INTRODUCTION

This genetic engineering module is unique since the lived experiences, community practices,
local culture and tangible artefacts in the community are integrated into its parts. The Needhams
five phases of constructivist learning was used to deliver the parts of the module. Furthermore, this
curriculum material aims to help students taking up Science, Technology and Society (STS) increase
their conceptual understanding of genetic engineering topics and their science attitudes.

The following are the parts of the module:

I. Orientation
A. Activity 1. Crossword

II. Generation of Ideas

B. Activity 2. Tracing GMOs and GM products

III. Restructuring Ideas

A. Definition of GMO

B. Process of Genetic Engineering

C. GMOs in Food and Agricultural Industries
D. Potential Environment Risks of GMOs
E. Potential Human Health Risks caused by GMOs
F. Biosafety on GMOs

IV. Application of Ideas

A. Activity 3. GMO in Philippine Context
B. Activity 4. Make your own GMO
V. Reflection
VI. References
Time Duration: 6 hours

At the end of the module, student should be able to attain the following objectives:
1. define GMO;

2. determine the process of genetic engineering;

3. determine the uses of GMOs in food and agriculture;

4. determine the potential risks of using GMOs and GM products;

5. explain genetic engineering in the Philippine context;

6. make a GMO based on preferred organism in the community.

I. MOTIVATION
Activity 1. Crossword

Instructions: Complete the crossword, clues are written at the bottom.

II. GENERATION OF IDEAS
Activity 2. Tracing GMOs or GM products

Instructions: List down the GMOs or GM products you think that can be found in your community or
your province.

GMOs/ GM products in your com- Bases

munity or province
1.

2.

3.

5
III. RESTRUCTURING OF IDEAS
Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) refers to all organisms that are enhanced through ge-
netic engineering. GMO is also defined as any animal, plants or microorganism in which its DNA has
been altered so that it is not usual when mating or recombination occurs (WHO, 2014).
Genetic engineering is widely used in biological research. Mouse models are engineered for
biomedical studies, bacteria are engineered to produce medications such as insulin, and crops are
engineered for agriculture. Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are organisms whose DNA have
been manipulated to give them new traits. In genetically modified (GM) plant traits like resistance to
or pesticide might be added, or the crop may have been made more nutritious, or the taste may be
altered to give you something like the impossible burger (Robledo & Prudente, 2021).
These genetic engineering products were created using the same necessary steps: Identifying
a trait of interest, isolating that genetic trait, inserting that trait into the genome of the desired organ-
ism, and then growing the engineered organism (see the figure below).

Process of Genetic Engineering

Photo credit: https://i1.wp.com/sitn.hms.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Untitled2.png?w=900
GMOs in Food and Agricultural Industries

The Center for Ecogenetics Environmental Health (CEEH, 2013) determines the following GMOs' ben-
efits in food and agricultural industries.

 Pest Resistance. Example of this id the Bt. Corn. The genome of Bt. Corn has
been altered using the gene of Bacillus thuringiens; this is a soil bacterium that
produces toxins to corn borers.

Photo credit: https://medium.com/@arringtoncea/gmo-corn-savior-or-destroyer-1f2990316902

 Virus Resistance. An example is the rainbow papaya. The protein PRSV is intro-
duced to this kind of papaya to resist the papaya ringspot virus, which is known
as detrimental to papaya plants. Its effect is the same with vaccines given to
humans.
Photo Credits:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rainbow-Papaya-Virus-Disease-Resistant-Carica/dp/B073GDD6P8

 Herbicide Tolerance. An example is the Roundup Ready soybean. The Glypho-

sate, a herbicide for weeds to soybeans to make it tolerant to its herbicide ef-
fect. When farmers spray herbicide chemicals, the borers will be killed while the
soybean will be tolerant from the herbicide chemicals.

Photo credit: https://www.slideshare.net/UsYao/roundup-ready-soybean-controversies

 Fortification. An example is Golden Rice. To enrich the rice with vitamin

A, the beta-carotene is introduced through biosynthesis genes.

Photo credit: https://source.wustl.edu/2020/02/no-clear-path-for-golden-rice-to-reach-consumers/

 Cosmetics Preservation. An example is Arctic Apple. The apple vari-

ety is altered to suppress the browning of the apple due to superfi-
cial damage.

