support conclusions and to facilitate science-based policy making for this plant breeding innovation.

Risk or License? Precautionary Principle’s Transition in Genetically Modified Organisms’ Benefits After Job Creation Law

This article aims to discuss the implementation of precautionary principle on the use of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) in Indonesia as well as to identify and evaluate the changes of provisions on precautionary principles related to the use of GMOs as stipulated in the Environmental Law and the later Job Creation Law in Indonesia. This article employs normative legal research that descriptively examines humans, circumstances, and other phenomena to strengthen old theories and support new theories that are still in the drafting stage. It uses secondary data sources consisting of primary legal materials and secondary legal materials. The result shows that the implementation of precautionary principle on the use of GMOs is based on the Environmental Law and the Job Creation Law which can be seen in the AMDAL. Under the Environmental Law, the implementation of precautionary principle prioritizes the importance of a risk's impact before the activity is carried out. Whereas in the Job Creation Law, the operation of an activity adjusts the level of risk, namely low, medium, and high. Hence, based on Job Creation Law, a business activity that already utilizes GMOs is allowed to conduct its operation if the risk is assessed as low. It is due to a transition between the risk approach in the Environmental Law and the licensing approach in the Job Creation Law. This article suggests that in GMO usage, the government should find more specific precautionary implementation than regulations and labels since regulations alone are too abstract to comprehend in a society.

Sınıf Eğitimi Öğrencilerinin Çevrimiçi Forum Destekli Sosyobilimsel Konulara İlişkin Muhakemelerinin İncelenmesi

This study aims to scrutinize the reasoning skills of primary education students studying at the 1st. grade in socio-scientific issues supported with online form. This study was carried out during the environmental education course of the first grade in the 2020-2021 Academic Year Spring Term at Dicle University. The online environmental education course discussed agricultural issues, genetically modified organisms (GMO), using pesticides in food production, importing plastic waste, and using rock gas as an alternative energy source. Within the scope of the research issues, the scenarios and articles with the socio-scientific theme were uploaded to the automation system of the university and were discussed by the students for two weeks. Afterwards, the students completed the process by participating in an online debate form which included scenarios with socio-scientific issues. The students' views on socio-scientific matters were analyzed by the complexity, multidimensionality, questioning, and suspiciousness subscales. Findings were presented in accordance with social, economic, ecological and health domains. As the result of the research, the students accepted that GMO products would lead to several health problems, while they expressed that the GMO products could be used to survive. The students put forward that using GMO products had to be controlled by the authorities. Most of the students indicated that it was required to produce recyclable plastic instead of importing plastic waste and improving environmental waste management systems. They also determined that using rock gas as an energy source would bring about environmental pollution; alternative energy sources would be prefered rather than rock gas. Furthermore, they expressed that using pesticides could damage nature and the environment; however, pesticides could reproduce durable plant species if taken necessary precautions.

Similar Attitudes, Different Strategies: A Limited Survey of the Discourse Strategies to Oppose Genetically Modified Organisms Conspiracy Theories by Chinese Scientist Communicators and Citizen Communicators on Zhihu.

The development of the digital media environment has led to a diversification in the role of science communicators. Both scientists and non-scientist citizens can act as science communicators in relation to online discussion of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Through a limited study, based on thematic and open coding of 60 answers provided by scientist science communicators and citizen science communicators on GMOs on Zhihu, the biggest Chinese knowledge sharing network, it has been found that “business conspiracy theories” about GMOs are the most mentioned and discussed theories, followed by the conspiracy theory of “GMOs as state control tool” on Zhihu. Both citizen science communicators and scientist science communicators are inclined to show oppositional attitudes to GMOs conspiracy theories on Zhihu, despite the differences in their scientific backgrounds; however, they use very different discourse strategies. Citizen science communicators tend to use “lay logic” with more rhetoric, while scientist science communicators tend to use direct scientific knowledge and logic with less rhetoric.

Does “Precision” Matter? A Q Study of Public Interpretations of Gene Editing in Agriculture

Gene editing (GE) technologies are rapidly gaining traction as an alternative to genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in agriculture. While proponents claim the critical need for GE to address climate change and food security and assert its similarity to conventional breeding, critics argue that these technologies bring similar concerns to GMOs, such as supporting industrial agriculture and enhancing corporate control and ownership. But how do public groups make sense of these technologies? While incorporating public concerns is key to responsible and ethical innovation, minimal research explores how people make sense of emerging applications. We offer an exploratory Q study that investigates how one public group applies interpretive frames to understand applications of novel GE and related technologies. We find participants apply three different frames, invoking applications as (1) necessitating a system critical lens, (2) worthy of pragmatic of consideration, or (3) a deeply ambiguous prospect. These frames, we argue, articulate visions of particular sociotechnical futures, most of which are contrary or orthogonal to proponents’ assumptions. Instead, we find participants concerned less with the precision of techniques or the origin of genes used and more often with whether these applications reify dominant industrial practices and if viable alternatives exist.

