All the
computers and electronics we currently are just a complex arrangement of
simple, modular parts that control specific functions; well scientist at
Colorado State University are using the same modularity in plants by designing
gene that can control specific characteristics—color, size resistance to drought
or oxygen production. There is a
relatively new interdisciplinary field
is synthetic biology, the design of genetic circuits that control different
functions and can be easily placed in one organism or the next. Most of today’s
synthetic biologist only work with microorganisms like E. coli or yeast due to
the speed of reproduction and expression of gene but now they are moving onto
more complex organisms.
Using
plants comes with another problem for synthetic biologist, the complexity of
the organism they are instead altering 100 genes in the plant instead of one or
two like in single cell microorganism. They
are using protoplasts to alter the plant’s genes.
This
experiment could lead to a lot of different uses. First farmers could get grains and plants
that are more resistance to drought and by used in area where there are less
rainfall. NASA could develop plants can
be planted on another planet like Mars and live in the atmosphere unprotected
and then years later could produce oxygen on Mars to make it livable to humans.
I think the most used application of these techniques with me consumers to buy
plants and tree that could be programmed to randomly change colors or scents so
that it won’t clash with some rich person’s home décor.
As a biology student with a special interest in plants, this caught my eye. It makes me nervous the same way genetically modifying organisms makes people nervous. It is strange to know that something has been changed from its natural form, almost like a cyborg in an uncanny valley kind of way. However, I think you're right about it someday being a rich person's accessory.
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