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GMOs gained advancements in many applications in food crops and

agriculture, improved nutrition, pharmaceuticals, and renewable resources. In
2018, a total of 70 countries adopted biotech crops through cultivation and
importation and the Philippines ranked 5th among top adopters in Asia-Pacific
(ISAAA, 2019). In this lesson, let us take a look at some of the products
brought about by these modern technologies and the extent of their potential
in various applications.

At the end of the lesson, the learner will be able to:

1. Classify products developed using these technologies
2. Analyze the role and impact of GMOs and nanotechnologies on the
socio-economic and environmental context

Have you ever wondered at some point whether we do or don’t

have enough resources? and how we manage in coping up with
certain challenges to sustain life?

Genetically Modified Organisms

The application of GMOs has made its way from the improvement of
agronomic traits to the development of sustainable renewable resources.
Among the ASEAN countries, the Philippines is the first to initiate a
biotechnology regulatory system. With this adoption, GMO products were
developed in the country and a transparent repository of information on the
status of applications, approval registry, and GM crop statistics is also made
available to the public (http://biotech.da.gov.ph/index.php).

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GM Corn

Most GM corn varieties are

made to resist pests and
the application of
herbicides. Bt-corn for one
is developed for control
against the Asiatic corn
borer. The mechanism
involves the production of
a protein specifically toxic
to corn borer pests but not
to humans, pets, livestock,
and other animals.

Figure 7. 6. Products of biotechnology at different waves

of technology
(Image source: (National Academy of Science and
Technology, 2009)

GM Rice

The GM crop is intended to address Vitamin A deficiency in the diet. It

contains beta-carotene that is converted into vitamin A essential for the body
and that gives the rice its golden color. PhilRice and IRRI have been
committed to carrying out the completion of Golden Rice development of
which field trials were completed in September and October 2019 (IRRI,
2018).

Figure 7. 7. Adoption of GM corn as of August 2019-February 2020 in the Philippines

(retrieved June 29, 2020, from http://biotech.da.gov.ph/Irm.php)
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Genetically modified crops are also grown and consumed in the United States
and these crops are said to make up a large percentage of the total volume of
the crop grown. The United States Food and Drug Administration
(https://www.fda.gov/) together with the Environmental Protection Agency
and the United States Department of Agriculture are three agencies that
regulate most GMOs. These crops include the following (FDA, March 2020)

GM Yellow summer squash

A genetically modified squash grown only in the United States that is

resistant to certain squash viruses.

GM Soybean

The GM soybean is produced for higher oil and protein content. Some GM
soybean varieties have been altered specifically for oil production and higher
production of oleic acid compared to conventional varieties. Most GM soy
varieties are used to feed mostly poultry and livestock. Other uses also
include processed food components like lecithin, emulsifiers, and proteins.

GM Cotton

Genetically modified cotton is pest resistant to the cotton bollworms which

allows higher yield of cotton. This provides dependable raw material sources
in textile industries. Other uses include cottonseed oil for packaged foods
and frying in restaurants and hulls for animal food.

GM Canola

Genetically modified Canola varieties for edible oil production have been
modified to be tolerant to specific herbicides under a defined crop
management plan. Canola seed meal is also used as food for animals.

GM Alfalfa

Genetically modified Alfalfa is mainly for cattle feed and mostly for dairy
cows. GM Alfalfa is resistant to herbicides. This allows farmers to protect
crops against destructive weeds competing with soil nutrients which could
reduce alfalfa production and the nutritional quality of the hay.

GM Papaya

This GM crop saved papaya farming in the Hawaiian Islands infected with
ringspot virus that almost wiped out their production. This was made to resist
the ringspot virus and was names Rainbow papaya.

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Aside from crops and vegetables, genetic modification has reached

ornamental applications and the production of specific proteins for renewable
resources.

GM Carnations

GM Carnations have been on the market since the mid-90s and claimed to be
the first GM flowers in the world. It was genetically modified to have mauve,
purple or violet-colored flowers (Australian Government, Department of
Health, n.d.).

Blue rose

In the breeding of ornamental plants, the flower color is one of the most
important traits in the floriculture industry. Blue roses are genetically
modified with a gene that stimulates blue pigments in pansies (Naonobu,
2018).

GM zebrafish

Transgenic zebrafish was developed by injecting genes for fluorescing

proteins from jellyfish and sea anemone to eggs of zebrafish. These
aquarium zebrafish were made in three different colors, red, orange, and
green, and said to be the first genetically modified animal to be sold as a pet
(National Academy of Science and Technology, 2009, p. 37).

