Cancer can be a good thing

There are many scientists that are concentrating their research on genetically modified organisms. A GMO is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. These techniques, generally known as recombinant DNA technology, use DNA molecules from different sources, which are combined into one molecule to create a new set of genes. This DNA is then transferred into an organism, giving it modified or novel genes. Genetic engineering is being used as a means to speed or supplement conventional breeding of perennial energy crops. In agriculture many plants are genetically modified to be resistant to insects and pesticides, two traits that can be economically valuable to farmers. Small scale experimental plantings of genetically modified (GM) plants began in Canada and the U.S. in the late 1980s. The first approvals for large scale, commercial cultivation came in the mid 1990s. Since that time, adoption of GM plants by farmers has increased annually. In the article I chose, scientists focus on genes that can cause a delay in differentiation. Cellular differentiation is the process in which less specialized cells become more specialized. This means that the cells will develop into a certain kind of cell such as a root or stem cell in plants. In humans this is when cells are developed into liver cells or heart cells. Instead of being a basic cell they now have a specific purpose in that particular organism. If they don’t differentiate then they will be in a continuous state of proliferation. Cellular proliferation is the multiplication or reproduction of cells that result in the expansion of a cell population. This is commonly known as cell growth. When cells are continuously being replicated in humans in can cause tumors. In this article scientists study the characteristics and functions of the gene UPBEAT1. This gene promotes rapid growth in plants by delaying the differentiation process in plants. In other words the gene discovered, called UPBEAT1, causes cancer in plants. In agriculture, especially when it comes to biofuels, cancer can be a really good thing. If plants are continuously growing and growing at a faster rate, farmers are able to get more yields out of their crops. By understanding how UPBEAT1 works, scientists can create GMOs that will drastically increase the yield of certain switch grasses and corn to produce more biofuels. However the article also points out that government regulations are holding back this research and can have a negative impact in the agriculture world. Most regulations and laws have been imposed because officials assume the GE organisms are pests and weeds until proven otherwise by extensive research and experimentation. Since research in not always allowed many of the GMOs in this day and age are pretty much patented by the companies that engineered them. Although a number of exotic species are available and many more are being tested, they pose a serious risk of spread from extensive plantings, which could cause broad ecosystem alterations. However only four species of crops, corn, maize, cotton, and canola, have been genetically engineered for herbicide or insecticide resistance.