IS IT GMOs IS BENEFECIAL?

Genetically modified organism (GMO)

A genetically modified organism (GMO) or genetically engineered organism (GEO) is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. These techniques, generally known as recombinant DNA technology, use DNA molecules from different sources, which are combined into one molecule to create a new set of genes. This DNA is then transferred into an organism, giving it modified or novel genes. Transgenic organisms, a subset of GMOs, are organisms which have inserted DNA that originated in a different species. Some GMOs contain no DNA from other species and are therefore not transgenic but cisgenic.

Uses
GMOs have widespread applications. They are used in biological and medical research, production of pharmaceutical drugs, experimental medicine (e.g. gene therapy), and agriculture (e.g. golden rice). The term "genetically modified organism" does not always imply, but can include, targeted insertions of genes from one species into another. For example, a gene from a jellyfish, encoding a fluorescent protein called GFP, can be physically linked and thus co-expressed with mammalian genes to identify the location of the protein encoded by the GFP-tagged gene in the mammalian cell. Such methods are useful tools for biologists in many areas of research, including those who study the mechanisms of human and other diseases or fundamental biological processes in eukaryotic or prokaryotic cells.

IS IT GENETIC MODIFIED FOODS ARE HARMFUL?

Genetically Modified Foods Are They a Risk to Human/Animal Health?

Genetically modified (GM) foods are foods derived from genetically modified organisms. Genetically modified organisms have had specific changes introduced into their DNA by genetic engineering techniques. These techniques are much more precise than mutagenesis (mutation breeding) where an organism is exposed to radiation or chemicals to create a non-specific but stable change. Other techniques by which humans modify food organisms include selective breeding (plant breeding and animal breeding), and somaclonal variation.

GM foods were first put on the market in the early 1990s. Typically, genetically modified foods are transgenic plant products: soybean, corn, canola, and cotton seed oil.

Harmful effect of GMOs are following only some of the effects are discussed

 1 Direct Cancer and Degenerative Disease Links
 2 Superviruses
 3 Antibiotic Threat via Milk
 4 Antibiotic Threat via Plants
 5 Birth Defects and Shorter Life Spans
 6 Disturbance of Nature
 7 Destruction of Forest Life’s Boundaries
 8 Plant Invasions 9 Killing Beneficial Insects
10 Poisonous to Mammals
11 Genetic Pollution
12 Losing Purity
13 Losing Natural Pesticides
14 Fragility of Future Agriculture
15 Monopolization of Food Production
16 Imposing a Non-Living Model onto Nature
17 Biocolonization

1 Direct Cancer and Degenerative Disease Links: GH is a protein hormone which, when injected into cows stimulates the pituitary gland in a way that the produces more milk, thus making milk production more profitable for the large dairy corporations. In 1993, FDA approved Monsanto’s genetically-modified rBGH, a genetically-altered growth hormone that could be then injected into dairy cows to enhance this feature, and even though scientists warned that this resulted in an increase of IGF-1 (from (70%-1000%). IGF-1 is a very potent chemical hormone that has been linked to a 2 1/2 to 4 times higher risk of human colorectal and breast cancer. Prostate cancer risk is considered equally serious - in the 2,8.to 4 times range thia will leads to cancer

2 Superviruses: Viruses can mix with genes of other viruses and retroviruses such as HIV. This can give rise to more deadly viruses – and at rates higher than previously thought. One study showed that gene mixing occurred in viruses in just 8 weeks (Kleiner, 1997). This kind of scenario applies to the cauliflower mosaic virus CaMV, It is somewhat similar to Hepatitis B and HIV viruses and can pose immense dangers.

3 Antibiotic Threat Via Milk: Cows injected with rBGH have a much higher level of udder infections and require more antibiotics. This leaves unacceptable levels of antibiotic residues in the milk. Scientists have warned of public health hazards due to growing antibiotic resistance

4 Antibiotic Threat Via Plants: Much of genetic implantation uses a marker to track where the gene goes into the cell. GM maize plants use an ampicillin resistant gene. In 1998, the British Royal Society called for the banning of this marker as it threatens a vital antibiotic’s use. The resistant qualities of GM bacteria in food can be transferred to other bacteria in the environment and throughout the human body

5 Birth Defects and Shorter Life Spans: As we ingest transgenic human/ animal products there is no real telling of the impact on human evolution. We know that rBGh in cows causes a rapid increase in birth defects and shorter life spans

What is bt brinjal? and Why BT brinjal in India ?