Freedom of Choice—Organic Consumers’ Discourses on New Plant Breeding Techniques

In recent years, there have been significant developments in biotechnology, specifically regarding New Plant Breeding Techniques (NPBTs). Such advancements have been driven by the need to develop improved and more sustainable crops while reducing pesticides and fertilisers. NPBTs include a heterogeneous group of methods that allow performing plant mutations more precisely than in genetically modified (GM) technologies, saving time and effort. Although some experts consider NPBTs an opportunity for organic farming expansion, the European Court of Justice in 2018 pronounced against their use in organic farming since all plants obtained by NPBTs should follow the same regulations as Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). This study aims to understand consumers’ attitudes and viewpoints towards new breeding techniques. Focus groups and Q methodological approach were used to uncover consensus and divergence among organic consumers in seven selected European countries (Germany, Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom). Results of qualitative studies suggest that organic consumers are generally hostile towards NPBTs in organic farming. Using Q methodology, three distinct factors were identified: the “Risk Averse”, the “Technological Optimists”, and the “Socially Concerned”. The results highlight that consumers’ subjective knowledge and understanding of NPBTs diverge from the discourse of NPBTs lobbyists and proponents.

Modeling fall armyworm resistance in Bt-maize areas during crop and off-seasons

Entomologists have often used computational modeling to study the dynamics of insects in agricultural landscapes. Recently, important issues such as the movement of adults and immatures associated with insect resistance to GMO (genetically modified organism) crops have been addressed using computational models. We developed an individual-based model using the cellular automata approach (CA) to investigate how an intercropping system composed of maize engineered with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) gene, refuge areas (non-Bt maize), and grasses combined with off-season periods might influence the evolution of resistance in Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), one of the leading agricultural pests targeted by GMOs. We designed the Bt and non-Bt plants in two different arrangements: (a) a seed mixture and (b) strips rows, adding grasses in areas adjacent to the field. We added the seasonal planting dynamics (crop season and off-season), to evaluate a total of six agricultural scenarios. We followed a crop calendar from the United States to create simulations close to agricultural practice. The results showed that the frequency of the resistance allele was strongly related to the landscape arrangements and their dynamics. Since the adult insects are mobile, the seed-mixture scenario increased the frequency of the resistance the most (95.86%), followed by strips (82.10%), without grass fields. The maize harvest made it possible to reduce the frequency of resistance allele below 1%. Based on our results, we can expect that the maintenance of pasture areas, for instance next to the corn crops, will act as a reservoir of susceptible insects during off-season periods.

Racializing Trade in Corn: México Fights Maíz Imports and GMOs

ABSTRACT International economic law (IEL) is racialized in México. This is evident with the North American Free Trade Agreement, US Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA), and ongoing litigation changing how Mexicans grow, buy, and consume corn. Racialization develops from law privileging foreign access, at the cost of domestic abilities to counter economic entry. This has domestic and international consequences. Mestizo, campesino, and Indigenous sectors disproportionately bear the domestic effects of corn imports and GMO (genetically modified organism) corn. Imports and GMOs displace rural labor. Meanwhile, GMOs irreparably harm biodiversity. The USMCA protects ‘trade in’ GMOs while simultaneously discounting sovereign determinations by Mexican regulators. This echoes international law’s history of racist reasoning to exclude Global South states. This article proposes racial capitalism methods to pinpoint how and where IEL racializes cross-border trade. They show how neoliberal laws resulted in price spikes, labor migration, and unhealthy diets. Current GMO controversies open the door to two IEL paths: resistance or market access. As resistance, Mexican court rulings based on Precautionary Principle norms prohibit GMO corn seeds. With market access, the USMCA harmonizes biotechnology regulations, effectively trumping determinations by Mexican authorities. In sum, as neoliberal and current developments show, IEL racializes trade with disproportionate consequences felt domestically and by displacing Mexican sovereignty internationally.

