Biotechnology in agriculture

Nature of science:

Assessing risks and benefits associated with scientific research—scientists need to evaluate the potential of herbicide resistance genes escaping into the wild population. (4.8)

• Transgenic organisms produce proteins that were not previously part of their species’ proteome.
• Genetic modification can be used to overcome environmental resistance to increase crop yields.
• Genetically modified crop plants can be used to produce novel products.
• Bioinformatics plays a role in identifying target genes.
• The target gene is linked to other sequences that control its expression.
• An open reading frame is a significant length of DNA from a start codon to a stop codon.
• Marker genes are used to indicate successful uptake.
• Recombinant DNA must be inserted into the plant cell and taken up by its chromosome or chloroplast DNA.
• Recombinant DNA can be introduced into whole plants, leaf discs or protoplasts.
• Recombinant DNA can be introduced by direct physical and chemical methods or indirectly by vectors.

Applications and skills:

• Application: Use of tumour-inducing (Ti) plasmid of Agrobacterium tumefaciens to introduce glyphosate resistance into soybean crops.
• Application: Genetic modification of tobacco mosaic virus to allow bulk production of Hepatitis B vaccine in tobacco plants.
• Application: Production of Amflora potato (Solanum tuberosum) for paper and adhesive industries.
• Skill: Evaluation of data on the environmental impact of glyphosate-tolerant soybeans.
• Skill: Identification of an open reading frame (ORF).

• Syllabus and cross-curricular links:
• Biology
• Topic 1.5 The origin of cells
• Topic 3.5 Genetic modification and biotechnology
• Environmental systems and societies
• Topic 5.2 Terrestrial food production systems

Aims:

• Aim 7: Use of bioinformatics to determine sequences to be modified.
• Aim 8: There are ethical and political implications in the introduction of the genetically modified potato Amflora in Europe.

• A significant length of DNA for an open reading frame contains sufficient nucleotides to code for a polypeptide chain.
• Limit the chemical methods of introducing genes into plants to calcium chloride and liposomes.
• Limit the physical methods of introducing genes into plants to electroporation, microinjection and biolistics (gunshot).
• Limit vectors to Agrobacterium tumefaciens and tobacco mosaic virus.