What is bt brinjal? and Why BT brinjal in India is banned after bt brinjal controversy? Here are answers for those who are confused with these terms in simple layman language.


What is Bt brinjal?
Bt brinjal is genetically modified variety of brinjal which gives more resistant to Brinjal plant against insects.

In technical terms Bt Brinjal is a transgenic brinjal created by inserting a gene [Cry 1Ac] from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (and hence the name Bt) into Brinjal. The insertion of the gene into the Brinjal cell in young cotyledons has been done through an Agro bacterium-mediated vector, along with other genes like promoters, markers etc.

This genetic insertion is said to give the Brinjal plant resistance against lepidopteron insects. It is reported that upon ingestion of the Bt toxin by the insect, there would be disruption of digestive processes, ultimately resulting in the death of the insect.

Why BT brinjal in India is banned after bt brinjal controversy?
First let us undestand the controversy and why people are opposing it? Several studies on Bt crops in particular and GM crops in general show that there are many potential health hazards in foods bio-engineered in this manner. GM-fed animals in various studies have shown that there are problems with growth, organ development and damage, immune responsiveness and so on.
With Bt crops, a recent study from Madhya Pradesh in India shows adverse human health impacts in farm and factory workers with allergies caused by Bt Cotton. Itching skin, eruptions on the body, swollen faces etc., were also reported, correlated with levels of exposure to Bt Cotton.
Organizations like Greanpeace have been in the forefront of the campaign opposing the GM variety of Brinjal.
Bt Brinjal in India
Bt Brinjal is being developed in India by M/s Mahyco [Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company]. No GM Brinjal has been released for an advanced stage of field trials in open conditions anywhere in the world.
On February 9, 2010 the government of India officially announced that it needs some more time to release Bt brinjal. Indian Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said that there is no over-riding urgency to introduce Bt Brinjal in India.

RADIOIMMUNOASSAY

The technique of radioimmunoassay has revolutionized research and clinical practice in many areas, e.g.,
• blood banking
• diagnosis of allergies
• endocrinology
The technique was introduced in 1960 by Berson and Yalow as an assay for the concentration of insulin in plasma. It represented the first time that hormone levels in the blood could be detected by an in vitro assay.
The Technique

•  A mixture is prepared
•  radioactive antigen

                Because of the ease with which iodine atoms can be introduced into tyrosine residues in a protein, the radioactive isotopes 125I or 131I are often used.

    o antibodies against that antigen.

• Known amounts of unlabeled ("cold") antigen are added to samples of the mixture. These compete for the binding sites of the antibodies.
• At increasing concentrations of unlabeled antigen, an increasing amount of radioactive antigen is displaced from the antibody molecules.
• The antibody-bound antigen is separated from the free antigen in the supernatant fluid, and
• the radioactivity of each is measured.
• From these data, a standard binding curve, like this one shown in red, can be drawn.

STEM CELL

Stem cells have the remarkable potential to develop into many different cell types in the body during early life and growth.In addition, in many tissues they serve as a sort of internal

repair system, dividing essentially without limit to replenish other cells as long as the person or animal is still alive. When a stem cell divides, each new cell has the potential either

to remain a stem cell or become another type of cell with a more specialized function, such as a muscle cell, a red blood cell, or

a brain cell.Stem cells are distinguished from other cell types by two important characteristics. First, they are unspecialized cells capable of renewing themselves through cell division, sometimes after long periods of inactivity. Second, under certain

physiologic or experimental conditions, they can be induced to become tissue- or organ-specific cells with special functions. In some organs, such as the gut and bone marrow, stem cells regularly divide to repair and replace worn out or damaged

