BIOSAFETY & ISSUES WITH GM CROPS

Presented by… Ravindrakumar V. Baria

Dept. of BiotechnologyJunagadh Agricultural University,

Junagadh, India

CONTENT…

1. Introduction2. Issues with GM crops

a) Risk of toxicity/ allergineicity b) Antibiotic resistance c) Turning on of certain genesd) Changes in nutrition levele) Gene Flowf) Resistance of target speciesg) Impact on biodiversity

3. Various Incidences4. Ethical Issues5. Conclusion

‘Biosafety’ means the need to protect human & animal health and

environment from the possible adverse effects of the products of

MODERN BIOTECHNOLOGY

Introduction…

• It’s prevention of large scale loss of Biological Intigrity viz., Ecology and Human Health

• Protect us from harmful incidence• It’s related to several fields…

In Ecology In Agriculture In Medicine In Chemistry In Exobiology

Issues with GM crops…

Risk of toxicity/ allergineicity Addition of new genetic material may activate toxic

pathways Appearance of novel metabolites Introduction of new protein Non immunogenic protein could become

immunogenic / allergineic Development of herbicide-resistant weeds Damage to non-target organisms interacting with GM

crops

Main Concerns…

Development of aggressive weeds/ wild relatives by transfer of transgenic traits

Erosion of land races/wild relatives by genetic pollution in centres of origin/ diversity

Harm to the non-target organisms Development of pest resistance by prolonged use Monoculture and limitations to farmers’ choice in

crop management Hazard to human and animal health by transfer of

toxins and allergens and by creation of new toxins and allergenic compounds

1. Risk of toxicity/ allergineicity

• Brazil nut allergy in soybean • A well-known case of a GM soybean allergy• 2S albumin gene from Brazil nut to soybean

(enhanced methionine) (Julie et al,1996)• Allergen transferred unintentionally from Brazil nut

to GM soybean• Investigations with GM soybean revealed immune

reactions in people with Brazil nut allergies

2. Antibiotic resistance

• Marker gene could induce antibiotic resistance• Would reduce effectiveness of antibiotics to fight

diseases • Conditions for HGT (horizontal gene transfer) :– DNA must be free from the cells– Bacterial recipient must be competent

• Integration depends on sequence homology • HGT of nptII gene can occur 1 in 10 billion

3. Turning on of certain genes

• This is due to Use of promoters of virus origin• Concerns expressed regarding human health

eg. 35S promoter of CaMV• It might be harmful if it invades human cells and

turns on certain genes• Probability is very low and no such report so far

4. Changes in nutrition level

changes in nutrient levels Presence and effect of anti-nutrients Impact of individual changes on overall nutritional profile Unintended effects Random integration of transgenes Insertional mutagenesis Disruption of gene functions Production of new proteins Changes in…

Phenotype Enzymes Genotype

Report spread in 1997 that Roundup Ready soybean produces large quantities of phytoestrogen after

glyphosate spray……Which causes

BREAST CANCER

5. Gene Flow

• Accidental cross between GM plant and traditional local varieties or weedy relative

• Contaminate local variety with transgene (eg.Superweeds)

• Ryegrass highly resistant to glyphosate already found in Austrailia (Gaur et al.,2010)

6. Resistance of target species

• Insect/ virus population rapidly adapt to environmental pressure

• Development of new strains• Development of SUPERBUGS

7. Impact on biodiversity

• Reduction in genetic diversity by development and global spread of improved varieties

• Sustainable agriculture depends on mixed cropping and crop rotation

• Not unique to GM but is relevant to all improved varieties

• Bt protein is highly unstable rapidly degraded in stomach juices of vertebrates and in soil

1. Monarch butterfly incidence

Various Incidences

• Monarch butterfly catterpillers died when fed on Bt maize pollen

• It was a lab experiment• Butterfly fed only on Bt maize pollen• For toxic effect of Bt protein it should meet specific

dose requirement• In nature it is not possible to meet that dose level

2. Warangal Attempt

• Farmers of Warangal district of Andhra Pradesh reported cattle and sheep dying on consuming Bt cotton plants

• No one has so far conclusively proved that Bt protein in the Bt cotton plants was the real culprit

• Why do the cattle die eating Bt cotton only in the Telngana region of Andhra Pradesh ?

• Clearly a mischievous and cheap attempt to denigrate and discredit the Bt technology

Ethical Issues• Unacceptable intervention in “God’s creation violating

barriers in natural world”• Objections to consuming animal genes in plants and

vice-versa• Demand for GM and Non GM food labelling• Biopiracy, or foreign exploitation of natural resources• Critics claim that patent laws give developers of the GM

crops a dangerous degree of control over the food supply

• Domination of world food production by a few companies

Issue with Bt-Cotton

• There have been reports of adverse impact on…SoilsHuman health (allergic symptoms)Toxicity in animals grazing on the Bt Cotton

fields.There have also been reports of large scale

contamination and rapid proliferation of various illegal varieties.

CONCLUSION Biosafety is integral to modern biotechnology The adoption of modern biotech products needs to

be balanced with adequate biosafety safeguards Case by case scientific risk assessment and cost

benefit analysis Greater acceptance of health care applications Need based adoption in GM crops and foods Participation of various stakeholders Dissemination of knowledge and information

Referances…1. Genetically modified crops issues and challenges in

the context of India (Dec 2009)2. ‘WHO: Questions on genetically modified foods’ (http://www.who.int/)

3. IGMORIS - Indian GMO Research Information System (http://www.igmoris.nic.in)

Thank You…!!!