UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre
Co.) —Genetically engineered
foods, which have been the target
of protests by special interest
groups over the past five years, are
gaining acceptance by the public
at a surprisingly rapid rate, says a
plant geneticist in Penn State’s
College of Agricultural Sciences.
“Genetic engineering has been
in the news every day, and the
public understands the issue better
now than a decade ago,” says
Mark Guiltinan, assistant profes
sor of plant molecular biology.
“Genetic engineering has oc
curred in nature for millions of
years. Mother Nature has probab
ly done just about any experiment
we can think of—most of which
have failed—but now genetic
engineers cah develop plants at
will rather than depending on
nature.”
In 1994, the first genetically
engineered food product, the Flavr
Savr tomato, was approved by the
Food and Drug Administration.
Guiltinan says several other pro
ducts are on the verge of approval,
including potatoes resistant to the
Colorado potato beetle; cotton
resistant to herbicides and boll
worm; and herbicide-resistant
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Genetically Engineered Foods Accepted By
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soybeans.
While media stories and special
interest groups often have empha
sized that genetically altered
plants are not “natural,” Guiltinan
points out that plants have always
been subject to various forms of
natural genetic engineering. He
also notes that Flavr Savr toma
toes are selling consistently well
at supermarkets across the
country.
“Plants have been genetically
manipulated by plant breeding for
more than 10,000 years. Plant
breeding as a science goes back to
the 1800 s and genetic engineering
is the next step,” Guiltinan says.
“Recombinant DNA technology
represents a quantum leap in our
ability to produce better plants
much more consistently. We now
can transfer genes between virtu
ally any two organisms and we are
no longer limited by sexual com
patibility barriers.”
Plant breeding and selection
have given the world a plentiful,
high-quality food supply. Biotech
nology research offers a more
sophisticated set of tools for scien
tists interested in developing new
plants.
“I think any skepticism comes
from a gut-level fear of tinkering
with genes—in other words, play
ing God,” Guiltinan says. “I think
of genetic research not as entering
into some mysterious a'nd
unknowable force but as similar to
working on a car ergine to find
out hpw it works. We just haven’t
taken the entire engine apart yet,
but is is a finite and ultimately
understandable system.
“There are up to 50,000 genes
in a plant cell. We’ve looked at
perhaps 1,000 at the most,” he
adds.
Guiltinan says genetically engi
neered plants offer benefits for
both fanners and consumers. For
example, a potato engineered to
resist pests such as the Colorado
potato beetle reduces a farmer’s
dependence on pesticides, protect
ing both the potatoes and the
environment
Transgenic plants often are
altered only slightly to improve
their natural traits. For example, to
slow the ripening process,
researchers working on the Flavr
Savr tomato altered a single gene
that makes the tomato soften. The
genetic alteration allows the toma
to to remain on the vine longer—
improving flavor—while retain-
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Guiltinan cited other possible
benefits of genetic engineering
such as developing fruit that pro
duces natural vaccines in doses
large enough to improve health in
developing countries: supple
menting graitiSj such as soybeans
and maize, with vitamins; impro
ving the quality of food; and engi
neering easily produced and deliv
erable pharmaceuticals to deve
loping countries.
“Developing a plant that pro
duces a vaccine could solve a huge
problem in developing conntries
—distribution.” Guiltinan
explains. “If the vaccine comes in
seed form, it’s cheap to buy and
transport, and it won’t spoil. Best
of all, it’s self replicating.”
Guiltinan says genetic research
has proven invaluable as a scien
tific tool. “We can use DNA fing
erprinting to track a gene through
out an experiment,” he says. Plant
breeders can use this technology
to speed up the process of tradi
tional breeding, at the same time
making it more precise.
The potential affect of transgen
ic plants on natural ecosystems
has long been a concern of envir
onmentalists, who fear that engi
neered species could expand
rapidly, crowding out wild plant
species. They also are concerned
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that genes might be transferred to
wild plant species. Environmental
groups also warn against engi
neering plants that might select for
strains of super-resistance patho
gens.
Guiltinan agrees these are legi
timate concerns, but he points out
that transgenic plants are subject
to extensive testing before the pro
duct is allowed to be marketed.
“Flavr Savr tomatoes underwent
testing that went well beyond
what is normally required for a
food product,” lie says.
Guiltinan says these concerns
must be addressed on a case-by
case basis and field testing must
be performed to measure the actu
al potential for problems. “Careful
planning, monitoring and agricul
tural practices will all but elimi
nate most of the potential prob
lems without much trouble,” he
says.
Regulations for transgenic food
products are stringent as well,
requiring approval by the FDA
and the U.S. Department of Agri
culture. “Scientists are being
extremely careful about what they
are doing,* 1 Guiltinan says. ‘The
promise of genetically engineered
food is nearly unlimited, and in
my mind at least, this promise far
outweighs any potential prob
lems.”
Becky Ulrich, and Brian Horst.
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