KENDRIYA VIDHYALAYA

NO.1

PORT BLAIR

SESSION: 2022-2023
INVESTIGATORY PROJECT
TOPIC: Genetic Engineering – Its Latest Applications

NAME : Ansia Meenaz

CLASS : 12 B
ROLL NUMBER : 24
SUBJECT : Biology

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 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that ANSIA MEENAZ , Roll NO.24 of Class

XII B student of KENDRIYA VIDYALAYA No. 1 , Port Blair
has successfully completed her project in Biology for the
AISSCE as prescribed by CBSE in the year 2022-2023.

Signature of Internal Signature of External Signature of

Principal

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

In my acknowledgement I would like to thank

everyone who devoted their precious time to help me
in preparing the project. In this respect I would like
to extend my gratitude to my Project In charge Mr.
Kartik, PGT Biology for making continuous effort
thereafter.

Ansia Meenaz
XII B

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 INDEX

1 Acknowledgement 1

2 Introduction 2

3 History of Genetic Engineering 4

Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) 6

 Genetically Modified Microbes 7

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 Genetically Modified Crops 8

 Transgenic Animals 9

Genetic Engineering in Medicine 12

 Artificial Blood 12
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 Cloned Pigs Modified for use in Human 13
Transplants
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 Genetically Engineered FSH

6 Bio-fuel – As an Alternative 14

7 Bio-weapon – A Challenge 15

8 Conclusion 16

9 Bibliography 16

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 Introduction
Genetic Engineering, also called Genetic Modification, is the direct
manipulation of an organism's genome using biotechnology. It is a set of
technologies used to change the genetic makeup of cells, including the transfer
of genes within and across species boundaries to produce improved or
novel organisms. New DNA may be inserted in the host genome by first
isolating and copying the genetic material of interest using molecular
cloning methods to generate a DNA sequence, or by synthesizing the DNA, and
then inserting into the host organism. Genes may be removed, or "knocked out",
using a nuclease. Gene targeting is a different technique that uses homologous
recombination to change an endogenous gene, and can be used to delete a gene,
remove exons, add a gene, or introduce point mutations.
An organism that is generated through genetic engineering is considered
to be a Genetically Modified Organism (GMO). The first GMOs were bacteria
generated in 1973 and GM mice in 1974. Insulin-producing bacteria were
commercialized in 1982 and genetically modified food has been sold since
1994. Glow fish, the first GMO designed as a pet, was first sold in the United
States in December 2003.
Genetic engineering techniques have been applied in numerous fields
including research, agriculture, industrial biotechnology, and medicine.
Enzymes used in laundry detergent and medicines such as insulin and human
growth hormone are now manufactured in GM cells, experimental GM cell lines
and GM animals such as mice or zebra fish are being used for research purposes
and genetically modified crops have been commercialized.

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 The century that we left behind has witnessed giant strides in almost all
spheres of human life. Currently, biotechnology is looked upon as one of the
most promising branches of science. And it is Genetic Engineering that makes
most biotechnological applications possible. Genetic engineering is the direct
human manipulation of an organism's genome using modern DNA technology.
It involves the introduction of foreign DNA or synthetic genes into the organism
of interest. The introduction of new DNA does not require the use of
classical genetic methods; however traditional breeding methods are typically
used for the propagation of recombinant organisms.
Humans have altered the genomes of species for thousands of years
through artificial selection and more recently mutagenesis. Genetic engineering
as the direct manipulation of DNA by humans outside breeding and mutations
has only existed since the 1970s. Humans have altered the genomes of species
for thousands of years through artificial selection and more
recently mutagenesis. Genetic engineering as the direct manipulation of DNA
by humans outside breeding and mutations has only existed since the 1970s.
The most common form of genetic engineering involves the insertion of new
genetic material at an unspecified location in the host genome. This is
accomplished by isolating and copying the genetic material of interest using
molecular cloning methods to generate a DNA sequence containing the required
genetic elements for expression, and then inserting this construct into the host
organism. Other forms of genetic engineering include gene targeting and
knocking out specific genes via the most common form of genetic engineering
involves the insertion of new genetic material at an unspecified location in the
host genome. This is accomplished by isolating and copying the genetic material
of interest using molecular cloning methods to generate a DNA sequence
containing the required genetic elements for expression, and then inserting this
construct into the host organism. Genetic engineering alters the genetic makeup
of an organism using techniques that introduce heritable material prepared
outside the organism either directly into the host or into a cell that is
then fused or hybridized with the host. This involves using recombinant nucleic
acid (DNA or RNA) techniques to form new combinations of heritable genetic
material followed by the incorporation of that material either indirectly through
a vector system or directly through micro-injection, macro-injection and micro-
encapsulation techniques.
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 HISTORY OF GENETIC ENGINEERING

