Genetically modified brinjal 26/04/2019 – Posted in: Daily News

 

Genetically modified Brinjal

For: Preliminary
Topic covered:GM brinjal, Pros and Cons

 

News Flash

Genetically modified (GM) brinjal is being illegally grown in the Fatehabad district of Haryana.

 

Bt Brinjal

The genetically modified brinjal is a suite of transgenic brinjals (also known as an eggplant or aubergine) created by inserting a crystal protein gene (Cry1Ac) from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis into the genome of various brinjal cultivars.

Bt Brinjal was developed by the Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company (Mahyco). The company used a DNA construct containing the cry1Ac gene, a CaMV 35S promoter and the selectable marker genes nptII and aad, to transform young cotyledons of brinjal plants.

 

Present status of Bt Brinjals

In February 2010 Indian government put an indefinite moratorium (temporary prohibition) on Bt brinjal’s commercial release, following intense protests from non-governmental organisations and a section of scientists, who opposed the entry of a genetically-modified food crop in India.

Three years later, four varieties of Bangladeshi Bt brinjal, developed by the Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute in collaboration with Indian agribusiness company Mahyco, was approved by the neighbouring country for commercial release.

 

Genetically modified (GM) organisms and GM foods

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) can be defined as organisms (i.e. plants, animals or microorganisms) in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally by mating and/or natural recombination.

It allows selected individual genes to be transferred from one organism into another, also between nonrelated species.

Foods produced from or using GM organisms are often referred to as GM foods.

 

Advantages of GM foods produced

  • This is meant to translate into a product with a lower price, greater benefit (in terms of durability or nutritional value) or both.
  • Improve crop protection.
  • Resistance against insects. (It is achieved by incorporating into the food plant the gene for toxin production from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)).

 

Disadvantages

The main issues of concern for human health:

  • Allergenicity (allergic reaction)
  • Gene transfer
  • Outcrossing

 

Genetic Engineering Approval Committee

Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEEC) established under Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is the apex body to accord notified under Rules 1989. For approval of activities involving large scale use of hazardous microorganisms and recombinants in research and industrial production from the environmental angle.

 

Source: Deccan Herald

 

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