Tyrantus,
I'm sorry If I or anyone here offended you. I don't think that was anyone's intent. We all get a little excited when it comes to science, I think
I don't care what anybody says, that's borderline sadistic, and the mad scientist who thought this up needs to go to jail.
Sorry, you think that. If it makes you feel better, genetic alteration of organisms, isn't entirely man made. Genetic alterations of organisms occur in nature (quite often too!), and infact, virutally every single method we use in the lab to alter an organism's DNA essentially mimicks what happens in nature (only on a larger scale).
For example, Virus's operate by genetically altering thier host cells (via infection). The Virus DNA commands the cell to perform a specific function (ie make more virus).
In a more interesting example, one of the lectures I remember focused on the Argobacterium Tumafecians (Sorry, I'm not a Plant Biology expert). This bacteria can inject a wounded plant with a special segment of DNA called a plasmid. Essentially this plasmid genetically alters the plants cells, forcing them to make food and shelter (in the form for of a tumor) for the bacteria. Cool, huh?
In real life, genetic engineering is farily prevailent, we call it Biotechnology for the most part, and not in the Extreme create your own minion way. Take anitbiotics as an example. Penicillin is a made by a fungus. We don't go foraging in the woods for this fungus. We farm it. We breed a certian fungus to be make as much penicillin as possible. Now with genetic engingeering, we can take the pencillin gene and place it in an organism (maybe yeast) that doesn't have as much upkeep, allowing us to make more penicillin cheaper, faster, and more efficiently.
A lot of medicines and chemicals are made by microrganisms (think like big farms). Here's another example: the bacteria Bacillus Thuringiensis naturally makes a protien that kills insects. Its called BT toxin. BT toxin is used all over the world as a pesticide as it is eco - firendly (compared to like DDT). How do we make it? We have big bacteria farms. We've actially figure out how to give plants the BT toxin gene, so the plant can make its own instead of us spraying it everywhere. Currently, BT corn is grown and sold in the US (possibly in Europe too?). As far as I know, BT Corn is not authorized for human consumption (anywhere), and is instead used for livestock feed. The reason why (atleast for BT corn) is that the FDA and other angencies are worried that a small amount of people may be allergic to the toxin (The toxin itself is not dangerous to humans, mammals or anything that has acid in its stomach).
We make medicines using genetics. Insulin, factorXII (for hemophilia), growth hormone, DNAseI (for cystic fibrosis) are made by other organisms that we have altered. In fact, the recombinat protein market pulled about 15 billion USD in 2001. Its the only way for us to make complex medicines in masse. We can't make complex protiens in a test tube. A living organism is too complicated to mimic, so we give bacteria, etc the instructions to make the medicine for us.
Genetics is a lot wider than just engineering. DNA fingerprinting, Paternity/maternity tests, looking for disease or risk of disease, even looking at how diseases and the human defences react.
For example, a study of most cancers revealed that tumors seem to follow a general trend of genomic damage as the tumor becomes more severe. The most sever tumors have damage to chromosome 9 (sometimes Chromosome 9 is even deleted - poof - Gone!!). We found that the human "anti - cancer" genes (TP53 I think) are located in chromosome 9. The genes here make proteins that essentially fight cancer, amoung many other things. Some suggested therapies involve producing this protein for those with cancer as the cancerous cells can no longer produce it.
In short, Biotechnology isn't really about making new humans, new minions, etc. Most genetics in use today is simply to produce medicines, food, and chemicals. We rely on biotech in a more subtle way and important way. Insulin, antibiotics, pesticides, antibodies, all thanks to biotechnology.
ps thanks Quixen - I'll try no to scare you too much.
If your curious, my job (small part of a giant project studying the proteins involved in meosis) was to take certian genes from Yeast, make several billion copies of the gene via PCR and then insert them into plasmid vectors for transformation into e coli for mass production. Then finally transfer the plasmid into another e coli (or yeast) for expression of the protein.