Humans have altered the genomes of species for thousands of years

through selective breeding, or artificial selection as contrasted with natural
selection, and more recently through mutagenesis. Genetic engineering as the
direct manipulation of DNA by humans outside breeding and mutations has only
existed since the 1970s. The term "genetic engineering" was first coined by Jack
Williamson in his science fiction novel Dragon's Island, published in 1951 one
year before DNA's role in heredity was confirmed by Alfred Hershey and Martha
Chase, and two years before James Watson and Francis Crick showed that
the DNA molecule has a double-helix structure.

Paul Berg Rudolf Jaenisch

Although the concept of gene transfer is relatively simple, its execution

presents considerable technical obstacles. The first person to surmount these
obstacles was the American biochemist Paul Berg (1926), often referred to as the
"father of genetic engineering." In 1973 Berg developed a method for joining the
DNA from two different organisms, a monkey virus known as SV40 and a virus
called lambda phage.

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 Although the accomplishment was clearly a breakthrough, Berg's method
was difficult. Then, later that year, the American biochemists Stanley Cohen
(1922) at

Stanford University and Herbert Boyer (1936) at the University of California

at San Francisco discovered an enzyme that greatly increased the efficiency of the
Berg procedure. The gene-transfer technique developed by Berg, Boyer, and
Cohen formed the basis for much of the ensuing progress in genetic engineering.

In 1972 Paul Berg created the first recombinant DNA molecules by

combining DNA from the monkey virus SV40 with that of the lambda virus. In
1973Herbert Boyer and Stanley Cohen created the first transgenic organism by
inserting antibiotic resistance genes into the plasmid of an E. coli bacterium. A
year later Rudolf Jaenisch created a transgenic mouse by introducing foreign DNA
into its embryo, making it the world’s first transgenic animal. These achievements
led to concerns in the scientific community about potential risks from genetic
engineering, which were first discussed in depth at the Asilomar Conference in
1975. One of the main recommendations from this meeting was that government
oversight of recombinant DNA research should be established until the technology
was deemed safe.
In 1976 Genentech, the first genetic engineering company was founded by
Herbert Boyer and Robert Swanson and a year later the company produced a
human protein in E.coli. Genentech announced the production of genetically
engineered human insulin in 1978. In 1980, the U.S. Supreme Court in
the Diamond v. Chakrabarty case ruled that genetically altered life could be
patented. The insulin produced by bacteria, branded humulin, was approved for
release by the Food and Drug Administration in 1982.
In 2010, scientists at the J. Craig Venter Institute announced that they had
created the first synthetic bacterial genome. The researchers added the new
genome to bacterial cells and selected for cells that contained the new genome. To
do this the cells undergoes a process called resolution, where during bacterial cell
division one new cell receives the original DNA genome of the bacteria, whilst the
other receives the new synthetic genome. When this cell replicates it uses the
synthetic genome as its template. The resulting bacterium the researchers
developed, named Synthia, was the world's first synthetic life form.

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GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS

A genetically modified organism (GMO) or genetically engineered

organism (GEO) is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using
genetic engineering techniques. Plants, animals or micro organisms that have
changed through genetic engineering are termed genetically modified organisms or
GMOs. Bacteria were the first organisms to be genetically modified. Plasmid DNA
containing new genes can be inserted into the bacterial cell and the bacteria will
then express those genes.
These genes can code for medicines or enzymes that process food and other
substrates. Plants have been modified for insect protection, herbicide resistance,
virus resistance, enhanced nutrition, tolerance to environmental pressures and the
production of edible vaccines. Most commercialized GMO's are insect resistant
and/or herbicide tolerant crop plants. Genetically modified animals have been used
for research, model animals and the production of agricultural or pharmaceutical
products. They include animals with genes knocked out, increased susceptibility to
disease, hormones for extra growth and the ability to express proteins in their milk.
These techniques, generally known as recombinant DNA technology, use
DNA molecules from different sources, which are combined into one molecule to
create a new set of genes. This DNA is then transferred into an organism, giving it
modified or novel genes. Transgenic organisms, a subset of GMOs, are organisms
which have inserted DNA that originated in a different species.
GMOs are used in biological and medical research, production of
pharmaceutical drugs, experimental medicine (e.g. gene therapy), and agriculture
(e.g. golden rice). The term "genetically modified organism" does not always
imply, but can include, targeted insertions of genes from one species into another.
For example, a gene from a jellyfish, encoding a fluorescent protein called GFP,
can be physically linked and thus co-expressed with mammalian genes to identify
the location of the protein encoded by the GFP-tagged gene in the mammalian cell.
Such methods are useful tools for biologists in many areas of research, including
those who study the mechanisms of human and other diseases or fundamental
biological processes in eukaryotic or prokaryotic cells.

