Genetic Engineering and GM Crops

Over the last 30 years, the field of genetic engineering has developed rapidly due to the greater understanding of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) as the chemical double-helix code from which genes are made. The term genetic engineering, often interchanged with terms such as gene technology, genetic modification, or gene manipulation, is used to describe the process by which the genetic makeup of an organism can be altered using “recombinant DNA technology.” This involves using laboratory tools to insert, alter, or cut out pieces of DNA that contain one or more genes of interest. The ability to manipulate individual genes and to transfer genes between species that would not readily interbreed is what distinguishes genetic engineering from traditional plant breeding.

With conventional plant breeding, there is little or no guarantee of obtaining any particular gene combination from the millions of crosses generated. Undesirable genes can be transferred along with desirable genes or while one desirable gene is gained, another is lost because the genes of both parents are mixed together and re-assorted more or less randomly in the offspring. These problems limit the improvements that plant breeders can achieve. In contrast, genetic engineering allows the direct transfer of one or just a few genes, between either closely or distantly related organisms. Not all genetic engineering techniques involve inserting DNA from other organisms. Plants may also be modified by removing or switching off particular genes.