Biotechnology and You - Project Learning Tree · Biotechnology and You. Background • In this...

Introduction to Activity 1

Biotechnology and You

Background• In this activity you will

explore:

– Artificial selection versus genetic engineering

- Use of genetic engineering to modify agricultural crops

– Economic, environmental and ethical considerations used when assessing GEO’s

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• Selectively breeding organisms based on how they look (phenotype)

• This process used for 1000’s of years

• Examples– types of dogs– wild grass to corn

What is Artificial Selection?

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What is Genetic Engineering?

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• It is when you change the DNA directly

• It introduces new genes into an organism using gene splicing

• Techniques developed in mid-20th Century

• Ethical– Religion– Animal welfare– Human health– Environmental health

• Scientific– Human health– Environmental health

• Regulations

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What are Controversies associated with Genetic Engineering?

Large, Global Issue

• 75% of processed food in America derived from GEOs

• GEOs grown in over 20 countries worldwide

Part A: Artificial Selection• Explore how artificial selection can result

in phenotypic changes

• Model the act of artificial selection by playing the “Bean Game”

• List organisms that have been genetically modified by humans

• Which of the those organisms have been modified through artificial selection?

• Come up with a definition of aritificialselection

Examples of Genetic Modification

Activity: The Bean Game

• You will conduct an artificial selection experiment using beans

• The goal of the game is to end up with the largest beans after 10 rounds

• Each bean represents an allele for bean size

• Each round represents on life cycle for the bean

Reflection Questions• In this activity, what did the beans represent?

• What did the process of adding new beans to your linerepresent?

• Why did you have to choose a pair of beans, rather thanjust a single bean?

• What are some ways in which this analogy did notaccurately reflect real life?

• What was the trend in bean size after 5 rounds? 10 rounds? What would you predict would happen after 100 or even 1000 rounds?

Part B: Genetic Engineering• Explore the methods

and application of genetic engineering

• Create a paper version of a genetically engineering organism

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Uses of Genetic Engineering• List types of organisms humans have

modified using genetic engineering

• What is the difference between genetic engineering and artificial selection?

• Come up with a definition for genetic engineering and transgenic

Transgenic Crops

• What are some types of transgenic crops?

• What are the potential benefits of these crops?

• What are potential risks of these crops?

Transgenic versus Organic

• What is an organic crop? Can an organic crop be transgenic?

• Why would some farmers want to grow transgenic crops and others organic?

• Why would it be a problem if a transgenic crop mixed with an organic crop?

Activity: Glowing crops• Two genes will be inserted into a particular

crop– Bt resistance gene– Green Fluorescent Protein Gene

• What is a reporter gene?

• Which of the genes listed above is a reporter gene?

Transformation Basics• Discover genes of interest (such as those

for pest resistance, insulin production, fluoresance)

• Cut those genes out (using molecular scissors called restriction enzymes)

• Paste the genes into a plasmid (using molecular glue called ligase)

• Insert the plasmid into a new plant, where the new genes will create the trait of interest (such as producing proteins to protect against pests, make drugs or glow)

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/42/Plasmid_replication_(english).svg/400px-Plasmid_replication_(english).svg.png&imgrefurl=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasmid&h=350&w=400&sz=94&hl=en&start=1&um=1&usg=__ckbMDJzMp794ohOgOBuWyP_P5uU=&tbnid=nvS-oOpZrkRlSM:&tbnh=109&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dplasmid%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1T4TSHB_enUS248US249

1. Begin with a plasmid and a gene (or genes) that you want to insert.

2. Cut the plasmid with a restriction enzyme.

3. Cut the gene of interest with the same restriction enzyme to produce “sticky ends”.

4. Paste (ligate) the gene of interest into the plasmid.

PlasmidGene to be

inserted

How do restriction enzymes work?

AAGCTT

TTCGAAHindIII

C

GAATTC

EcoR1

TTAAGEcoR1 recognizes and cuts at the

sequence"G A A T T C"

CTGCAG

GACGTCPst1 Pst1 recognizes and cuts the sequence

"C T G C A G"

HindIII recognizes and cuts at the sequence

"A A G C T T"

How do restriction enzymes work?

AAGCTT

TTCGAAHindIII

C

GAATTC

EcoR1

TTAAGEcoR1 recognizes and cuts at the

sequence"G A A T T C"

CTGCAG

GACGTCPst1 Pst1 recognizes and cuts the sequence

"C T G C A G"

HindIII recognizes and cuts at the sequence

"A A G C T T"

What are sticky ends?Enzyme cuts

The overhanging ends allow the plasmid to be pasted (ligated) into the plasmid.

