Current and Future Application of Transgenic Crops

Current and Future Applications

of Transgenic Crops

Table of Contents

Introduction : What are Transgenic Crops 1

Current Applications of Transgenic Crops

Herbicide Tolerance 2

Insect Resistance 3

Disease Resistance 4

Other Transgenic Traits of Value 5

Current Global Status of Transgenic Plants 5

Future Applications of Transgenic Crops

Pharmacy

Development of Drugs 7

Development of Vaccines 9

Nutrition

Development of Tomato 9

Developments in Rice 10

Domestic Use 10

Consumer Product Development 10

Conclusion 11

References 12

Appendix 14

p I . What are Transgenic Crops

Although technically , all crops can be considered as transgenic crops ' since genetic modification is inevitable through their long periods of domestication , selection and controlled breeding , the term is used to mean plants which have been genetically altered through artificial means in to obtain a certain desirable characteristic whether from the same species or from a completely unrelated species (What are Transgenic Plants , 2004

In the primitive times , transfer of genes happen through pollination and only to plants of the same species . Later , artificial gene transfer from one plant species to another of the same species or to some related species became possible through different traditional methods invented by man . These methods however do not permit transfer of genes from unrelated species . For example , a gene of a certain bean may benefit rice 's protein content but using the traditional methods of gene transfer , such is not possible . It is the many discoveries in biotechnology , specifically , the development of recombinant DNA techniques which made possible the current definition of transgenic plants

Biotechnology allows for the identification of genes related to a specific desirable characteristic and then their isolation for production from one organism to another . The other organism will then gain the benefits of the new characteristic . This increases the potential for new and better varieties of plants with better combination of genes which are limited if traditional methods are used (What are Transgenic Plants , 2004

With the current definition of transgenic plants ' the transfer of desirable genes is not anymore limited to plants of the same or related species , but may also come from another plant species and even from animals , microorganisms and artificially synthesized genes . In addition unlike the traditional methods of gene transfer , the current methods of producing transgenic plants do not require many generations of breeding to produce the desired individual . This is because biotechnological methods are more direct and specific in gene transfer . Meaning , the resultant individual may already possess the desired trait and without any contamination from genes that may be transferred unnecessarily if the traditional methods are used . The new discoveries in molecular biology also make possible the creation of new gene constructs which could be used to produce better breeds . This is impossible in the traditional way of gene transfers (Villano , n .d

II . Current Application of Transgenic Crops

The most common application of transgenic crops today involves the enhancement of characteristics related to their environmental tolerance Among these include improved herbicide tolerance , disease resistance and insect resistance...