Category Archives: Genetic Engineering

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 6-Oct-2014 Contact: Kathryn Ryan kryan@liebertpub.com 914-740-2100 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News @LiebertOnline New Rochelle, NY, October 6, 2014Self-management of diabetes, including medication, nutrition, and lifestyle strategies, is essential for optimal glycemic control and minimizing complications of the disease. Education to teach and improve self-management skills is critical for success and, when delivered via the Internet, can lead to better glycemic control and enhanced diabetes knowledge compared to usual care, according to a Review article in Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics (DTT), a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the DTT website at http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/dia.2014.0155 until November 6, 2014. Katherine Pereira, DNP, Beth Phillips, MSN, Constance Johnson, PhD, and Allison Vorderstrasse DNSc, Duke University School of Nursing (Durham, NC), review various methods of delivering diabetes education via the Internet and compare their effectiveness in improving diabetes-related outcomes. In the article "Internet Delivered Diabetes Self-Management Education: A Review" the authors describe some of the benefits of this method of educating patients, including ease of access and the ability to self-pace through the materials. "With the increasing prevalence of diabetes globally and a decreasing number of available healthcare providers, alternative approaches and better … Continue reading →

There is Plastic in Our Vegetation There is plastic in our vegetation. Plants here and around the world are suffering in pain due to genetic engineering. We must stop the manipulation of God's creation now. This world is... By: Rose Mela … Continue reading →

DEFINITION of 'Genetic Engineering' The artificial modification of an organisms genetic composition. Genetic engineering (GE) typically involves transferring genes from one organism into another organism of a different species in order to give the latter specific traits of the former. The resulting organism is called a transgenic or genetically modified organism (GMO). Examples of such organisms include plants that are resistant to certain insects and plants that can withstand herbicides. Genetic engineering is also being used on farm animals, with research objectives such as ensuring chickens cannot spread avian flu to other birds, or that cattle cannot develop the infectious prions that cause mad cow disease. However, no genetically engineered animal products have yet been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for human consumption. Commercial cultivation of genetically engineered crops such as soybean, maize, canola and cotton started in the early 1990s and has grown very substantially since then. Genetically engineered or GMO crops were commercially planted on 150 million hectares in 22 developed and developing nations as of 2010, compared with less than 10 million hectares in 1996. Genetic engineering and GMO are topics of spirited debate between its adherents and opponents. Supporters of genetic engineering claim … Continue reading →

Dawkins And Krauss Q A The Unbelievers Hot Docs Toronto 2013 Lawrence Krauss and Richard Dawkins talk about their religious friends, abiogenesis, sexual selection, genetic engineering, and eugenics after the premiere of The Unbelievers in Toronto. By: Daniel Torres … Continue reading →

Fairfax NZ PROTEST: Luthar Donselaar, 6, at a New Plymouth march against the use of genetically modified organisms in New Zealand food. A visit to an experimental farm run by the Monsanto Corporation and others in the Mississippi delta has changed the way Southland Federated Farmers' president Russell MacPherson views genetic modification (GM). MacPherson admits he left New Zealand thinking genetic modification of crops was not important to New Zealand farmers, but after seeing several effective applications of the technology in the Mississippi River delta, he believes farmers here should at least debate the potential benefits of the technology. "I think it's important that New Zealanders don't just put genetic engineering on the shelf because we're not interested," he said. "Let's not become an agricultural museum. "There are some aspects of genetic engineering that could actually help resolve some environmental problems in New Zealand." The Mississippi River is renowned for its heavy sediment loading from intensive farming of its flood plains, concisely captured in the famous adage: "Too thick to drink and too thin to plough." During a recent farming study tour of the United States with 25 Southland farmers, MacPherson visited a corn farm in the Mississippi River delta … Continue reading →

Farewell - Batch of 2015, Dept of Genetic Engineering,SRM University Department of Genetic Engineering,SRM University http://www.srmgenetics.info Concept By - Rex Arunraj Rendition by - Ramanathan Yegappan. By: Ramanathan Yegappan … Continue reading →

Farmer Paul Schlagel tills acres of sugar beets in Longmont last week. Schlagel uses GMOs and is against the labeling measure. (Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post) With the Nov. 4 ballot measure, Colorado is at the forefront of a fierce food fight raging across the nation: whether or not to label foods made with genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, so consumers can easily see if the food they buy is a product of genetic engineering. Similar ballot initiatives failed in California and Washington in the past two years. This spring, Vermont became the first state to approve GMO labeling. But then a group of national organizations led by the Grocery Manufacturers Association filed a lawsuit in federal court that challenges the new law. This could be the first of many lawsuits to block mandatory GMO labeling, experts say, and now Colorado jumps into the high-stakes debate. "It will be a hot issue for quite a while in this state," said Katie Abrams, an assistant professor at Colorado State University who researches consumer understanding of food labels. "And it's going on in more places than just Colorado." GMO labeling will also be on the ballot in Oregon, and this year … Continue reading →

Genetic engineering in plants This plant genetic engineering lecture explains different process and techniques used in plant biotechnology in overview session. For more information, log o... By: Suman Bhattacharjee … Continue reading →

Genetic engineering is a set of technologies used to change the genetic makeup of cells, including thetransfer of genes within and across species boundaries to produce improved or novel organisms. The techniques involve sophisticated manipulations of genetic material and other biologically important chemicals. Genes are the chemical blueprints that determine an organism's traits. Moving genes from one organism to another transfers those traits. Through genetic engineering, organisms can be given targeted combinations of new genesand therefore new combinations of traitsthat do not occur in nature and, indeed, cannot be developed by natural means. Such an approach is different from classical plant and animal breeding, which operates through selection across many generations for traits of interest. Classical breeding operates on traits, only indirectly selecting genes, whereas biotechnology targets genes, attempting to influence traits. The potential of biotechnology is to rapidly accelerate the rate of progress and efficiency of breeding. Novel organisms Nature can produce organisms with new gene combinations through sexual reproduction. A brown cow bred to a yellow cow may produce a calf of a completely new color. But reproductive mechanisms limit the number of new combinations. Cows must breed with other cows (or very near relatives). A breeder who … Continue reading →

Even before Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on his US visit, the Sangh Parivar has come out with its demands. Vijnana Bharati, a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-inspired organisation working in the field of science, told Modi, through an open letter, not to invite any sort of investments in the field of genetic engineering technologies to produce seeds in India. "Indian farmers and scientific community are engaged in a relentless war against the field trials announced by the Union government and the introduction of genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) without adequate research," said A Jayakumar, secretary-general, Vijnana Bharati. According to Jayakumar, the PM had already mentioned he would seek investments in the biotechnology sector during his US visit. "While investments in other fields of biotechnology might be desirable, investments in genetic engineering for producing seeds should be strictly avoided due to certain critical factors. Most importantly, genetic engineering technologies go hand-in-hand with royalties. The monopoly of Monsanto in Maharashtra has led to serious debts incurred by farmers resulting in large-scale suicides," the open letter said. The letter noted the experience in the US, where herbicide-resistant GMO seeds have led to the emergence of super weeds, which are uncontrollable. "As the Technical Expert Committee appointed … Continue reading →