The Use of GM Technology Has the Potential to • GM Technology Can Also Be Applied to the Alleviate Environmental Degradation

Environmental Ornamental

• The use of GM technology has the potential to • GM technology can also be applied to the alleviate environmental degradation. ornamental industry. • Certain GM crops, for example, are modified to • The manipulation of genes of flowering plants, be pest resistant. When planted appropriately, for example, can give rise to novel flower this would preclude the application of pesticides colours and scents. Other than these decorative and could potentially reduce the amount of changes, ornamental plants can also be GENETIC pesticides introduced to the environment. modified to have increased disease resistance and shelf life. MODIFICATION • Certain plants and • A blue rose, previously thought impossible, has microorganisms can Did you know been created by modifying Polyhydroxybutyrate Applications be genetically (PHB) is a the genome of conventional modified to produce a biodegradable plastic roses to include the gene biodegradable plastic that can be produced responsible for the production which could reduce by genetically of blue pigment. the reliance on modifying certain plants • The fluorescent GloFish® were obtained by non-biodegradable such as alfalfa. introducing a fluorescence gene to the fish. This types. gene occurs naturally in marine organisms. Current GloFish® are offspring of the original • Phyto- or bioremediation can be carried out by genetically modified fish and do not require the plants or microorganisms respectively. These insertion of the gene. can be genetically modified to metabolize or store environmental contaminants, such as heavy metals. Did you know The GloFish® were developed in • Alternative, cleaner-burning Singapore and biofuels could potentially was originally be synthesized at a large meant to be used enough scale from GM as an environmental plants or microorganisms pollution detector. to limit the negative effects The Genetic Modiﬁcation Advisory Committee (GMAC) is a multi-agency of fossil fuels. national committee established in 1999 under the purview of the Ministry of http://www.gloﬁsh.com/ Trade and Industry. Do visit our website at www.gmac.gov.sg or email us at [email protected] for more information. Introduction Food & Feed Medicine, Pharmaceuticals & Research

• All organisms are made up of cells, which • GM technology can be utilized to improve food • GM technology has the potential to develop contain DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), the items such as crops and animals meant for novel and more effective ways to treat and chemical blueprint that determines the human consumption. research disease. Better, more accurate development and function of a cell. • The most popular trait introduced into crops, disease models can be created with the help of • DNA is organized into genes, which code for since 1996, is herbicide tolerance. This allows transgenic animal models. proteins. Genetic modification (GM) technology crops to survive the herbicides applied for the • It could also pave the way for more affordable involves the direct alteration of the DNA of clearing of weeds. medication. A case in point would be the organisms. • Derivatives of GM crops can be production of insulin by the genetically modified • An organism that has had included in processed foods. For bacteria E. coli in 1982. its DNA altered via molecular instance, corn syrup can be obtained means is termed a genetically modified from GM corn and soy lecithin from

organism (GMO). GM soybean. These common ingredients can be found in a wide range of packaged foods. Overview of Industries Using GM Technology Did you know The Flavr Savr tomato was the first GM whole food GM technology is an emerging field and it has • to be released for sale in the market in 1994. It was great potential in a wide spectrum of sold in the US but later discontinued due to • The production of vaccines could also be aided applications. As the amount of knowledge and commercial reasons. by GM technology. The first vaccine against human disease developed with GM technology positive results obtained increases, so too would the number of potential areas for was against Hepatitis B in 1986. GM technology has also been used to modify application. • GM technology could also assist in the microorganisms to produce certain food • discovery of the functions of different genes, in • Currently, GM technology already has many compounds. For example, microorganisms have the hope that a greater understanding would applications and these span various industries: been modified to produce chymosin, an enzyme precede better treatment. Food & Feed used in the cheese-making process. For instance, gene therapy As the population increases and becomes more • Medicine, Pharmaceuticals & Research • has the potential to treat affluent, the demand for meat will likely Environmental and/or prevent genetic increase. Livestock would then require a greater diseases based on altering/ Ornamental amount of feed to meet this demand; GM grain correcting the affected can be used as feed to achieve this aim. gene.