~Winner of GenEdNet’s 2008 DNA Day Essay Contest~
The greatest dream of Stephen Hawking, the renowned theoretical physicist and sufferer of the genetic disease Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is to go into space. While through his theories he has metaphorically done just that, in his paralyzed state he may never physically be able to go into space. (9) Usually fatal, ALS is a genetic disorder caused by the deterioration of motor neurons, nerve cells in the central nervous system that control voluntary muscle movement. Hope exists for the future: the discovery of a new gene that causes some forms of ALS will enable the development of new model systems to understand the disease and open the way for development of new treatments. (10)
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions for the development and functioning of living organisms. The genotype is the genetic makeup, or genome of an organism. The phenotype is the observable physical characteristics of an organism as determined by the genome and environmental influence. Genetic engineering, the alteration of an organism’s genetic material is used for selective breeding, hybridization, and recombinant DNA formation. (7) A form of artificial DNA, recombinant DNA is created through the combination or insertion of one or more DNA strands. Recombinant DNA and selective breeding can be used for many applications.
Understanding the human genome can help human heath care professionals increase the quality of lives, prevent future diseases, and reduce medical costs. Gene therapy will be able to treat and prevent the four-thousand diseases in humans and animals caused by dysfunctional genes. (5) If a gene is altered so that the encoded protein cannot carry out their normal functions, genetic disorders result like cancer, autism, heart disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis(ALS), diabetes, and color blindness. (5) Though some genetic disorders such as cancer are traced to genetic abnormalities acquired during life in a few cells, most gene diseases are inherited from the parents and are present in all parts of the body. Gene therapy corrects dysfunctional genes by either fixing dysfunctional genes or replacing abnormal genes with normal genes. (4) Celera, Inc is using genetic discoveries to deliver disease management solutions. (1)
Mapping the microbial genome can assist in developing vaccines for antibiotic-resistant pathogens, such as the drug-resistant bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). If scientists study the bacteria’s genes, they can understand the correct genes needed to make vaccines prevent diseases. Through its Microbial Genome Program (MGP), the US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science has sequenced more than 485 microbial genomes and 30 microbial communities having specialized biological capabilities. (8)
Geneticists can help clean up the earth by putting artificially bred microbes to work. Microbes could help us survive by cleaning up toxic waste sites, managing the atmosphere’s high carbon dioxide, detecting disease-causing organisms, and degrading toxic substances. Microbes could break down carbon dioxide into harmless molecules. They could also manufacture and develop renewable energy sources people need like methane and hydrogen. (8)
Traditional breeding and genetic engineering can insert genes from one plant into another and create disease resistant, less costly, and increased nutritional value crops. From Ethiopia, a barley plant has provided genes that protect California’s $160 million barley crop from the lethal yellow dwarf virus. The United States sugarcane industry was saved from a collapse by a gene from a wild Asian sugarcane species. Genes from an Indian species of wild rice protect Asian crops from four major rice diseases. (6) Rice is the predominant food in developing countries, and it provides twenty-seven percent of dietary energy supply. (11)
Scientists can help stop the extinction of animals through studying their genetic patterns and selectively breeding them. Because cheetahs are near extinction, each cheetah is closely related to each other and have almost no variety in their phenotype and genotype. (12) Organizations like the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Center(HESC) and zoos are trying to stop cheetah extinction by breeding cheetahs and preventing inbreeding. (2)
Understanding and studying DNA barcodes and genetic information will give us more information about evolution. Philosophical issues concerning biodiversity, phylogenetic inference, and species inference are relevant to DNA barcoding. A DNA barcode refers to a short region of a gene which changes over evolutionary time at a pace that results in calculable differences between species. The Consortium for the Barcode of Life has brought together museums and research organizations with the goal of producing DNA barcoding information for all species. (3)
Mapping the biodiversity of all organisms can help humans solve many problems. Genetic evolution is controversial but with bioethical diligence, maintaining genetic diversity and using applied genetics may help all species of the world including us survive!
References
(1) About Us. (May, 1998)
Web site: http://www.celera.com/celera/about
(2) Breeding programmes. (n.d.)
Web site: http://www.wildlifecentre.co.za/breeding.htm
(3) Biodiversity and DNA barcoding. (June, 2003)
Web site: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/biodiversity/#BioDNABar
(4) Gene Therapy. (February, 2008)
Web site: http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/2827.html
(5) Genetic disorder. (n.d.)
Web site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_disorder
(6) Genetic Diversity. Miller, K. and Tangley, L. (1991)
Web site: http://archive.wri.org/item_detail.cfm?id=2027§ion=
ecosystems&page=pubs_content_text&z
(7) Genetic Engineering. (2007)
Web site: http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761557775/Genetic_Engineering.html
(8) Microbial Genomics. (January 29, 2008)
Web site: http://microbialgenomics.energy.gov/index.shtml
(9) My experience with ALS. (n.d.)
Web site: http://www.hawking.org.uk/disable/dindex.html
(10) New ALS Gene Paves the Way for Better Understanding, New Treatments. Robinson, R. (February 28, 2008)
Web site: http://www.alsa.org/news/article.cfm?id=1225
(11) Nutritional contribution of rice and impact of biotechnology and biodiversity in rice-consuming countries. Kennedy, G., Burlingame, B., and Nguyen, V. (n.d.)
Web site: http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/006/Y4751E/y4751e05.htm
(12) Why does the cheetah lack genetic diversity? (n.d.)
Web site: http://www.cheetah.org/?html=aboutcheetah-03