What is Pharming?
Pharming is the injection of genes that have
been designed to code for useful and beneficial pharmaceuticals
into organisms, which would, under
normal circumstances not express these
genes.[1]Although pharming is not
a commercialized biotechnology yet,
the
success of this practice could
lead to benefits such as cheaper pharmaceuticals and
better
sterile conditions for them to develop in.
According to the World Health Organization, at least 2
million people die each year from diseases that
are
preventable by vaccine.[2] Pharming can have
monumental effects on providing a low
cost
solution to
people in developing countries against vaccine-preventable disease.
Pharming
in Animal Organisms
One technique of pharming is to produce a transgenic animal by injecting a modified gene into a host animal. This may seem like a big challenge, as an important characteristic of a transgenic animal is whether every cell in the new animal contains the new piece of DNA.[3] Considering that animal organisms have millions of cells in their body, the implementation of the modified gene into every cell relies on the process of cell division called mitosis.[4] All that is required is for the microinjection of the new DNA into a single cell (eg. fertilized egg) before it starts mitosis and begins dividing.
One technique of pharming is to produce a transgenic animal by injecting a modified gene into a host animal. This may seem like a big challenge, as an important characteristic of a transgenic animal is whether every cell in the new animal contains the new piece of DNA.[3] Considering that animal organisms have millions of cells in their body, the implementation of the modified gene into every cell relies on the process of cell division called mitosis.[4] All that is required is for the microinjection of the new DNA into a single cell (eg. fertilized egg) before it starts mitosis and begins dividing.
The success of a transgenic animal is determined by two main characteristics:
- The ability
to
produce the desired protein without harming itself and,
- The ability to pass on the modified genes to its own offspring.[3]
Pharming
in Plant Organisms
Pharming in plants follows the same concept as animal pharming, which genetically modifies the gene makeup of the organism. This can be done via two different processes. The first is similar to genetically modifying an animal organism and uses recombination to insert the genes (eg. microinjection, chemical mediated transfer and electroporation). The other is done by mutation through the altering of genes.[5]
Pharming in plants follows the same concept as animal pharming, which genetically modifies the gene makeup of the organism. This can be done via two different processes. The first is similar to genetically modifying an animal organism and uses recombination to insert the genes (eg. microinjection, chemical mediated transfer and electroporation). The other is done by mutation through the altering of genes.[5]
Mutation does
not involve
the
injection of a new DNA into a single cell to create a whole new plant, but rather transforms existing cells into
modified cells by inserting the DNA into one of the plant’s
chromosomes. Marker genes are also transferred along
with
the modified DNA to make modified cells resistant to antibiotics or herbicides. The modified cells are then distinguished from
the plants original
cells by exposing them to the antibiotic/herbicide. As these cells are already resistant to the antibiotic,
the modified cells survive
and
are
separated. After separation, these cells are then transferred into
media
which induce the development of the cells to begin forming whole, modified plants.[6]
References
6. http://www.nepadbiosafety.net/subjects/biotechnology/process-of-developing-genetically- modified-gm-crops
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