tissues. In other organs, however, such as the pancreas and the heart, stem cells only divide under special conditions. Until recently, scientists primarily worked with two kinds of  stem cells from animals and humans: embryonic stem cells and non-embryonic "somatic" or "adult" stem cells. Scientists discovered ways to derive embryonic stem cells from early mouse embryos nearly 30 years ago, in 1981. The detailed study of the biology of mouse stem cells led to the discovery, in 1998, of a method toderive stem cells from human embryos and grow the cells in the laboratory. These cells are called human embryonic stem cells. The embryos used in these studies were created for reproductive purposes through in vitro fertilization procedures. When they were no longer needed for that purpose, they were donated for research with the informed consent of the donor. In 2006, researchers made another breakthrough by identifying conditions that would allow some specialized adult cells to be "reprogrammed" genetically to assume a stem cell-like state. This new type of stem cell, called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)

WESTERN BLOTTING

 Western blot analysis can detect one protein in a mixture of any number of proteins while giving you information about the size of the protein. It does not matter whether the protein has been synthesized in vivo or in vitro. This method is, however, dependent on the use of a high-quality antibody directed against a desired protein. So you must be able to produce at least a small portion of the protein from a cloned DNA fragment. You will use this antibody as a probe to detect the protein of interest. Western blotting tells you how much protein has accumulated in cells. If you are interested in the rate of synthesis of a protein, Radio-Immune Precipitation (RIP) may be the best assay for you. Also, if a protein is degraded quickly, Western blotting won't detect it well; you'll need to use (RIP). See the section on RIP for more information, as well as a helpful comparative chart that illustrates the differences between these two techniques.

Let's look at this technique in greater detail.

1. Separate the proteins using SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (also known as SDS-PAGE). This separates the proteins by size.
2.  Place a nitrocellulose membrane on the gel and, using electrophoresis, drive the protein (polypeptide) bands onto the nitrocellulose membrane. You want the negative charge to be on the side of the gel and the positive charge to be on the side of the nitrocellulose membrane to drive the negatively charged proteins over to the positively charged nitrocellulose membrane. This gives you a nitrocellulose membrane that is imprinted with the same protein bands as the gel. One thing to be aware of is that proteins bind better to nitrocellulose at a low pH. You may need to go through some trial-and-error to find the optimal pH. You also need to be sure there are no air bubbles between the nitrocellulose and the gel or your proteins will not transfer. 
3. Incubate the nitrocellulose membrane with a primary antibody. Click here to find out more about how to make a primary antibody. The primary antibody, which is the specific antibody mentioned above, sticks to your protein and forms an antibody-protein complex with the protein of interest. Milk does a blotting good An item to remember here is that antibodies are also proteins, and that proteins like to bind to nitrocellulose. So before you add your primary antibody, be sure to mask the nitrocellulose by incubating it in a blot. One of the best blotting agents around is Carnation Nonfat Dry Milk. Don't go for the generic to save a few pennies, only this brand will do. Nobody seems to know why Carnation works so well, but it does. 
4. Incubate the nitrocellulose membrane with a secondary antibody. This antibody should be an antibody-enzyme conjugate. The secondary antibody should be an antibody against the primary antibody. This means the secondary antibody will "stick" to the primary antibody, just like the primary antibody "stuck" to the protein. The conjugated enzyme is there to allow you to visualize all of this. It's kind of like a molecular flare stuck on the antibodies so you can visualize what s going on. 
5. To actually see your enzyme in action, you'll need to incubate it in a reaction mix that is specific for your enzyme. If everything worked properly, you will see bands wherever there is a protein-primary antibody-secondary antibody-enzyme complex, or, in other words, wherever your protein is. 
6. Put x-ray film on your gel to detect a flash of light, which is given off by the enzyme. The reaction usually runs out in about an hour.

Making a primary antibody

This description assumes you have available purified protein. Run the protein on an SDS-PAGE gel. Stain the gel with KCl. The KCl forms a precipitate with the SDS. Since the area with the protein has a low concentration of SDS, the area with the protein will not show a precipitate. This will allow you to see the protein band as a clear band against a milky white precipitate on the rest of the gel. Carefully cut out the band and soak it in 1 mL PBS buffer. Crush it and make an emulsion with 1 mL Freund's Complete Adjuvant (which is an oily substance). The complete adjuvant contains microbacteria (an immune stimulant) to increase the immune response. Inject this subscapularly into a rabbit. This is your first inoculation. Only use the complete adjuvant for the first inoculation. NEVER inject a rabbit with complete adjuvant more than one time.

