Genetically Modified Organisms, History, and Ethics

Photo by Alvan Nee on Unsplash

People tend to be afraid of things they perceive as new. GMOs — genetically modified organisms — are one of those things.

Let’s unpack what’s going on here some. (And explain why there’s a cute puppy).

What is a Genetically Modified Organism?

The term GMO is generally used to refer to an animal or plant who’s genetics have been altered using laboratory techniques. This year, the inventors of the CRISPR tool for editing genes won the Nobel prize.

The idea is to change an organism’s genetics quickly, in a single generation (or even the life of the organism), for the benefit of mankind.

Genetic modification has been used to:

1. Create infertile mosquitos to reduce their population and thus disease.
2. Breed crops that are resistant to pesticides and herbicides. (I’m personally unfond of this as it allows the free use of highly toxic chemicals).
3. Mass produce certain medications by engineering bacteria to create them. This has, for example, dramatically dropped the cost of insulin.
4. Breed crops that are resistant to pests and disease, reducing the need for pesticides.
5. Alter the nutritional value of food crops, such…