CURRENT STATE OF ORGANIC PRODUCTION DEVELOPMENT

The data on the world experience and Kazakhstan's experience in the development of organic agriculture are presented. The development of the organic sector by continents, leaders in the area of land occupied by organic production, is considered. Organic production implies the cultivation of food products, the quality of which will exceed the traditional taste, organic products should be more beneficial to health, without the content of residues of various chemicals, nitrates, nitrites and toxic substances. And also better stored. The use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is strictly prohibited. There is a theory of so-called biological agriculture, on the basis of which a number of directions have emerged: "biological-dynamic", "organic-biological", or simply "organic", "natural", "ecological" agriculture. The analysis of statistical materials of certified organic producers as of 2013 is given. The market of organic products in Asia is developing at a stable pace. Today, there is a tendency to divide Asian countries into two categories - countries that consume and countries that produce. Based on the analysis data and based on market demands, the guidelines for a promising strategy for the production of organic products by types and types of economic enterprises (entities) are determined.

Genetically Modified Mosquitoes to Fight Malaria in Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Mali and Uganda: What Legal Response?

Advanced applied research on genetically modified (hereafter GM) insects is being undertaken to control insect vectors of human diseases such as mosquitoes. GM insect technologies are being developed in countries where there is a legal framework for genetically modified mosquitoes (hereafter GMM), but the beneficiaries of such insect technologies to control insect-borne diseases are most likely to be in malaria-endemic countries where the regulation of GM insect technologies is inadequate. Although no commercial release of GMM has been conducted in Africa yet, there may be prospects for the use of GMM to control malaria in malaria-endemic countries such as Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Mali and Uganda. Nigeria has the highest rate of deaths related to malaria in Africa and will potentially be targeted by companies seeking to introduce GMM as a public health tool in African countries. Research is being carried out on GMM in Burkina Faso, Mali and Uganda in collaboration with foreign companies. Whereas the control of diseases is certainly needed and there are potential public health benefits for GM insect technologies to address mosquito control, there are environmental and health concerns, and there is also the potential of the misuse of such technologies. Consequently, the use of GMM requires prior robust domestic, regional and international regulation. While the Cartagena Protocol on Transboundary Movements of Living Modified Organisms (LMOs) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (hereafter the Cartagena Protocol) and voluntary guidelines on the testing of GM mosquitoes are applicable with respect to GM insect technologies, there is a lack of international and regional guidance on the regulation of such technologies. Domestic legislation tends to focus on GM crops and is inadequate for regulating GMM. This paper discusses the legal response for the above African countries which may perhaps use GMM as a public health tool and makes recommendations for the necessary regulatory response.

Genetically Modified Mosquitoes to Fight Malaria in Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Mali and Uganda: What Legal Response?

Advanced applied research on genetically modified (hereafter GM) insects is being undertaken to control insect vectors of human diseases such as mosquitoes. GM insect technologies are being developed in countries where there is a legal framework for genetically modified mosquitoes (hereafter GMM), but the beneficiaries of such insect technologies to control insect-borne diseases are most likely to be in malaria-endemic countries where the regulation of GM insect technologies is inadequate. Although no commercial release of GMM has been conducted in Africa yet, there may be prospects for the use of GMM to control malaria in malaria-endemic countries such as Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Mali and Uganda. Nigeria has the highest rate of deaths related to malaria in Africa and will potentially be targeted by companies seeking to introduce GMM as a public health tool in African countries. Research is being carried out on GMM in Burkina Faso, Mali and Uganda in collaboration with foreign companies. Whereas the control of diseases is certainly needed and there are potential public health benefits for GM insect technologies to address mosquito control, there are environmental and health concerns, and there is also the potential of the misuse of such technologies. Consequently, the use of GMM requires prior robust domestic, regional and international regulation. While the Cartagena Protocol on Transboundary Movements of Living Modified Organisms (LMOs) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (hereafter the Cartagena Protocol) and voluntary guidelines on the testing of GM mosquitoes are applicable with respect to GM insect technologies, there is a lack of international and regional guidance on the regulation of such technologies. Domestic legislation tends to focus on GM crops and is inadequate for regulating GMM. This paper discusses the legal response for the above African countries which may perhaps use GMM as a public health tool and makes recommendations for the necessary regulatory response.

