Should the Government allow Designer Babies?

Should the Government Allow Designer Babies?

By: Megan Kang

The government should not allow designer babies. Since designer babies allow the parents to choose desired non-medical/physical characteristics, there would be gaps in social classes and would erase the diversity in ethnicities.


People in the lower class wouldn't be able to afford to have designer babies and so they might be "shunned" or looked down upon because they don't meet the new "perfect" standards. There would also be no difference between ethnicities and would create a perfect, superficial standard all people needs to be.

How Gene Manipulation Occurs

How Gene Manipulation/Engineering Occurs

By: Megan Kang

Gene manipulation is the use of different methods in order to manipulate the genetic cells (DNA) to change hereditary traits. Scientists use different techniques to extract DNA from cells to cut DNA into smaller pieces. They inspect the smaller pieces to identify the sequence of bases in the molecule and to make unlimited copies of DNA. There are several steps in Gene Manipulation. Extracting the DNA, cutting the DNA, separating the DNA, reading the sequence, cutting and pasting, and copying.

DNA Extraction

Through a simple chemical procedure, the cells are opened and the DNA is separated from the other parts. Then the DNA is extracted.

Cutting DNA

Since DNA molecules are too large, it is difficult to analyze it as a whole. Restriction enzymes cuts the DNA into smaller fragments so that it becomes easier too analyze. Each restriction enzymes cut the DNA sequence at a specific nucleotide sequence.

Separating DNA / Gel Electrophoresis

Gel electrophoresis analyzes and separates the fragments by size. A mixture of DNA fragments are placed at one end of a gel and with electric power the negatively charged DNA molecules move toward the positive end of the gel. The small the fragment, the faster and farter it move

Transgenic Organisms

These organisms contain genes from another species. With the techniques of genetic engineering, a gene from one organism is inserted into cells from another organism. These cells can then be used to grow new organisms.

Works Cited

Works Cited

"THE PROS AND CONS OF "DESIGNER BABIES"" The Ethics of Designer Babies. N.p., 28 Apr. 2013. Web. 10 Jan. 2016.                         

"Genetic Engineering in Agriculture." Union of Concerned Scientists. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Jan. 2016.

"What Is Gene Therapy?" Genetics Home Reference. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Jan. 2016.

"How Do Designer Babies Work??" Designer Babies. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Jan. 2016.

HowStuffWorks. HowStuffWorks.com, n.d. Web. 10 Jan. 2016.

" ." The Nature Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Jan. 2016.

Introduction of Designer Babies

Introduction of Designer Babies

By: Megan Kang

Designer baby is a baby that has been genetically modified. A designer baby is a term used to describe a baby who has been artificially made using in-vitro fertilization. Designer babies refer to the genetic modification of human sex cells in order to produce a baby with desired characteristics. To achieve this, several steps are taken leading up to the completed embryo. First, a procedure is performed on embryos before the implantation. This process is frequently called Embryo screening but is also called pre-implantation genetic diagnosis. This medical procedure allows the parents to keep or discard the embryo. Scientists remove a cell ( within the first five days of its creation) and the cell is genetically tested. Then the parents decide if they would like to keep or discard the embryo.   This process was used to ensure that babies did not have genetic defects in the past. However, recently this process has been used to select desired nonmedical traits such as hair color, sex, eye color, etc.

http://designerbabies-information.weebly.com/how-do-designer-babies-work.html

http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/genetic/designer-children.htm

Comparing and Contrasting Genetically Modified Foods and Genetic Technology for Health

Comparing and Contrasting Genetically Modified Foods and Genetic Technology for Health

By Rita Debbaneh

Similar =    
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           Genetic engineering has affected many aspects of present-day life, especially in health and agriculture. Thanks to leaps and bounds in research, scientists are able to modify agricultural crops in order to make up for vitamin deficiencies, or use genetics to determine the best drug or prevention for a disease. The technology for the modification of these two vastly different fields are roughly the same, but carry their own differences as well.
                                     
         Staying healthy is a necessity in today's world, and genetic factors have begun to play a significant roll in diagnosing, treating, and preventing diseases. The Human Genome Project, a 13 year endeavor, aimed to sequence all the base pairings in the human body, and in doing so was able to   gain a better understanding of genes in sicknesses, making advances in biotechnology and pharmacogenomics. Scientists are able to give patients the best drug to their disease, depending on their genes. There are also more efficient ways to diagnose, treat, and stop illnesses. 

       In genetic engineering, a new form of technology, called Inheritable Gene Modification, is slowly coming to light. As an embryo, the genes of the organism can be modified. Right now, only the sex of the child can be chosen, but there will be more options down the road. 

       When there is a faulty cell, with a defective gene, which can produce bad proteins and start illnesses, scientists can insert a carrier virus, called a vector, with enhanced DNA, to replace the gene.  This can modify any shortcomings, and eradicate disease, even though this genetic therapy is expiremental right now.

           GMO crops can serve for many purposes, whether to make up for nutritional values or produce a natural pesticide. Ethanol is the second-leading corn product in the U.S, and as a GMO, it can produce 67% more energy. Scientists alter its genome, or genetic makeup, for this to take place. If a country is suffering economically and can't import food, while not having suitable land for planting crops, GMO crops can be modified in order to be hardy and provide the nutrition the country's inhibitants. Or if a main food staple has a vitamin deficiency,  these crops can be modified to provide the vitamins need, all in all making it healthier. 

