Genetically Modified Organisms are Important but Also Controversial

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are organisms containing a set or multiple sets of genes that have been introduced into the organism using laboratory techniques. In the instance of agriculture, the genes introduced provide advantages for the farmer and consumer by yielding plants that produce greater yields, longer growing seasons, longer shelf lives, greater concentrations of vitamins or add additional vitamins that are novel to the plant. There are two general ways that GM (genetically modified) crops are produced: the addition or removal of genes. This review focuses on an example of each strategy. An example of the latter is GM A. bisporus fungi in which genes are removed. Production of polyphenol oxidase has been disabled by knocking out one of the polyphenol oxidase (PPO) genes, and the reduced PPO activity allows the mushrooms to have a longer shelf life. An example of the former is golden rice, in which genes for four additional enzymes are introduced into Oryza sativa using Agrobacterium allowing production of �� carotene the precursor of vitamin A. The controversy around GMOs stems from the idea of novel proteins being introduced into plants. Some are concerned about genetic drift of the novel genes. Organisms with a gene removed may be less controversial as an agricultural product. Greater controversy surrounds a transgenic GMO such as golden rice