1. WHAT IS GMO?

A genetically modified organisms (GMO) is any organism whose genetic material

has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. The exact definition of a
genetically modified organism and what constitutes genetic engineering varies, with
the most common being an organism altered in a way that “does not occur naturally
by mating and/ or natural recombination”. A wide variety of organism have been
genetically modified (GM), from animals to plant and microorganisms.

 WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT PLANTS AND ANIMALS:

PLANTS

Sugar beet

- is plant whose root contains a high concentration of sucrose and which is grown
commercially for sugar production. In plant breeding it is known as the Altissima
cultivar group of the common beet.

Yellow Crookneck Squash and Zucchini

-A number of this GMO veggie are relatively small, but genetically modified yellow
squash and zucchini can be found in two different species in the U.S. The species
contain proteins genes that protect against viruses.
Alfalfa

-also called lucerne and called Medicago sativa in binomial nomenclature, is a

perennial flowering plant in the legume family Fabaceae. It is cultivated as an
important forage crop in many countries around the world. It is used for grazing, hay,
and silage, as well as a green manure and cover crop.

Gossypium

-is a genus of flowering plants in the tribe Gossypieae of

the mallow family, Malvaceae from which cotton is harvested. It is native to tropical
and subtropical regions of the Old and New Worlds. There are about
50 Gossypium species, making it the largest genus in the tribe Gossypieae, and new
species continue to be discovered.The name of the genus is derived from
the Arabic word goz, which refers to a soft substance.
ANIMALS

Glow-in-the-dark mice

-in 2002, scientists at Caltech created glow-in-the-dark mice by injecting single-

celled mouse embryos with a virus that contained a jellyfish gene for green
fluorescence. Researchers have since created glow-in-the-dark fish, cats, and other
animals.

Salmon

-last year, the Canadian authorities allowed a GM salmon designed by US company

AquaBounty to be sold to consumers. It is engineered to reach market size in 18
months, half the time of its natural counterpart. However, the fish is not labelled GM
in shops.A recent survey found 90% of Canadians are in favour of clearer food
labelling.
 2. WHAT IS NANO WORLD

-NanoWorld is the global market leader for tips for Scanning Probe Microscopy and
Atomic Force Microscopy. He Atomic Force Microscope is the defining instrument for
the whole field of nanoscience and nanotechnology. It enables its users in research
and high-tech industry to investigate materials at the atomic scale.

 WHAT ARE THE THINGS AND MATERIALS APPLY IN NANO WORLD?

Consumer Electronics

-Transistors, the basic switches that enable computing, have gotten smaller and
smaller with nanotechnology. Smaller, faster, and better transistors brought about
smartphones, wearables, and many other devices we use every day. Novel
nanoscale electronic devices may soon help achieve quantum computers, or an
entirely new type of supercomputer that can learn and solve problems like a human
brain.

INFRASTRUCTURES

-Embedded nanoscale sensors and devices may provide costeffective continuous

monitoring of the structural integrity and performance of bridges, tunnels, railways,
parking structures, and pavement over time. Corrosion-resistant, self-healing nano-
enabled paints can help bridges and concrete last longer. Nanocoatings could be
used to increase the life span of water and sewer pipes.
NANO FILMS AND COATINGS

-clear nanoscale films on displays, windows, and other surfaces can make them
water-repellent, antireflective, self-cleaning, resistant to ultraviolet or infrared light,
anti-fogging, antimicrobial, scratchresistant, or electrically conductive. Antibacterial
coatings are being developed for use in hospitals. Superhydrophobic coatings make
smartphones waterproof. Paints use nanoscale materials to resist marks and scuffs.

NANO-ENABLED CLOTHING

-Stain-resistant pants, shirts, ties, and more are now widely available for purchase.
There are also nano-enabled uniforms that are not only stain- and dirt-resistant, but
protect against chemicals and germs.
 3. GENE THERAPHY

-Gene therapy is an experimental technique that uses genes to treat or prevent

disease. In the future, this technique may allow doctors to treat a disorder by
inserting a gene into a patient’s cells instead of using drugs or surgery. Researchers
are testing several approaches to gene therapy, including:

 Replacing a mutated gene that causes disease with a healthy copy of the
gene.

 Inactivating, or “knocking out,” a mutated gene that is functioning improperly.

 Introducing a new gene into the body to help fight a disease.