The spider silk protein in goats

The transgenic production of silk proteins in mammary glands of some

animals and secreted into milk has been investigated. A goat has been
genetically modified to contain spider silk protein for possible silk production
along with its milk (Tokareva et al., 2013).

Nanotechnology innovations

GMOs are explored earlier than nanotechnology in the country. It was only in
2009 roadmap for nanotechnology that was drawn out and launched by the
Department of Science and Technology which recognized the post-industrial
technology in the country (DOST, 2009). This technology might still be young
but potential applications of nanomaterials and nanoparticles in the various
fields such as chemistry, computer science, biology and life science, and
physics have been explored and developed. The following are classifications
of nanomaterials that researchers and innovators use to create new
nanotechnologies and devices for many applications (Nagda et al., 2010)

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Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs)

CNTs are cylindrical molecules that consist of hybridized carbon atoms in a
hexagonal arrangement which may be formed by rolling up a single sheet
(single-walled, SWCNTs) or multiple sheets (multi-walled, MWCNTs) of
graphene (Harik, 2018). Carbon nanotubes have potential applications in
polymer nanocomposites, water transport systems, electrochemical, and
biosensing (insert science direct ref). Anti-static packaging used to pack
electronic devices that are prone to electrostatic discharge damages have
already employed CNTs to control conductivity). Targeted tumors, a
biosensor for infections, and drug delivery are potential medical applications
that have been continuously explored (Reide, 2017).

Fullerenes
The buckminsterfullerene or “Buckyball” or as it is commonly called is the
most famous of all fullerene type of chemical compounds with sixty carbon
atoms that make up a soccer-ball-shaped molecule. This molecule is so
stable that it cannot break inside the body and are still excreted in its form.
This unique chemical property of fullerene made its way into cancer drug
delivery vehicles necessary to hold or deliver compounds used in the
treatment that are very dangerous to healthy and non-target cells.

Nanowire
Can you imagine a wire resting, attached, or wrapped around your hair that can
only be visible with a scanning electron microscope? Well, that is how you can
picture out nanowires. Nanowires are very tiny wires on the nanometer scale.
These tiny wires have a base made up of a semiconductor material such as
silicon or germanium (Elprocus, 2013). Applications of nanowires include the
detection of various biological agents such as proteins, DNA and RNA, and
viruses. At present, there have been continuous developments in research for
practical biomedical devices (Ambhorkar, et al., 2018).

Quantum Dots
Quantum dots are semiconductor crystals that luminescent or fluoresce
different wavelengths of radiation. The unique optical, electronic, and
photophysical properties, narrow emission spectra, and high photochemical
stability of quantum dots attract biological labeling, imaging, and detection
applications (Simon de Dios & Diaz-Garcia, 2010). These applications are not
only limited to clinical and medical studies such as early detection of cancer
cells but also processes in the living cells of biological environments as well
as applications in the energy industry.

Nanoshells
Nanoshells are another type of nanotechnology with a dielectric core of
hollow silica covered with thin metals usually in silver or gold. These
nanoshells coated or conjugated with any materials such as antibodies,
fluorophores, polymers, radioisotopes, or therapeutic agents among many
others allow a wide range of applications in biomedical imaging, target

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therapy, drug delivery, and many other therapeutic applications (Ahmadi &
Arami, 2014).

Nanocantilever
Nanocantilevers resemble that of a tiny diving board which is only anchored
only at one end made up of silicon. The changes in the resonant frequencies
or static deflection of the cantilever in response to the changes in its
environment allowed its exploitation as key components or parts in
nanomechanical sensors (Stachiv & Sittner, 2018). Nanocantilever was also
found to have potential in designing new ultra-small sensors for detecting
viruses, bacteria, and pathogens as this technology vibrate at different
frequencies in the presence of these biological molecules (Venere, August 28,
2006).

Nanoparticles
Nanoparticles (NPs) and/or nanomaterials are particles of high reactivity due
to higher surface area for their size. Several nanoparticles such as gold, silver,
and TiO2 among many others have been industrially and biologically
synthesized and exploited for potential uses in agriculture, medical,
environmental, and industrial applications. Some of these are even present in
some personal care products and other household items. However along with
these uses are also questions on toxicity and threats to the environment as
they can easily pass through membranes and barriers in humans, living, and
ecosystems (Mohamed & Paleologos, 2018).