Rest the rabbit for one month, then repeat the process using an incomplete adjuvant. You can expect to see good antibody titers about 10 days after the second booster. Bleed the rabbit. You can expect about 30 to 40 mL per bleeding, and about 50 percent of the volume is serum. Now you have rabbit antisera. To get your primary antibody, dilute the rabbit antisera in blotto (aka Carnation Nonfat Dry Instant Milk) and apply it to your nitrocellulose blot. Make sure you dilute 1:500 to 1:100 in blotto; less dilution will give you background binding and really muddy up your results.

Secondary antibody

This is much easier than the procedure for the primary antibody. Grab a catalogue and look for a goat-anti-rabbit antibody conjugated to horseradish peroxidase (HRP). The goat-anti-rabbit is your secondary antibody (the one that "sticks" to the primary antibody) and the HRP is the conjugated enzyme that will allow you to visualize your protein.

CANCER

Cancer is a class of diseases characterized by out-of-control cell growth. There are over100 different types of cancer, and each is classified by the type of cell that is initially affected.Cancer harms the body when damaged cells divide uncontrollably to form lumps or masses of tissue called tumors (except in the case of leukemia where cancer prohibits normal blood function by abnormal cell division in the blood stream). Tumors can grow and interfere with the digestive, nervous, and circulatory systems, and they can release hormones that alter body function. Tumors that stay in one spot and demonstrate  limited growth are generally considered to be benign.

More dangerous, or malignant, tumors form when two things

occur:

a cancerous cell manages to move throughout the body using

the blood or lymph systems, destroying healthy tissue in a

process called invasion that cell manages to divide and grow,

making new blood vessels to feed itself in a process called

angiogenesis.When a tumor successfully spreads to other parts

of the body and grows, invading and destroying other healthy

tissues, it is said to have metastasized. This process itself

is called metastasis, and the result is a serious condition

that is very difficult to treat.

In 2007, cancer claimed the lives of about 7.6 million people

in the world. Physicians and researchers who specialize in the

study, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of cancer are called oncologists.

What causes cancer?

Cancer is ultimately the result of cells that uncontrollably

grow and do not die. Normal cells in the body follow an orderly

path of growth, division, and death. Programmed cell death is

called apoptosis, and when this process breaks down, cancer begins

to form. Unlike regular cells, cancer cells do not experience

programmatic death and instead continue to grow and divide. This

leads to a mass of abnormal cells that grows out of control.

CAN WE GROW PLANT WITHOUT SOIL?

Hydroponics (from the Greek words hydro water and ponos labor)
is a method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions,
in water, without soil. Terrestrial plants may be grown with
their roots in the mineral nutrient solution only or in an inert
medium, such as perlite, gravel, mineral wool, or coconut husk.

Researchers discovered in the 19th century that plants absorb
essential mineral nutrients as inorganic ions in water. In natural
conditions, soil acts as a mineral nutrient reservoir but the soil
itself is not essential to plant growth. When the mineral nutrients
in the soil dissolve in water, plant roots are able to absorb them.
When the required mineral nutrients are introduced into a plant's
water supply artificially, soil is no longer required for the plant
to thrive. Almost any terrestrial plant will grow with hydroponics.
Hydroponics is also a standard technique in biology research and
teaching.
Techniques
The two main types of hydroponics are solution culture and medium
culture. Solution culture does not use a solid medium for the roots,
just the nutrient solution. The three main types of solution culture
are static solution culture, continuous flow solution culture and
aeroponics. The medium culture method has a solid medium for the roots
and is named for the type of medium, e.g. sand culture, gravel culture
or rockwool culture. There are two main variations for each medium,
subirrigation and top irrigation. For all techniques, most hydroponic
reservoirs are now built of plastic but other materials have been used
including concrete, glass, metal, vegetable solids and wood. The
containers should exclude light to prevent algae growth in the nutrient
solution