Last 3 hours ago The agricultural company you work for has tasked you and your c

Question

Last 3 hours ago The agricultural company you work for has tasked you and your co-worker to genetically engineer a plant that produces more oxygen that at the same time also produces more sugar Your co-worker states that this is impossible. In 100 words or more, address the following two questions: . How would you respond to your co-worker? . What is your opinion of the ethics of manipulating crop plants in such a way? You must reply (at least 50 words per reply) to two different students' postings in order to receive full credit. Keep in mind you won't be able to view any other student's posting until ~30 minutes after you submit your initial posting I21 words Reply

Explanation / Answer

Plants can be genetically modified to do more efficient photosynthesis. Since sugar and oxygen are products and by byproducts of photosynthesis respectively, it might therefore be possible to genetically improve a plant to produce more sugar and at the same time more oxygen. In fact, in one of the research studies done in the past, it has been successfully tried by replacing a gene responsible for a carbon-fixing enzyme called Rubisco in a land plant with couple of related genes of more (photosynthetically) efficient organism such as cyanobacteria or blue-green algae.

Manipulating crop plant through genetic engineering has been debatable issue among the researchers in scientific community, governments and various other stake holders. My personal view is that the advancement in science can only be best utilized if it promises to improve the condition of mankind. We know a great number of people in various parts of world are starving due to the lack of food, and if there is a technology that can improve the yields in local crops, it ought to be tried to alleviate the food crises. There is however a flip side to it also, there is fear in the scientific community that the mutant plant might be bad for the environment and might not be fit for human consumption. I feel while these apprehensions are not misplaced, there are definitely ways for testing these modified plants out in a closed environment before deeming them safe for the environment and human consumption. I feel these genetically modified plants should first be comprehensively tested on all parameters of safe human consumption and for environment, and then should be allowed to be cultivated on a large scale.

Thanks!

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