Transgenic Plants by Mohammad Atiqur Rahman

Transgenic Plants

By Mohammad Atiqur Rahman

Photo Credit: Google Image

Transgenic Plants are obtained by using the genetic engineering processes. In this process, one or more genes of plants from another species have been introduced into the genome. Genes from any organism, from viruses to humans, can now be implanted into plants, creating transgenic plants. This is a popular process in agriculture nowadays worldwide. Approximately 109 million acres of transgenic crops grown worldwide and the only United States contribute 68 percent of those. Soybeans, corn, cotton, and canola are the most important transgenic. Most often, these plants either contain a gene making them resistant to the herbicide glyphosate or they contain an insect-resistant gene that produces a protein called Bt toxin.

Photo Credit: Google Image

There are some positive and negative sides of transgenic crops. The primary advantages of transgenic crops are, it helps to produce varieties of quality plants, herbicide-resistant plants, insect resistant plants, virus-resistant plants, pest-resistant plants, may produce more therapeutic proteins. Most important benefits will include the following: (i) more effective production of hybrid seed; (ii) reduction in post-harvest losses; (iii) increase in nutritional quality; (iv) reduced losses due to insect pests and viruses and lowered need of insecticide; (v) enhanced and more effective weed control; Also, these crops allow farmers to use fewer and less noxious chemicals for crop production. So, they are environmentally friendly. There are some negative sides of these crops. Genetically modified foods are not good for health and may give some allergic reactions to humans. Though these crops allow farmers to use fewer and less noxious chemicals for crop production, it can cause damage to the natural environment.

In the future, by using genetic engineering, researchers hope to be able to provide vaccinations and medicines, which can provide medications to people in developing countries with no trouble. Medications combined with food are easier to transport and store than conventional medicine. The progressions made with transgenic plants have and will continue to have a great impact on the lives of many. The transgenic crops will be used not only for enhanced agronomic traits but also for traits involving nutrition processing, specialty chemicals and pharmaceuticals (including edible vaccines). Transgenic rubber tree has also been produced and will be used for some different purposes. Thus, the future of transgenic crops is undoubtedly bright and optimistic.

References:
1. K. Herbers, U. Sonnewald Production of new/modified proteins in transgenic plants Curr Opin Biotechnol, 10 (1999), pp. 163-168

2. J. Hammond, P. Mcgarvey (Eds.), Plant Biotechnology: New Products and Applications, vol. 240, CTIM (1999)

3. M. Davies Kevin Genetic Modification of Plant Metabolism for Human Health Benefits Elsevier (2007), p. 122

4. A. Walmsley, C. Arntzen Plants for delivery of edible vaccines Curr Opin Biotechnol, 11 (2) (2000), p. 126
5. D. Ferber Risks and benefits: GM crops in the cross hairs Science, 286 (1999), pp. 1662-1666