What are the new GMOs?

What are they?

The first genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are already 40 years old. In the 1980s, scientists discovered that it was possible to alter the genome of living beings by introducing genomes from related or different beings. The famous Monsanto seeds were injected with a bacterium to make them more weather-resistant.

In recent years, a new generation of GMOs has emerged. CRISPR/Cas9 technology, or gene scissors, can produce surgical changes in plants and animals. The scissors break the genome and insert the desired gene into the repair. As a result, the risk of mutation is very low, and transformations are much easier to achieve. Major world powers such as China and the United States are currently working on improving plants to protect them from insects, or creating generations of pigs that will resist the diseases that particularly affect their species.

Obviously, this technology comes with many ethical questions and detractors. This leads to fierce debates in agri-food issues, perhaps even as important as the first generations of GMOs.

Running time: 8 minutes

Image: Sześcian from Pixabay

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