BENEFITS AND ADVANTAGES OF TRANSGENICS
To begin, we will analyze what are the functions that a genetically modified organism can have and what advantages the genetic modification confers on traditional organisms:
Medical applications
It is possible to use some proteins from transgenic organisms (recombinant proteins) as drugs to treat different diseases: For example, diabetes is treated with human insulin obtained from transgenic bacteria, which allows reducing costs and making treatment more affordable and accessible to the population with fewer resources (Chile Bio, 2015).
Farm animals are also used, for example, the milk of transgenic goats is capable of producing the tissue plasminogen activator, used to treat thrombosis (Cavagnari, 2010). Similarly transgenic plants can be used to create pharmaceutical proteins, especially antibodies for the treatment of infections or proteins to make vaccines against viruses and pathogenic bacteria. Another application that is being investigated is that of the creation of edible vaccines from transgenic plants, this progress could be a socio-sanitary revolution (ArgenBio, 2007; Molina Muñoz, 2008).
Applications in the environment
Genetic engineering is also used in the protection of the environment and there are several examples that illustrate how GMOs participate in the conservation of natural resources. Genetically modified plants have been developed with greater capacity to assimilate contaminating metabolites by altering genes involved in their assimilation or degradation.
Another application of transgenics in the environmental framework is the creation of biodegradable plastics. Scientists from the National University of Colombia are working with a variable of transgenic tobacco that can express in their tissues a material called polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), very similar to petroleum-based synthetic plastic (Ibero-American Agency for the dissemination of science and technology, 2017).
Applications in food production
Regarding the use that interests us most in this work, food production, it should be noted that the use of biotechnology in recent years has served to provide greater efficiency and better results to processes that were made naturally before. In livestock, for example some modified organisms are used to improve digestion, in the field of animal health, vaccines of transgenic origin are also used, since they have advantages over traditional ones (FAO, 2010), but perhaps the case best known for the use of transgenics in livestock, is that of growth hormone. This hormone is produced by cows in a natural way, but with genetic engineering the recombinant bovine growth hormone has been created, which is specially designed for these animals to produce between 10 and 20% more milk, than they would produce from natural way
Agriculture, perhaps is the sector where GMOs have more varied functions, but in general, the objective is to improve agricultural production, always in a more sustainable way; using less amount of land and more environmentally friendly techniques, while reducing production costs, and adapting problems are solved (ChileBio, 2015). Some of the first products that have been commercialized, have been edible vegetables resistant to herbicide treatment or resistant to pests and are considered as the first generation of transgenic. Thanks to this progress, these foods are capable of surviving a pest, but it also has other advantages since the amount of insecticide with which it is necessary to treat crops is reduced, thus reducing the environmental impact and economic expenses (Sánchez Martín , 2008). A known example of this type of transgenic organisms is that of corn resistant to attack by the drill, a variety of worm that affects the plant and produces huge annual losses. With this new variety the crops are protected against this pest, avoiding losses to farmers, and thus ensuring the production of this food (Ramón & Calvo, 2001). Another application of GMOs is delayed maturation. This natural process is induced by a plant hormone, which causes the fruit to change in its color, taste and aroma.
Biotechnology has managed to modify the vegetables in order to delay ripening, and thus prolong the time in which they maintain their properties, by neutralizing the gene responsible for producing that hormone. In this way it is possible that the fruit is preserved for a longer time, extending the shelf life and thus reducing the loss of food. An example of this improvement is that of the FlavrSav tomato (Chile Bio, 2015). An area of great applicability of GMOs is the resistance of crops to extreme conditions. Lands with high viability and cultivation potential are relatively scarce in the world, either because of the characteristics of the land, lack of water or climatic conditions. These factors endanger food production, as crops often do not survive these adversities. Thanks to genetic engineering, transgenic plants capable of adapting to certain areas of extreme conditions have been developed: high salinity, drought, acid soils, extreme temperatures or soils with heavy metals (Sanchez Martín, 2008). This type of adaptation of plants to environments that are not very suitable for crops can be crucial, especially given the effects of climate change on the environment, and the depletion of natural resources, which causes an increase in desertification, shortage water and erosion (Viches et al, 2009). A clear example of how GMOs can help ensure food security in developing countries is the program carried out in Africa with WEMA corn. Its name comes from its acronym in Wáter Efficient Maizefor Africa and is a variety of transgenic corn capable of tolerating droughts and insect pests. It is estimated that thanks to this, 2 million extra tons of this food are produced, enough to feed between 14 and 21 million people (Monsanto, s.f.).
Due to the challenge of feeding the entire world population, trying to preserve the environment, varieties of transgenic plants have been created with higher yields than the traditional ones. According to the ISAAA report (2015), transgenic crops can increase the yield of traditional crops by 22%. In relation to food production, another of the possibilities of GMOs is the improvement of nutritional quality. This development is very important when we talk about food safety. An example, in this context is golden rice (golden rice) rich in beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A, this vitamin helps to prevent diseases and prevent blindness. In underdeveloped countries, the lack of vitamin A is a public health problem that affects 250 million people, and in many cases causes infant mortality (Pérez Colomé, 2016) (FAO, 2001). Thanks to this type of enriched rice, some malnutrition problems could be fought, especially in populations where the diet is incomplete and deficient. Other examples are iron-rich rice, "hypoallergenic" milk, oils with less saturated fat, etc. (Prats, 2012 .; Chile Bio, 2015). An important advance in food due to transgenesis is the one that is being carried out through the TRIGOCEL Project in which researchers from the Higher Council for Scientific Research and the universities of Seville and Cordoba are integrated. This project works on the development of gluten-free wheat, destined for the consumption of celiacs (Pérez Colomé, 2016). After this review of the information presented, it can be deduced that transgenic foods can have great advantages for the future, both in the work of reducing hunger in the world, and in the protection of the environment. The scientific and social groups in favor of biotechnology, argue that GM crops are a very efficient and powerful tool to help combat food deficiencies. They also affirm that these new foods are much more profitable, nutritious and resistant than those made through the usual techniques of genetic selection and crossbreeding (Larrión, 2013).
Source:
Food safety and and transgenic food
Kitiara Luque Polo