Photo credit: https://www.grubstreet.com/2017/01/the-gmo-arctic-apple-will-hit-grocery-stores-this-

february.html

 Increase Growth Rate. An example is the Aqua Advantage

salmon. A gene from an eel-like ocean pout is introduced to
Pacific Chinook salmon to grow faster than its average
growth rate.
Photo credit: https://www.businessinsider.com/fda-approves-gmo-salmon-2015-11
GMOs in Non-food Crops and Microorganism

 Paper Production. Examples are Poplar trees. By inserting genes that en-
code ferulic to young poplar trees, the lignin, a polymer that is transformed
into paper, is modified to be easier to break down and produce a higher
yield of paper production (Veniza, 2014).

Photo credit: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffkart/2020/01/13/genetically-modified-poplar-trees-emit-fewer-hydrocarbons-and-are-

just-as-hardy/?sh=5e78c68641e2

 Pharmaceutical Production. Examples are Periwinkle plants. A bacterial

gene is injected into the periwinkle plants to produce more vinblastine, an
alkaloid added to drugs for cancer treatments like Hodgkin’s lymphoma
(Runguphan, Qu, & O’connor, 2010).

Photo credit: https://seedempire.com/periwinkle-dwarf-little-mix-seeds-catharanthus-roseus.html

 Bioremediation. An example is a tobacco. When TaPCSI1 is introduced to

tobacco, it accumulates more lead, zinc, cadmium, and boron and pro-
duces high biomass, which plays a vital role in cleaning polluted areas.

Photo credit: https://www.science20.com/news_articles/

gmo_tobacco_discovery_could_lead_safer_insecticides-130345

 GMO’s in medical filed. An example is Humulin. This is a genetically engi-

neered insulin used in type I diabetes. In the past, insulin is extracted from
pigs or cows that caused the allergic reaction to some diabetes patient.
However, human insulin was finally developed by inserting human insulin
into bacterial DNA to produce almost exact human insulin. Eventually,
this became available in the market and called Humalog.
Photo credit: https://www.humulin.com/insulin-options

Other Benefits of GMOs

 Higher efficiency in farming.

 Increase in harvest.

 Control infertility (controlling the purity of the hybrid seeds to ensure greater yields).

 Increase in food processing.

 Improvement of desirable characteristics (examples, longer shelf life and enhanced produc-
tion).

 Nutritional and pharmaceutical enhancement.

 Reduce the use of pesticides and fertilizers.

Potential Environment Risks of GMOs

Karki (2006) summarized the following potential environmental risks of GMOs:

1. Risk in gene flow. Decaying GMO plants could possible transferred the modified gene to mi-
croorganisms in the soil. And eventually, microorganism might cause harmful effect to other
organisms nearby.

2. Emergence of new forms of resistance and secondary pests and weed problems. GMO crops
may trigger insects or borers to adapt to its herbicide effect.

3. Recombination of Virus and Bacteria to produce new pathogens. Modified genes can be
transferred in the bacterial or viral genes, which may lead to mutation. And may eventually
cause diseases to other organisms, including humans.
Potential Human Health Risks caused by GMOs

Akhter (2000) identified the following potential human health risk caused by GMOs:
1. Consumption of GMOs may harm the body since it is not organically made.
2. Consumption of GMOs may alter the balance of existing microorganisms in the human diges-
tive systems.

3. Toxins possibly produced by GMOs may detrimental to humans.

4. Production of allergens may have adverse effects on humans.
In the Philippines, the supreme court has stopped the consumption against the use of Bt egg-
plant due to its harmful effect on the human body (Ongkiko, 2016).
Biosafety on GMOs

International organizations developed principles and treaties that somehow ensure biosafety on
GMOs. Some of the initiatives are the following:

1. The Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex). The food and Agricultural Organization (WHO),
and the World Health Organization collaborated to create the Codex Alimentarius Commis-
sion (Codex). This is responsible for the development of codes of practices, standards, guide-
lines on food safety. This includes the pre-assessment of GM food products before selling in the
market (WHO, 2014).

2. Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. An international environmental treaty that regulates the

transboundary movement of living modified organisms (LMOs). This initiative requires exporters
to seek consent from the importers before its first shipment of LMOs (WHO, 2014)

3. International Trade Agreement on Labeling of GM Food and Food products. Requires exporters
to properly label their GM food products and give rights to importing parties to reject or ac-
cept the GM products. Also, consumers have the right to know and freedom to choose GM or
Non-GM products for consumptions (Whitman, 2000).

The WHO claims that all GM products in the market have passed the national authorities' safe-
ty assessment. The assessment focus on environmental and health risk factors and food safety usual-
ly follows the Codex Food Code (WHO, 2014).
IV. APPLICATION OF IDEA
Activity 3. GMOs in Philippine Context

Instructions: Research the following in the internet or any resources you have at home.

