Genetically Modified Foods: Recent Developments

The intentional alteration of an organism’s genetic material by means that could not occur naturally through mating or recombination is commonly referred to as “genetic engineering” or “genetic modification.” It often involves the isolation, manipulation, and reintroduction of DNA into an organism where scientists select specific genes from one organism, and introduce them into another, to pass along a desired trait. The goal of this process is to introduce new genetic characteristics to an organism to increase its usefulness. The resulting organism is said to be “genetically modified.” Methods of genetic modification—including plasmid, vector, and biolistic techniques—are different than traditional breeding methods in two significant ways. First, these techniques make it easier for scientists to isolate genes and to introduce new traits without simultaneously introducing many other, potentially undesirable, traits. Second, using these techniques, scientists can cross biological boundaries that could not be crossed by traditional breeding, for example, transferring traits from bacteria or animals into plants.