Genetic Engineering- Applications

- Enhance quality of food: e.g. incorporation of beta carotene (vitamin A) producing gene in rice for areas that are affected by night blindness.

-Production of human insulin, antibiotics and hormones in a very cost effective manne

 -Treat diseases and conditions such as AIDS, cystic fibrosis, cancer and genetic disorders

-Creating a crop that is resistant to a specific herbicide

-Create plants that can tolerate high salinity and drought (helps in managing climate change)

-Increase milk production in cattle or increase protein content in the milk produced

-In the future, it can be used to regrow damaged body parts, teeth, and nerve cells (treat paralysis

-Clone organisms or even Humans (but there are ethical concerns

-Modify plants to produce larger, and “better” tasting fruits

-Modified plants that can absorb pollutants from the environment and break them down into harmless substances

 -Engineered bananas, potatoes, lettuce, carrots and tobacco to produce vaccines