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 1. Genetically Modified microbes

Bacteria were the first organisms to be modified in the laboratory, due to their
simple genetics. These organisms are now used for several purposes, and are
particularly important in producing large amounts of pure human proteins for use
in medicine. Genetically are used to produce the protein insulin to
treat diabetes. Similar bacteria have been used to produce clotting factors to
treat hemophilia and human growth hormone to treat various forms of dwarfism.
Bacteria synthesize products such as;

 Insulin
 Hepatitis B vaccine
 Tissue plasminogen activator
 Human growth hormone
 Ice-minus bacteria
 Interferon’s

In material science, a genetically modified virus has been used to construct

more environmentally friendly lithium-ion battery.
Gene therapy uses genetically modified viruses to deliver genes that can cure
disease into human cells. Although gene therapy is still relatively new, it has had
some successes. It has been used to treat genetic disorders such as severe combined
immunodeficiency.
In 2004, researchers reported that a genetically-modified virus that exploits the
selfish behavior of cancer cells might offer an alternative way of killing tumors.

Genetically modified virus and bacteria

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 2. Genetically Modified Crops

Transgenic plants have been engineered to possess several desirable traits,

such as resistance to pests, herbicides, or harsh environmental conditions,
improved product shelf life, and increased nutritional value. Since the first
commercial cultivation of genetically modified plants in 1996, they have been
modified to be tolerant to the herbicides glufosinate and glyphosate, to be resistant
to virus damage as in Ring spot virus-resistant GM papaya, grown in Hawaii, and
to produce the Bt toxin, an insecticide that is non-toxic to mammals. Most GM
crops grown today have been modified with "input traits", which provide benefits
mainly to farmers. Golden Rice is a transgenic variety of rice, with genes for the
synthesis of b-carotene taken from the temperate garden favorite Narcissus
pseudonarcissus (daffodil) and inserted into the genome of a temperate strain of
rice, using Agrobacterium tumefaciens as the vector, to effect the transfer. The
gene construct also contains some genes for enzymes of the biosynthetic pathway
of b-carotene, from another bacterium Erwinia uredovora.

Genetically Modified Foods (GM foods or GMO foods) are foods derived

from genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Genetically modified organisms
have had specific changes introduced into their DNA by genetic
engineering techniques. These techniques are much more
precise. Than mutagenesis (mutation breeding) where an organism is exposed to
radiation or chemicals to create a non-specific but stable change. Other techniques
by which humans modify food organisms include selective breeding; plant
breeding, and animal breeding, and soma clone variation.GM foods were first put
on the market in 1996. Typically, genetically modified foods are transgenic
plant products: soybean, corn, canola, and cotton seed oil. Animal products have
also been developed, currently on the market.

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  In 2006 a pig was controversially engineered to produce omega-3 fatty
acids through the expression of a roundworm gene. Researchers have also
developed a genetically-modified breed of pigs that are able to absorb plant
phosphorus more efficiently, and as a consequence the phosphorus content of their
manure is reduced by as much as 60%.

Genetically Engineered Roses

III. Transgenic Animals

A transgenic animal is one that carries a foreign gene that has been
deliberately inserted into its genome. The foreign gene is constructed
using recombinant DNA methodology. Transgenic animals are used as
experimental models to perform phenotypic and for testing in biomedical research.
Genetically Modified (Genetically Engineered) animals are becoming more vital to
the discovery and development of cures and treatments for many serious diseases.
By altering the DNA or transferring DNA to an animal, we can develop certain
proteins that may be used in medical treatment. Stable expressions of human
proteins have been developed in many animals, including sheep, pigs, and rats.
Some examples are: Human-alpha-1-antitrypsin, which has been developed
in sheep and is used in treating humans with this deficiency and transgenic pigs
with human-histo-compatibility have been studied in the hopes that the organs will
be suitable for transplant with less chances of rejection. Transgenic livestock have
been used as bioreactors since the 1990s. Many medicines, including insulin and
many immunizations are developed in transgenic animals. In March 2011, the
bioactive recombinant Human Lysozyme was expressed in the milk of cloned
transgenic cattle. This field is growing rapidly and new farming uses are being
discovered and developed. The extent that transgenic animals will be useful in the
medical field as well as other fields is very promising based on results thus far.