=+

Activity: Genetically Engineering a Plasmid

• A plasmid is a small, circular piece of DNA that is not located on chromosomes

• Plasmids are naturally exchanged among organisms

• They can be modified and used to deliver new pieces of DNA into an organism

Reflection Questions• What molecular tools did the scissors and glue (or tape)

represent?

• Why did you include a gene for both pest resitance AND fluoresance?

• Would it have been possible for only one of the genes (either the Bt gene or the GFP gene) to have been inserted into the crop?

• What are other types of genes that can be inserted into crops?

Part C: Risks and Benefits of Genetically Engineered Organisms

• Explore some of the perceived risks and benefits of GEOs

• Examine different perspectives and identify sources of bias

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• Have you taken any risks today? What were they?

• Come up with a definition of risk

Risks

Activity: Identifying Risks and Benefits

• Read through your assigned student page

• Within your group, make a list of the risks and benefits identified on your student page

• Have one member of the group record your findings and then list them on the board

Bias• What do you notice about the lists generated by

the different groups?

• Why do you think the lists may have been different?

• Who do you think were the authors of each of the groups student pages?

• Come up with a definition for bias

Detecting Bias• Suggest methods for detecting bias

• How did reading the 3 different perspectives affect your thoughts on the risks and benefits of genetic engineering?

• Which student page seemed least biased and why?

• Do you think that all industry, environmental or scientific organizations would hold identical opinions as those expressed in the student pages? Why or why not?

Part D: Case studies of Genetically Engineered Crops

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• Identify different types of agricultural engineering

• Analyze risks and benefits associated with the different types of agricultural engineering

Genetically Engineered Organisms• Have you even eaten a genetically

engineering organism?

• How many of the crops grown in the US are genetically engineered?

• How would you know if the food you were eating was genetically engineered?

Types of Agricultural Engineering

• Nutritional Enhancement

• Herbicide Resistance

• Environmental Stressor Resistance

Risks and Benefits of Agricultural Engineering

• Potential Risks

– Harmful proteins

– Non-target Organisms

– Increased invasiveness

– Pest Resistance

– Impact on Biodiversity

• Potential Benefits

– Increased Yield/Nutrition/shelf life

– Decrease energy needed to produce crops

– Decreased use of pesticides

– Tolerance of severe environments

– Use for human health

Risk Management Strategies

• Use sterile plants

• Prevent seed dispersal

• Use non-food crops

• Use greenhouses

• Use phenotypic markers

• Label foods

• Regulatory requirements

• Harvest before mature

Reflection Questions

• Do you support genetic engineering in crops?

• Does your support vary depending on the category of agricultural engineering?

• Does your support of genetic engineering differ for the production of medicine? What about the creation of transgenic pets?

Part E: Issues of Containment

• Introduction to the regulation and control of transgenic plants

• Case study of • Starlink™ Corn

Containment and Escape of Transgenes

• What does the word “containment” mean?

• What does the word “escape” mean?

• What types of things need to be contained?

• How and why are plants contained? Can plants escape?

• What are the differences between physical and biological containment?

• Are physical and biological methods of containment mutually exclusive?

• Will one type of method be best for all types of plants?

• What are characteristics of plants that may influence containment methods?

Physical and Biological Containment

Transgenes Escape to Taco Bell

• What is a transgene?

• What is a transgenic plant?

• What is the role of the Food and Drug Administration in regulating transgenic organisms?

Effects of the Starlink ™ Corn Transgene Escape

• Political

• Economical

• Ecological

• Human Health

Policy Decisions• How did the Taco Bell Starlink™

case affect policy?

• How should policy makers figure the possibility for human error into regulations?

• How does regulatory bodies handle unforeseeable consequences?

Part F: Genetically Engineered Organisms and Clothing

• Explore the uses of genetically engineering cotton in today’s society

• Identify the reasons clothing manufacturers choose to produce products from non-genetically engineered organisms

Genetically Engineered Cotton• What are the two most common reasons

cotton is genetically engineered?

• Are clothes made from genetically engineered cotton required to be labeled as such?

• What is the definition oforganic?

Questions• What are the reasons that clothing manufacturers give for using organic cotton?

• Are the companies opinions supported by facts?

• Are there are flaws in the arguments for the use of organic cotton presented by companies?

• What would the economic impact be if all cotton sold was organic?

• Did the information from your classmate’s advertisement change your view on genetically engineered cotton? Why or why not?

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Extra picutres I many use