Genetically Engineered Organisms: Possibilities and Challenges of Heavy Metal Removal and Nanoparticle Synthesis

Heavy metal removal using genetically engineered organisms (GEOs) offer more cost and energy-efficient, safer, greener, and environmentally-friendly opportunities as opposed to conventional strategies requiring hazardous or toxic chemicals, complex processes, and high pressure/temperature. Additionally, GEOs exhibited superior potentials for biosynthesis of nanoparticles with significant capabilities in bioreduction of heavy metal ions that get accumulated as nanocrystals of various shapes/dimensions. In this context, GEO-aided nanoparticle assembly and the related reaction conditions should be optimized. Such strategies encompassing biosynthesized nanoparticle conforming to the green chemistry precepts help minimize the deployment of toxic precursors and capitalize on the safety and sustainability of the ensuing nanoparticle. Different GEOs with improved uptake and appropriation of heavy metal ions potentials have been examined for bioreduction and biorecovery appliances, but effective implementation to industrial-scale practices is nearly absent. In this perspective, the recent developments in heavy metal removal and nanoparticle biosynthesis using GEOs are deliberated, focusing on important challenges and future directions.

From Pharma to Farm Can CRISPR Feed the World?

From Pharma to Farm Can CRISPR Feed the World?

FACTORS OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION AND THE POSSIBILITY OF AGRICULTURAL GMO PRODUCTION IN GHANA

This research work aims to pinpoint the actual production factors that are deteriorating and explore the essence of genetically modified organism (GMO) in helping to combat the degrading nature of production factors in Ghana. Agriculture has always employed dynamic processes from seed sowing to harvest over the years, but there are key factors that are non-negotiable in the sector, production factors. There has been diverse research and view on what production factors are inclusive in agriculture’s production factors. This notwithstanding, aside these divergent views, land, labour and capital still remain the most essential part of the production factors in agriculture. Ghana just like any other country has employed these factors but is lagging in hitting the productivity mark. There has been numerous research works, to dissect the roadblocks to agriculture yields in Ghana. Genetically modified organism as a section of biological innovation will be of an immerse and complete supplement to the production factors in Ghana if we look forward to achieving a bountiful agriculture harvest. The paper comprises selected facts and opinions on the GMO production development in Ghana in the nearest future and some factors influencing the development of GM food production, including land, labour and capital in Ghanaian agriculture.

Ultrasensitive fluorescent biosensor for detecting CaMV 35S promoter with proximity extension mediated multiple cascade strand displacement amplification and CRISPR/Cpf 1

A novel fluorescent biosensor was proposed for detecting the CaMV 35S promoter in genetically modified organisms (GMOs). It was based on a proximity extension mediated multiple cascade strand displacement amplification connected with CRISPR/Cpf 1 (termed PE-MC/SDA-CRISPR/Cpf1). In this protocol, the CaMV 35S was recognized by proximity reaction in the presence of two adjacent primer probes. The proximity extension further triggered the multiple cascade strand displacement amplification (MC/SDA), generating a mass of ssDNA. The products compelled the trans-cleavage activity of CRISPR/Cpf 1, so as to cleave nearby ssDNA-FQ reporters and generate a strong fluorescent signal. The ingenious three-link combination design allowed the CaMV 35S a low background interference. And the MC/SDA combined with CRISPR/Cpf 1 dramatically improved the detection sensitivity. Under optimized conditions, the detection linear range of ultrasensitive fluorescent biosensor for CaMV 35S was from 50 fM to10 pM and 10 pM–500 pM, along with the limit of detection (LOD) down to 14.4 fM. The sensing platform also had excellent performance in the assay of selectivity and real samples. Therefore, the method earned great application potential for transgenic crops.

Single and multi-laboratory validation of a droplet digital PCR method

The authorisation of genetically modified food and feed in the EU is subject to the provision of evidence of safety and of the availability of reliable analytical methods. These methods represent an essential tool for official laboratories to enforce a harmonised market control.Here the validation of droplet digital PCR (dPCR) methods has been performed for studying if the performance and acceptance parameters set by EU and other international guidelines for the analysis of genetically modified organisms (GMO) in food and feed are suitable and achievable also with such methods. The single-laboratory validation study showed that performance requirements set for GMO analysis by real time PCR can also be used to assess dPCR-based methods. Moreover, trueness and precision were assessed for both simplex and duplex formats in a multi-laboratory validation study organised according to international standards. Overall, the data on trueness, repeatability and reproducibility precision resulting from the collaborative study are satisfying the acceptance criteria for the respective parameters as stipulated in the EU and other international guidance such as the Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling (CCMAS). For instance, the duplex droplet dPCR method for MON810 showed relative repeatability standard deviations from 1.8% to 15.7%, while the relative reproducibility standard deviation was found to be between 2.1% and 16.5% over the dynamic range studied. Moreover, the relative bias of the dPCR methods was well below 25% across the entire dynamic range.In addition, other aspects supporting the application of digital PCR for the control of GMOs on the market were experimentally assessed such as the conversion of the measurement results from copy number ratio to mass fraction, the influence of the DNA extraction step and of the ingredient content. It was found that the DNA extraction step added only a limited contribution to the variability of the measurement results under the studied conditions. The decreasing amount of the target ingredient content may decrease the level of precision of the method, although within the acceptance range of GMO performance parameters.