                         

 Links

Videos 

http://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-genetic-engineering-definition-benefits-issues.html

Additional Reading 

http://www.ers.usda.gov/media/1282246/err162.pdf 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2408621/

http://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/genetically-modified-organisms-gmos-transgenic-crops-and-732    

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7843876

http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/vol132008/No1Jan08/GeneticandGenomicHealthcare.html

Applications of Genetic Technology

Applications of Genetic Technology

By Rita Debbaneh

                  Animals: Animals can be genetically modified, in order to be hardier or produce more products. For example, cattle can be enhanced to be stockier and produce more meat. Or the genes of a fish can be altered so it may glow in the dark, or the silk-making gene of a spider can be placed in the DNA of a goat.

               Agriculture: When insects are attacking a farmer's crop and they spend a large yearly sum on pesticides, a company can produce a genetically-modified plant which can resist insects, because of a natural pesticide. This can also be used when a country has a nutritional deficiency in their main food staple. A company can modify a plant to make up for these shortcomings. Lastly, if a fuel company wants to sell ethanol with a higher percentage of energy, then they can use genetically-modified corn.

              Biotechnology: The application of biological organisms in technology. The Human Genome Project was a revolution in science, and placed the U.S. in a leading position in biotechnology. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and U.S. Department of Energy teamed together to sequence all 3 billion base pairings in the human body, starting in 1990 and ending in 2003.

             Cloning: A popular example is Dolly the Sheep: an embryo was taken and its nucleus was extracted while the remains were discarded. Meanwhile, the embryo of another sheep was taken and its nucleus was discarded and replaced by the nucleus from the first sheep's embryo. This embryo, in turn, was placed in a completely different sheep, and that sheep gave birth to an exact clone of the very first sheep.

             Designer Babies: Babies genetically modified when an embryo. This procedure is still an experiment, but the goal is to genetically modify the embryo so the life span may be longer, its intelligence higher, e.t.c. As of now, only the sex of the baby can be determined, but later on, there will be more options, like appearance and disease immunity.
     

                Gene Therapy: Gene therapy is when a faulty gene is replaced, in order to cure or prevent an illness. The cell will not accept a new gene inserted directly, so a carrier known as a vector is genetically engineered to do so. At times, a weakened virus can be used, because they can longer cause disease. The vector is usually injected or given through IV (through the veins). This procedure is still an experiment.

            Pharmacogenomics: The study of how genes are affected by drugs and medicine. The Human Genome Project sequenced all 3 billion DNA base pairings in the human body, allowing scientists to gain a better understanding of the genetic factors of illnesses. Thanks to the HGP, a doctor or scientist can select the best medicine to treat the patient, based on their DNA and genetic factors.

        

  

Gene Therapy Research CER

Gene Therapy Research CER

By Rita Debbaneh

     Genes are hereditary units which are passed down from the parent to the offspring through reproduction. They're found in DNA strands, which are made out of a sugar-phosphate backbone and nucleotides bound by hydrogen bonds. DNA strands can be found in chromosomes, which are found in the nucleus of a cell. When there is a defect in the DNA, it is known as a mutation. Several examples include insertion, when a gene is inserted in the chromosome, and deletion, or when a gene is deleted. Mutations can often be harmful and cause diseases or faulty proteins. However, there is a cure in the making, called gene therapy.

           Gene therapy is when a faulty gene is replaced, in order to cure or prevent an illness. The cell will not accept a new gene inserted directly, so a carrier known as a vector is genetically engineered to do so. At times, a weakend virus can be used, because they can longer cause disease. The vector is usually injected or given through IV (through the veins).

           

          The U.S. government should allow research for gene therapy to commence, and if already started, to continue. There are numerous regulations and laws to protect people acting as research subjects or seeking gene therapy. The U.S. Food and Drug Adminstration, or the FDA, oversees all cases of gene therapy projects, and can easily turn down anything which looks suspicious or hazardous. Additionally, the National Institutes of Health, or NIH, provides a strict protocol for scientists and institutions to follow when completing research for gene therapy, while the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) review and approve gene therapy trials. Furthermore, defective cells will be replaced, eradicating many diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. With the plethora of departments and institutions closely monitoring clinical trials and resarch of gene therapy, as well as the many regulations, any health hazards can be avoided. If research can continue, a better understanding of gene therapy may come to light to the public. Also, at first, only people with a higher income and per capita may afford this procedure, but as more clinics for gene therapy are made, and more efficient ways are discovered, they can be open to people with lower income as well, erasing the ethical issue of "class." Many lethal diseases can be prevented, and even though this treatment can cause hazards like inflammation, it must be considered that many surgeries also have these downsides, and this is a surgical operation which can stop many sicknesses. 

Links

Videos 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=U3RygvuSrok

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ez560GnkSrE

Additional Reading

https://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/physician-resources/medical-science/genetics-molecular-medicine/current-topics/gene-therapy.page?

 http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/genetherapy/gtsuccess/

Important Vocab

Gene Therapy: When a faulty gene is replaced to prevent illness.

IRB: Institutional Review Board.

NIH: National Institutes of Health.

IBC: Institutional Biosafety Committee.

FDA: Food and Drug Adminstration.