The Power of Genetic Engineering
Written By: Laila Ibrahim and Sahannah Seemungal
Imagine a world where we can cure genetic diseases, grow crops that resist pests and drought conditions, and even help coral reefs survive the effects of climate change. These possibilities are now beginning to come to fruition thanks to advances in genetic engineering. Also known as genetic modification, genetic engineering uses precise laboratory techniques to alter an organism's DNA. This groundbreaking technology is already making significant impacts in medicine, agriculture, and even environmental conservation, and its influence continues to grow as technology advances.
In medicine, genetic modification has revolutionized gene therapy, allowing scientists to target the sources of genetic disorders. Gene therapy is a treatment that introduces, removes, or alters, genetic material inside of an organism's cell in order to address a genetic disorder that has been caused by a faulty gene. But what does this have to do with genetic engineering? Genetic engineering has introduced a variety of tools that can aid in the process of gene therapy. One of them is CRISPR-Cas9, a gene-editing technology that allows scientists to correct errors in the genome. It has opened the door to potential treatments for genetic diseases and even some infectious diseases such as HIV (Redman 2016). By providing the necessary tools for gene editing, genetic engineering has greatly impacted the future of gene therapy, and medicine as a whole.
Beyond medicine, genetic engineering significantly impacts agriculture by enhancing plant resistance to diseases and pests. Traditional breeding methods, such as cross-breeding, have improved crops, but face challenges, including a lack of genetic diversity. Genome editing technologies, such as CRISPR-Cas9, have allowed for precise and efficient modification of genes responsible for disease resistance, nutritional content, and production potential, all without incorporating foreign DNA. Moreover, breeders can now introduce beneficial traits more rapidly and with greater accuracy than traditional cross-breeding methods (Gao 2021). As the world’s population continues to grow, food security becomes vital– especially during climatic challenges, such as climate change, water scarcity, and land degradation. Its ability to develop crops that are more tolerant to harsh conditions helps to ensure a more secure and sustainable global food system.
On a similar note, genetic engineering has played a crucial role in environmental preservation as a whole, making plants more resilient to the ever-shifting climate. For example, the biodiversity of the ocean is core to the hydrosphere of Earth (Talukder 2022). Among all Earth systems, such as the biosphere, atmosphere, and lithosphere, marine ecosystems have been particularly disadvantaged. A mere 1.5-degree Celsius increase in global warming can lead to a seventy to ninety percent decline in coral reefs. As a result, scientists have been using genetic modification tools in order to help coral populations sustain higher temperatures (Doxzen 2021). This highlights how genetic engineering can not only be used to protect individual organisms, but also support the survival of an entire species within an ecosystem.
Whether it's developing a treatment for HIV, improving agriculture, or helping coral reefs withstand climate stress, genetic engineering has proven to be a powerful and essential tool required for the advancement of humanity, and the sustainability of Earth. However, it is crucial to consider the ethical implications, and potential risks including environmental concerns, the possibility of encouraging eugenics through genetic modifications, and the emergence of unexpected traits in organisms. Nevertheless, the responsible and ethical use of genetic engineering offers great promise for the future of both humanity and nature.
References:
Gao, Caixia. “Genome Engineering for Crop Improvement and Future Agriculture.” Cell, vol. 184, no. 6, 12 Feb. 2021, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0092867421000052#fig1, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2021.01.005.
Admin-science. “Genetics.” Genetics, 20 Dec. 2023, scienceofbiogenetics.com/articles/understanding-genetic-engineering-revolutionizing-biotechnology-and-shaping-the-future-of-science.
Doxzen, Kevin. “How Engineering Animals and Plants Could Help Fight Climate Change.” World Economic Forum, 11 Oct. 2021, www.weforum.org/stories/2021/10/deextinction-genetic-engineering-climate-change/.
Redman, Melody, et al. “What Is CRISPR/Cas9?” Archives of Disease in Childhood - Education & Practice Edition, vol. 101, no. 4, 8 Apr. 2016, pp. 213–215, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4975809/, https://doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2016-310459.
Talukder, Byomkesh, et al. “Climate Change-Accelerated Ocean Biodiversity Loss & Associated Planetary Health Impacts.” The Journal of Climate Change and Health, vol. 6, Jan. 2022, p. 100114, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667278222000037, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joclim.2022.100114.
