Courtesy : Bachelor of Science Biotechnology (CBT) – Chemistry, Botany, Biotechnology in India
Biotechnology risk is a form of existential risk that could come from biological sources, such as genetically engineered biological agents. The origin of such a high-consequence pathogen could be a deliberate release (in the form of bioterrorism or biological weapons), an accidental release, or a naturally occurring event.# ISO certification in India
A chapter on biotechnology and biosecurity was published in Nick Bostrom’s 2008 anthology Global Catastrophic Risks, which covered risks including as viral agents. Since then, new technologies like CRISPR and gene drives have been introduced.# ISO certification in India
While the ability to deliberately engineer pathogens has been constrained to high-end labs run by top researchers, the technology to achieve this (and other astonishing feats of bioengineering) is rapidly becoming cheaper and more widespread. Such examples include the diminishing cost of sequencing the human genome (from $10 million to $1,000), the accumulation of large datasets of genetic information, the discovery of gene drives, and the discovery of CRISPR. Biotechnology risk is therefore a credible explanation for the Fermi paradox.# ISO certification in India
Genetically modified organisms (GMO)
There are several advantages and disadvantages of genetically modified organisms. Among the disadvantages, there exist many risks that are classified as six classes: 1. Health risks, 2. Environmental risks, 3. Threat to biodiversity, 4. Increase in social differences, 5. Scientific concerns, 6. Potential threat to the autonomy and welfare of farmers who wish to produce non-GM products
1. Health risks
The following are potential health risks related to the consumption of GMOs
a) Unexpected gene interactions
The expected outcomes of the transferred gene construct may differ due to gene interactions. Animal feeds that contain GM crop has shown some minor effects on weight according to some studies which are most likely to be related to the specific gene addition to the GM crop or it could be a result of the genetic transformation process too. It is shown that these changes with crops can potentially break the metabolism and cause some changes.# ISO certification in India
b) Cancer risks
GM crops contain pesticide residues and some pesticides’ main component is glyphosate, which can cause increases in non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Also, the US National Academy of Sciences conclusion in 1996 that pesticide residues on US foods would cause millions of preventable fatal cancer cases over the following 75 years can not be ignored.# ISO certification in India
c) Allergenic potential
A particular gene that has been added to a GM crop possibly can create new allergens, and constant exposure to a particular protein allergen may have resulted in developing new allergies. Even though it is not related directly to the use of GM technology, since there’s no allergy test to predict allergenicity it is highly possible that the new proteins or their interactions with usual proteins could produce new allergies.
d) Horizontal gene transfer (HGT)
Horizontal gene transfer is any process by which an organism acquires genetic material from a second organism without descending from it. In contrast, the vertical transfer is when an organism acquires genetic material from its ancestors (i.e., its parents). HGT is the transfer of DNA between cells of the same generation. Humans and animals have been in contact with “foreign DNA”. In humans, DNA has absorbed through food daily through fragments of plant and animal genes and bacterial DNA.# ISO certification in India
e) Antibiotic resistance
Theoretically, antibiotic resistance can occur by consuming genetically modified plants. Genes can be transferred by HGT from genetically modified plants to bacteria in the human gastrointestinal tract and develop resistance to that specific antibiotic. Considering this risk factor, more research is needed.# ISO certification in India