EXAMPLES:

Immune deficiencies
-Several inherited immune deficiencies have been treated successfully with gene
therapy. Most commonly, blood stem cells are removed from patients, and
retroviruses are used to deliver working copies of the defective genes. After the
genes have been delivered, the stem cells are returned to the patient. Because the
cells are treated outside the patient's body, the virus will infect and transfer the gene
to only the desired target cells.
Hereditary blindness
-Gene therapies are being developed to treat several different types of inherited
blindness—especially degenerative forms, where patients gradually lose the light-
sensing cells in their eyes. Encouraging results from animal models (especially
mouse, rat, and dog) show that gene therapy has the potential to slow or even
reverse vision loss.

Hemophilia
-People with hemophilia are missing proteins that help their blood form clots. Those
with the most-severe forms of the disease can lose large amounts of blood through
internal bleeding or even a minor cut.

In a small trial, researchers successfully used an adeno-associated viral vector to

deliver a gene for Factor IX, the missing clotting protein, to liver cells. After
treatment, most of the patients made at least some Factor IX, and they had fewer
bleeding incidents.
Blood disease
-Patients with beta-Thalassemia have a defect in the beta-globin gene, which codes
for an oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells. Because of the defective gene,
patients don't have enough red blood cells to carry oxygen to all the body's tissues.
Many who have this disorder depend on blood transfusions for survival.

Cancer
-Several promising gene-therapy treatments are under development for cancer. One,
a modified version of the herpes simplex 1 virus (which normally causes cold sores)
has been shown to be effective against melanoma (a skin cancer) that has spread
throughout the body. The treatment, called T-VEC, uses a virus that has been
modified so that it will (1) not cause cold sores; (2) kill only cancer cells, not healthy
ones; and (3) make signals that attract the patient's own immune cells, helping them
learn to recognize and fight cancer cells throughout the body.
 Project in: GE 704
SCIENCE,
TECHNOLOGY,
& SOCIETY
TITLE: CHAPTER 3
Specific Issues in:
 GMO
 NANOWORLD
 GENE THERAPY

Submitted by: Matchacon, Xyruz A. BEED 1B

(Student)

Submitted to: PROF. DARLENE L. MARQUEZ

(Facilitator)
Molecular 3D Printers
If you thought that the 3D printers medical professionals use to make bone
replacements or other advanced medical implants were precise, wait till you see
what a molecular 3D printer can do. While this intimidating machine does not look
like the friendly Makerbot you can buy off Amazon, it is technically a 3D printer, since
it can make object in 3D. The difference is that these objects are molecules.
The printer was created by a team at Illinois State University, and it can synthesize
thousands of chemicals, some of them incredibly rare, by using sets of “starter”
chemicals. While you may think it’s cheating to classify an automated chemistry
machine as “nanotechnology”, it does involve precisely making nanoscale objects
and then manipulating them. For example, the team figured out a way to remove all
but the desired molecule from the mix which requires that ability to work at the
nanoscale. They won’t say how (since it’s proprietary for now), but it works.

Solar Power
It’s amazing, the sorts of things that people can get used to. Every day, if you look up
into the sky there’s a giant ball of nuclear fire just sitting there; we’re on this huge
natural spaceship that just swings past this ball of nuclear fire and we hardly ever
stop to consider this. Some people have thought about it quite hard, though, and
have asked why we can’t use a little of that abundant nuclear power to supplement
our own energy needs. After all, with the exception of a few creatures living off
geothermal energy, all life on earth is solar powered – either directly, as with plants,
or through the food chain.
The invention of the photovoltaic cell was a major breakthrough in the drive to get
clean electricity from sunlight, but the technology has always been too inefficient to
actually replace coal or nuclear power. Instead, you were more likely to find them
powering things like pocket calculators and space vehicles. Thanks to
nanotechnology, that’s all changing. A new nano-material, created by a team at the
University of California at San Diego back in 2014, makes it possible to convert 90%
of captured sunlight into heat. Once you have heat, you can make steam to drive
electrical turbines.

Nano Rockets
Yes, a tiny rocket might not seem all that useful at first, but when you think about the
distances that nanobots will have to cover it makes sense to have a locomotion
method that’s fast. Not only have researchers made working nano rockets, but they
have actually created remote-controlled versions. That is pretty amazing!

The Graphene Engine

Sticking with the theme of engines, this one may be a little closer to a practical
component that could be used in nanomachines of the future. Using a special
configuration of carbon, called “graphene”, that is only one nanometer thick, a team
of scientists created a nanoscale device that works a bit like a two-stroke engine.