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The Glow Fish - A fluorescent red zebra fish sold as a novel pet, has become the first
transgenic animal sold to U.S. consumers. In 1999, Dr. Zhiyuan Gong and his colleagues
at the National University of Singapore were working with a gene called green
fluorescent protein (GFP), originally extracted from a jellyfish, that naturally produced
bright green fluorescence. They inserted the gene into a zebra fish embryo, allowing it to
integrate into the zebra fish’s genome, which caused the fish to be brightly fluorescent
under both natural white light and ultraviolet light. Their goal was to develop a fish that
could detect pollution by selectively fluorescing in the presence of environmental toxins.
The development of the constantly fluorescing fish was the first step in this process.
Shortly thereafter, his team developed a line of red fluorescent zebra fish by adding a
gene from a sea coral, and orange-yellow fluorescent zebra fish, by adding a variant of
the jellyfish gene. Later, a team of researchers at the National University of Taiwan,
headed by Professor Huai-Jen Tsai succeeded in creating a medaka (rice fish) with a
fluorescent green color, which like the zebra fish is a model organism used in biology.

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Fruit flies
In biological research, transgenic fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) are model
organisms used to study the effects of genetic changes on development. [Fruit flies are
often preferred over other animals due to their short life cycle, low maintenance
requirements, and relatively simple genome compared to many vertebrates.

Mosquitoes
In 2010, scientists created "malaria-resistant mosquitoes" in the laboratory. The
World Health Organization estimated that Malaria killed almost one million people in
2008. Genetically modified male mosquitoes containing a lethal gene have been
developed in order to combat the spread of Dengue fever. Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, the
single most important carrier of dengue fever, were reduced by 80% in a 2010 trial of
these GM mosquitoes in the Cayman Islands. Around 50 - 100 million people are affected
by Dengue fever every year and 40,000 people die from it.

Mammals
Genetically modified mammals are an important category of genetically modified
organisms. Transgenic mice are often used to study cellular and tissue-specific responses
to disease. In 1999, scientists at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada created the
genetically engineered Enviropig. The Enviropig excretes from 30 to 70.7% less
phosphorus in manure depending upon the age and diet.
In February 2010, Environment Canada determined that Enviropigs are in
compliance with the Canadian Environmental Protection Act and can be produced
outside of the research context in controlled facilities where they are segregated from
other animals.
In 2009, scientists in Japan announced that they had successfully transferred a
gene into a primate species (marmosets) and produced a stable line of breeding transgenic
primates for the first time. Their first research target for these marmosets was Parkinson's
disease, but they were also considering Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Huntington's
disease.
In 2011, scientists in China released news that they have introduced human genes
into 300 dairy cows to produce milk with the same properties as human breast milk.
Aside from milk production, the researchers claim these transgenic cows to be identical
to regular cows.

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Cnidarians
Cnidarians such as Hydra and the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis have
become attractive model organisms to study the evolution of immunity and certain
developmental processes. An important technical breakthrough was the
development of procedures for generation of stably transgenic hydras and sea
anemones by embryo microinjection.

Sea Anemone Jellyfish

GENETIC ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE

Genetic engineering is becoming a major force in conventional medicine. It
has got numerous applications in medicine ranging from vaccines to transgenic
organ transplants.
I. The Artificial Blood

The artificial blood is a genetically engineered form of hemoglobin, the

complicated protein that enclosed in red blood cells--carries oxygen from the lungs
to tissues throughout the body. Many companies have been searching for an
artificial blood because of the annual worldwide shortage of about 100 million
units of blood and the military's need for blood replacements that can be stored in
field conditions without refrigeration. An artificial blood also would virtually
eliminate the risk of contracting AIDS, hepatitis and other viral diseases through
transfusions. Development of emulsion technologies resulted in the production of
compounds which utilized smaller chain per fluorocarbon molecules to more
effectively emulsify the per fluorocarbons, allowing higher concentrations of
active agent in the emulsion and thus higher oxygen carrying capabilities.

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 Artificial Haemoglobin Artificial Blood Cells

II. Cloned Pigs modified for Use in Human Transplants

Two competing teams have cloned pigs that have been genetically modified
to produce organs more suitable for transplantation into humans. Pig organs are
well suited for transplantation; they are approximately the same size as human
organs and have similar plumbing, which makes reconnecting blood vessels much
easier. Also, the size of pig litters tends to be large and pigs reproduce quickly,
raising the prospect of a large supply of "spare" organs. A problem with using pig
organs, however, is that they are coated with sugar molecules that trigger acute
rejection in people. Human antibodies attach themselves to these sugar molecules
and quickly destroy the newly transplanted pig organ. To circumvent the rejection,
scientists are working to produce pigs that lack the sugar-producing gene.