Liposomes and Dendrimers

The biomolecules liposomes and dendrimers are also explored in
nanotechnology as nanocarriers. Liposomes are spherical vesicles formed
with at least one phospholipid bilayer. This structure is taken advantage on
the field of nanotechnology as it can be utilized to entrap or enclose
hydrophilic, lipophilic, and amphiphilic materials among other bioactive
molecules, therefore, can be a vehicle for drug delivery. (Sebaaly et al., 2019).
Dendrimers, on the other hand, are more complex molecules that consist of
three major structural components; core, branches, and end groups. The
branches of these molecules are the most interesting of the structures as it
can be designed to carry chemical tools to bind to certain targets and at the
same time attach signaling molecules for detection and treatment of cancer
(Hassanzadeh et al., 2011).

Why do we utilize these methods?

Have you had doubts and reservations in trying something new? Maybe yes,
or maybe you are quite fearless but whichever it is, there is always that feeling
of uncertainty. One good timely example is the so-called “new normal” where
all of us had to seek and try new ways and methods to cope with unexpected
and unwanted turn of events like the CoViD-19 pandemic. But why do we have

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to employ new normal methods? Going back, why utilize modern technologies
when there are existing methods?

Conventional Vs. Modern Methods

It is important to note that these modern methods do not wish to replace the
traditional or conventional plant breeding and selection methods.
Conventional methods even are still the method of choice for other breeders.
Both methods share the same goal of addressing the constant need for food,
feed, fuel, fiber, and other commodities necessary for many applications.
However, since the modern method of genetic engineering allows the
targeting of specific genes and traits, it increases the effectiveness of
conventional plant breeding methods (Friedt & Ordon, 1996). Shown is a
diagram illustrating a simplified contrast between the two.

Figure 7. 8. Comparison between traditional and modern breeding methods.

Improved traits useful in various applications

Now, what are examples of the specific traits that have been selected, altered,
and incorporated into GMOs? These include;
• Insect resistance
• Herbicide resistance
• Virus resistance
• Delayed fruit ripening
• Altered oil content
• Pollen control
• Nutrition fortification
• Pest resistance
• Protein production
• Pigment or color change

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Socioeconomic impact of GMOs and nanotechnologies

Considering any of your answers to the previous questions, let us also

consider some facts and borrow some of the statistical data that also pave
the way to the development of these technologies.

Can it address food and nutrition security?

It is projected that by 2050, just 30 years from now, the global population
could reach between 9.7 billion and 10.9 in 2100 (United Nations, 2019). The
need to match the rate of this increase with the yield of staple crops for food
and feed is a challenge that experts believe production would have to be
doubled by 2050. FAO data even considered a 60% conservative estimate
globally but 77% in the developing economies. Also, a factor in this existing
challenge is the finite amount of land available for agriculture (Oliver, 2014).
Have you noticed some conversion of agricultural lands to an industrial or
commercial site lately in your respective communities? This is also another
factor in the diminishing resources that need to be addressed through
modern technologies in many fields. Now, this is where the method of genetic
modification along with conventional methods of breeding comes into play.
The continued efforts of modern methods for the critical goal of achieving
sustainable global food security. The improved nutrient traits of staples also
address nutrient deficiency that causes common malnutrition mostly in
younger populations.

Did it increase the yield and income of farmers?

Like any other superheroes, farmers and field workers both big and small
scale is also on a battle against villains on their respective fields. Insect and
pest infestations, teeming viruses and diseases in crops are both known and
unknown, and of course the changing climate are some of these challenges.
In a comprehensive meta-analysis of 147 published biotech crop studies,
there is a 68% increase in farmer profits. From only 1.7 million ha in 1996 to
18.15 million ha of GMO crops grown in 28 countries in 2014. This, in turn,
increases the adoption of the technology reaching up to 14.8 million farmers
in China and India in this meta-analysis (FAO, 2017). Not only this would
affect farmers but also global production thus the global economy in general.

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Figure 7. 9. Global map of biotech countries and mega countries in 2014

(Source: www.ncbp.dost.ph, downloadable presentation: -double-helix-25-years-of-biosafety-
regulation-in- the-Philippines- slide 19 of 23)

Did it improve and extend knowledge?

Certainly yes, the constant need to improve yield and crop production entails
constant learning of new practices, new methods for quality seeds and
planting materials as well as new technologies for adoption. The transfer of
these technologies from developers to the end-users is an avenue for the
improvement of existing knowledge and experiences. Let’s take for example
after the release of GM Maize in the Philippines. In the second round of
survey in 2011-2012, not only that GMO adopter has a larger income per
hectare than the hybrid but also it was found out that male heads of the
family or households were more exposed to farmers' training and
demonstrations. Farms with male heads also used more of these inputs
compared to their female counterparts (Falck, n.d, p. slide 18).

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