Exploring Consumers’ Attitudes towards Food Products Derived by New Plant Breeding Techniques

New plant breeding techniques (NPBTs) are seen as promising and innovative tools to achieve food security and food safety. Biotechnological innovations have great potential to address sustainable food development, and they are expected in the near future to play a critical role in feeding a growing population without exerting added pressure on the environment. There is, however, a considerable debate as to how these new techniques should be regulated and whether some or all of them should fall within the scope of EU legislation on genetically modified organisms (GMOs), despite the product obtained being free from genes foreign to the species. In the EU, the adoption of these methods does not rely only on the scientific community but requires social acceptance and a political process that leads to an improved regulatory framework. In this paper, we present the results of an online survey carried out in Italy with 700 randomly selected participants on consumer attitudes towards food obtained by NPBTs. By applying the decision tree machine learning algorithm J48 to our dataset, we identified significant attributes to predict the main drivers of purchasing such products. A classification model accuracy assessment has also been developed to evaluate the overall performance of the classifier. The result of the model highlighted the role of consumers’ self-perceived knowledge and their trust in the European approval process for NPBT, as well as the need for a detailed label. Our findings may support decision makers and underpin the development of NPBT products in the market.

Mercury bioremediation by engineered Pseudomonas putida KT2440 with adaptationally optimized biosecurity circuit.

Hazardous materials, such as heavy metals, are the major sources of health risk. Using genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to dispose heavy metals has the advantages of strong environmental compatibility and high efficiency. However, the biosecurity of GMOs used in the environment is a major concern. In this study, a self-controlled genetic circuit was designed and carefully fine-tuned for programmable expression in Pseudomonas putida KT2440, which is a widely used strain for environmental bioremediation. The cell behaviours were controlled by automatically sensing the variation of Hg2+ concentration without any inducer requirement or manual interventions. More than 98% Hg2+ was adsorbed by the engineered strain with a high cell recovery rate of 96% from waterbody. The remaining cells were killed by the suicide module after the mission was accomplished. The escape frequency of the engineered P. putida strain was lower than 10-9 , which meets the recommendation of US NIH guideline for GMOs release (<10-8 ). The same performance was achieved in a model experiment by using natural lake water with addition of Hg2+ . The microbial diversity analysis further confirmed that the remediation process made little impact on the indigenous ecosystem. Thus, this study provides a practical method for environmental remediation by using GMOs.

Genome Editing for Sustainable Agriculture in Africa.

Sustainable intensification of agriculture in Africa is essential for accomplishing food and nutritional security and addressing the rising concerns of climate change. There is an urgent need to close the yield gap in staple crops and enhance food production to feed the growing population. In order to meet the increasing demand for food, more efficient approaches to produce food are needed. All the tools available in the toolbox, including modern biotechnology and traditional, need to be applied for crop improvement. The full potential of new breeding tools such as genome editing needs to be exploited in addition to conventional technologies. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein (CRISPR/Cas)-based genome editing has rapidly become the most prevalent genetic engineering approach for developing improved crop varieties because of its simplicity, efficiency, specificity, and easy to use. Genome editing improves crop variety by modifying its endogenous genome free of any foreign gene. Hence, genome-edited crops with no foreign gene integration are not regulated as genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in several countries. Researchers are using CRISPR/Cas-based genome editing for improving African staple crops for biotic and abiotic stress resistance and improved nutritional quality. Many products, such as disease-resistant banana, maize resistant to lethal necrosis, and sorghum resistant to the parasitic plant Striga and enhanced quality, are under development for African farmers. There is a need for creating an enabling environment in Africa with science-based regulatory guidelines for the release and adoption of the products developed using CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing. Some progress has been made in this regard. Nigeria and Kenya have recently published the national biosafety guidelines for the regulation of gene editing. This article summarizes recent advances in developments of tools, potential applications of genome editing for improving staple crops, and regulatory policies in Africa.