genetic engineering  

introduction: Genetic engineering is the foundation of biotechnology, it is the process of using recombinant DNA (rDNA) technology to alter the genetic makeup of an organism. Genetic engineering was discovered in 1973 by American biochemists Stanley N. Cohen and Herbert W. Boyer by inserted the new genes into E. coli bacteria. With the development of science and technology, genetic engineering has gradually become popular and entered the public’s field of vision. Genetic engineering has great achievements and usefulness in biotechnology, this technology also attracts attention whether it should be developed in the future.

the greatest advancement with regards to genetic engineering: Genetic engineering has great achievements in biotechnology, the most well-known of these are CRISPR-Cas9. CRISPR-Cas9 is a genome editing tool, it is a recent developed techniques of editing DNA that is more precise and has a lower cost than traditional ways. Crisper-Cas9 works by Cas9 enzyme binds to guide RNA and it cuts bot strands of DNA while the DNA in the process of transcription with RNA. This technology applications in various biology fields, for example: cells and Animals models; human diseases therapy; new drug screens; eranscriptic and epigenetic edits; agricultureit, food, materials; embryo and-fetus gene editing; nuclei image, detection, diagnosis; and cells and animals models. It was a significant contributor to the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2020 being awarded to Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna. One of the example about CRISPR-Cas9 that is closer to people’s daily life is food, food is closely related to our lives, and genetically modified food has also developed rapidly in recent years, among the more common ones are golden wheat, tomatoes and some fruits, although they look and taste better than those without genetic modification, this also raises many moral and ethical questions. 

How is this form of biotechnology best used? Food biotechnology largely aims at improving food quality and taste. Functional or medicinal foods are those possessing health-promoting or disease-preventing properties beyond the supply of nutrients. Genetically modified foods also known as genetically engineered foods or bioengineered foods are foods produced from organisms that have had changes introduced into their DNA using the methods of genetic engineering. Genetic engineering techniques allow for the introduction of new traits as well as greater control over traits when compared to previous methods, such as selective breeding and mutation breeding. Commercial sale of genetically modified foods began in 1994, Most food modifications have primarily focused on cash crops in high demand by farmers such as corn, canola, and cotton. Genetically modified crops have been engineered for resistance to pathogens and herbicides and for better nutrient profiles. GM livestock have been developed, although, as of 2015, none were on the market. As of 2015, the AquAdvantage salmon was the only animal approved for commercial production, sale and consumption by the FDA. It is the first genetically modified animal to be approved for human consumption.

How is this form of biotechnology changing the world as we continue to advance towards the future? Genetic engineering is changing the world by giving you the chance to change the DNA of something by using the genes of something else. For example you can take the gene of a plant and insert it into another gene of a plant. Of course lots of people find pros and cons in genetic engineering and it seems that the cons drag all the pros down so I will list a few of them. PROS: nutritious food, fights diseases, increase in life expectancy, increase in growth rates of plants and animals CONS: genetic issues, health issues, allergies, effects on wildlife, religious and ethic concerns. At the end of the day lots of people feel like there is not enough knowledge about genetic engineering which is why they are so unsure about it.

conclusion: Overall, genetic engineering seems like a good form of biotechnology. It is already being used for food and a few medical things However, like previously mentioned lots of people think it should not be used in the future or they are unsure about it. I think once everyone hears more about it and has a better understanding they will like the idea of using genetic engineering in the future.

bibliography

• https://go.gale.com/ps/basicSearch.do?inputFieldNames%5B0%5D=OQE&inputFieldValues%5B0%5D=Genetic+Engineering&nwf=y&searchType=BasicSearchForm&userGroupName=43sbo&prodId=SCIC&spellCheck=true&method=doSearch&dblist=&stw.option=&ebook=&_singleLimiterFieldValues%5BAC%5D=on&_singleLimiterFieldValues%5BRE%5D=on
• https://environmental-conscience.com/genetic-engineering-pros-and-cons/
• https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002432.htm