III. Genetically Engineered FSH

FSH is produced by the pituitary gland and directly stimulates the ovaries to
recruit and support ovarian follicles, each containing one egg. The hypothalamus
adjusts the production of FSH depending upon the levels of other hormones such
as estrogen. FSH is used in stimulated IUI and assisted reproductive technology
cycles (IVF) because it causes the development of numerous follicles. More
follicles are needed in ART cycles because some do not fertilize or do not continue
to develop.

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 BIOFUEL – AS AN ALTERNATIVE

Algae Fuel – It might be an alternative to fossil fuel and uses algae as its

source of natural deposits. Several companies and government agencies are
funding efforts to reduce capital and operating costs and make algae fuel
production commercially viable.[ Harvested algae, like fossil fuel, release
CO2 when burnt but unlike fossil fuel the CO2 is taken out of the atmosphere by the
growing algae. High oil prices, competing demands between foods and other
biofuel sources, and the world food crisis, have ignited interest in alga
culture(farming algae) for making biodiesel, bioethanol, biogasoline, biomethanol,
biobutanol and other biofuels, using land that is not suitable for agriculture

Biodiesel - Currently most research into efficient algal-oil production is

being done in the private sector, but predictions from small scale production
experiments bear out that using algae to produce biodiesel may be the only viable
method by which to produce enough automotive fuel to replace current world
diesel usage. If algae-derived biodiesel were to replace the annual global
production of 1.1bn tons of conventional diesel, a land mass of 57.3 million
hectares would be required. This compares highly favorable to other biofuels.
Microalgae have much faster growth rates than terrestrial crops. The per unit area
yield of oil from algae is estimated to be from between 5,000 to 20,000 US gallons
per acre per year (4,700 to 18,000 m3/km2·a). This is 7 to 30 times greater than the
next best crop, Chinese tallow (700 US gal/acre·a or 650 m3/km2·a).

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 BIOWEAPON - A CHALLENGE

Rapid developments in biotechnology, genetics and genomics are

undoubtedly creating a variety of environmental, ethical, political and social
challenges for advanced societies. But they also have severe implications for
international peace and security because they open up tremendous avenues for the
creation of new biological weapons. The genetically engineered 'superbug'—highly
lethal and resistant to environmental influence or any medical treatment—is only a
small part of this story. Much more alarming, from an arms-control perspective,
are the possibilities of developing completely novel weapons on the basis of
knowledge provided by biomedical research—developments that are already
taking place. Such weapons, designed for new types of conflicts and warfare
scenarios, secret operations or sabotage activities, are not mere science fiction, but
are increasingly becoming a reality that we have to face.
The history of biological warfare is nearly as old as the history of warfare
itself. In ancient times, warring parties poisoned wells or used arrowheads with
natural toxins. By using genetic engineering, biological researchers have already
developed new weapons that are much more effective than their natural
counterparts. Countless examples from the daily work of molecular biologists
could be presented here, not least the introduction of antibiotic resistance into
bacterial pathogens, which today is routine work in almost any microbiology
laboratory. Indeed, many research projects in basic science show—sometimes
unwillingly and unwittingly—how to overcome current scientific and
technological limits in the military use of pathogenic agents. Furthermore, genetic
engineering is not merely a theoretical possibility for future biowarfare: it has
already been applied in past weapons programs, particularly in the former Soviet
Union. One example is the USSR's 'invisible anthrax', resulting from the
introduction of an alien gene into Bacillus anthracis that altered its immunological
properties (Pomerantsev et al., 1997). Existing vaccines proved to be ineffective
against this new genetically engineered strain.
The global norm against biological weapons, laid down in the 1925 Geneva
Convention and the 1972 Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention, clearly
contributed to the fact that few countries have been engaged in research into
offensive biowarfare during recent decades.

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 CONCLUSION
We have discussed the promising aspects of Genetic Engineering
that can bring about tremendous changes in human life. However the manipulation
of living organisms by the human race cannot go on any further without regulation.
Some ethical standards are required to evaluate the morality of all human activities
that might help or harm living organisms. Going beyond the morality of such
issues the biological significance of such things is also important. Genetic
modification of organisms can have unpredictable results when such organisms are
introduced into the ecosystem.
Every new technology aims to improve man’s life. It is for man to make the
judicious use of its applications…

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 BIBLIOGRAPHY

 www.wikipedia.com

 www.encyclopedia.com

 Britannica Encyclopedia

 Tell Me Why Magazine

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