Who we areUniversity of Chicago iGEM teamInternational Genetically Engineered Machines CompetitionCreate a genetically modified organism or machine every summer10 weeks, 6-12 undergraduates and highschoolers1 weekend at MITLots of prizes

What is Genetic Engineering?

Who are Genetic Engineers?Mother natureFarmersScientists

Spider SilkCreation of artificial spider silk by Nexia, a biotech companySpider silk protein created by goats in their milk, then spun into silkHowever, still not comparable to actual spidersilk

InsulinInsulinoriginally isolated from cows and pigs1982 Humulin, a biosynthetic human insulinAttempting to optimize insulin production by expressing them in different thingsInsert human insulin gene into bacteria

PenicillinDirected evolution of penicillin strainsInserted genes to make erythromycin (penicillin substitute) into E Coli, which totally worked

Genetic Engineered Foods IPest resistanceHerbicide toleranceDisease resistanceCold/drought toleranceMore nutritionSoil remediation

Pros

Genetic Engineer Foods IIPusztai potato dataPusztai reportedly fed rats potatoes genetically modified to have snowdrop lectin (which is an insecticide). the rats had stunted growth + immune system damageControversy: confusion over the lectin was from snowdrop (cool) or jackbean (poisonous)research republished in october 1999, reviewed by 6 reviewers. "he paper did not mention stunted growth or immunity issues, but reported that rats fed on potatoes genetically modified with the snowdrop lectin had "thickening in the mucosal lining of their colon and their jejunum" when compared with rats fed on non modified potatoes"

Case Study

Genetic Engineered Foods: Fears"Human health effects can include higher risks of toxicity, allergenicity, antibiotic resistance, immune-suppression and cancer. As for environmental impacts, the use of genetic engineering in agriculture could lead to uncontrolled biological pollution, threatening numerous microbial, plant and animal species with extinction, and the potential contamination of non-genetically engineered life forms with novel and possibly hazardous genetic material." (http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/geneticall7.cfm)Unintended harm to other organismsReduced effectiveness of pesticidesGene transfer to non-target speciesAllergiesUnknown effects

Genetic Engineered Foods IVRoyal Society of Medicine says no ill effects from GM foodsUS National Academies of Sciences says no ill effects from GM foodsSources:RSM: http://jrsm.rsmjournals.com/cgi/content/full/101/6/290US NAS: http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=10977#tocWhat people are worried about are LONG TERM effects; everything is based on only 15 years of research

Official Word on Safety

Ethicsgood summary of fears: http://www.actionbioscience.org/biotech/glenn.htmlcrossing species boundaries? (blurring the line btwn people and other things)disease transmission - antibiotic strains of stuff that weren't antibioticalteration of animals for foodAltered species w/ human genes - humans?genetic alteration of kids/eugenicsFoodchain issues/local, global effects

Title page of our presentation.*