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Of the 111 hectares of soybean grown worldwide in 2014, 82% was genetically modified in some way. Seventeen countries grew a total of 55.2 million hectares of genetically modified maize and fifteen grew 23.9 hectares of genetically modified cotton. Nine million hectares of genetically modified canola was grown with 8 million of those in Canada.
A significant environmental concern about using genetically modified crops is possible cross-breeding with related crops, giving them advantages over naturally occurring varieties. One example is a glyphosate-resistant rice crop that crossbreeds with a weedy relative, giving the weed a competitive advantage.
Scientists modified bacteria to produce chymosin, which was also able to clot milk, resulting in cheese curds. [54] The first genetically modified food approved for release was the Flavr Savr tomato in 1994. [4] Developed by Calgene, it was engineered to have a longer shelf life by inserting an antisense gene that delayed ripening. [55]
A genetically modified organism (GMO) is any organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques.The exact definition of a genetically modified organism and what constitutes genetic engineering varies, with the most common being an organism altered in a way that "does not occur naturally by mating and/or natural recombination". [1]
Genetically modified plants have been engineered for scientific research, to create new colours in plants, deliver vaccines, and to create enhanced crops. Plant genomes can be engineered by physical methods or by use of Agrobacterium for the delivery of sequences hosted in T-DNA binary vectors .
The first genetically modified animal to be commercialised was the GloFish, a Zebra fish with a fluorescent gene added that allows it to glow in the dark under ultraviolet light. [31] It was released to the US market in 2003. [32] The first genetically modified animal to be approved for food use was AquAdvantage salmon in 2015. [33]
Modified starches are used in practically all starch applications, such as in food products as a thickening agent, stabilizer or emulsifier; in pharmaceuticals as a disintegrant; or as binder in coated paper. They are also used in many other applications. [2] Starches are modified to enhance their performance in different applications.
The bacteria can be modified to operate more efficiently, reduce toxic byproduct production, increase output, create improved compounds, and remove unnecessary pathways. [11] Food products from genetically modified bacteria include alpha-amylase , which converts starch to simple sugars, chymosin , which clots milk protein for cheese making, and ...