1. What are the known GM products produce in the Philippines?

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2. What are the issues and concerns of GM products in the Philippines?
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3. How would you reconcile the advantages that GMOs bring to humans?
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4. Is genetic engineering a pure scientific process or it is indeed an act of human playing like
God?
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5. Make a timeline of the initiatives made by the Philippine government towards production and
selling GM products?
Activity 4. Making my own GMO (modified from Robledo & Prudente, 2021)

Instructions:
1. Based on the knowledge you have learned, think of an organism (plant or animal) that you
want to modify to help your community boost its livelihoods. Example: you want to modify the
quality of bananas produced in Borongan in terms of size and taste.
2. Study the table below and Identify the traits to be introduced, eliminated, or modified.
3. Illustrate (by hand drawing or graphic design) your modified organism in the box provided
below.

4. Enumerate the genes and modifications that you’ve made and describe its new traits and
characteristics.
 Genes Traits or Activity Source Organism
Promoters
Inducible promoter Switch-on all the time E. coli
Repressible promoter Switch- can be turned on by a stimulus E. coli
Constitutive promoter Switch- can be turned off by a stimulus E. coli
Protein-coding genes
Energy Source
Photosynthesis Carbon-dioxide + energy + water = oxygen Synechocystis
+ sugar
Fermentation Sugar = energy + alcohol Lactococcus lactis
Methanotrophy Methane = energy + carbon compounds Methylococcaceae
Hydrogen production Water = hydrogen gas + oxygen gas Clostridium
Survival
Heat tolerance Survival in high temperatures Methanococcus
thermolithotrophicus
Cold tolerance Survival in low temperatures Methanococcus
burtoni
Radiation resistance Survival of high levels of radiation (e.g. ul- Deinococcus
traviolet and gamma rays) radiodurans
Spore formation Spores are a dormant, resistant form that Myxococcus xan-
the organism can adopt to thus
survive in bad environmental
conditions.
Antibiotic resistance Survival of antibiotic treatment Staphylococcus
aureus
Drought tolerance Survival in low-water conditions Cactus
Pest resistance Will not be attacked by insects Bacillus thurigensis
Production of Useful Substances
Green fluorescent Green flow Aequorea victoria
protein
Apple scent Will smell like green apples Green apple
Vitamin biosynthesis Will produce vitamin (specify which one) Various organisms
Antibiotic biosynthesis Will produce antibiotics – organism will be Various, including
resistant to bacterial infection Streptomyces
Plastic biosynthesis Will produce PHB, a common plastic Ralstonia eutropha
Flagella Will have ability to move Helicobacter pylori
Night vision Different eye structure allows organism to Hegde hog
see in the dark
Infrared vision Can see heat Pit viper
Gigantism Will grow to very large size, due to higher Homo sapiens
production of growth hormone
Exoskeleton Exterior of organism will have armor-like Cockroach
strength.
Cyanide defense Will shoot cyanide (a lethal poison) at Dragon millipede
predators
Limb regeneration Will re-grow amputated body parts Salamander
V. Reflection

1. What are your first thoughts about this module in Genetic Engineering? If positive or
negative, what comes first to your mind specifically?
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2. What were some of the most exciting discoveries you made while working on these
activities? About the problem? About yourself? And about others?

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3. What were some of my most challenging moments, and what made them so?

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4. What were some of my most powerful learning moments, and what made them so?
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5. What is the most important thing you learned in the activities? Why?
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6. How does the module in Genetic Engineering help you feel connected to the les-
sons?

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7. How does the module in Genetic Engineering help you to be motivated to learn the
concepts?

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8. How does integrating your own lived experiences, culture, and community practices
in this module's activities help you learn Genetic Engineering?
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REFERENCES
Ahkter, J. (2001). Genetically Modified Foods: Health and Safety Issues. Retrieved from: https://
www.researchgate.net/
publication/6539067_Genetically_Modified_Foods_Health_and_Safety_Issues
CEEH. (2013). Benefits of GMO in Food and Agriculture Industries. Retrieved from: https://
depts.washington.edu/ceeh/index.php

Karki, A. (2006) Potential environment risks of GMOs. Retrieved from: http://www.fao.org/3/x9602e/

x9602e07.htm
Robledo, D., A., & Prudente, M. (2021). “Design your own template” Home-based Biology experi-
ments—2021

Runguphan, W.,, Qu, X., & O’connor, S. (2010). Integrating carbon halogen bond information into
medicinal plan metabolism. In Nature. Doi: 10.1038/nature09524.

Serafica, J.P.J, et.al. (2019). Science, Technology, and Society 1st Edition. REX Bookstore, Inc. Que-
zon City, Philippines
Veniza,K. (2014). Greener paper through genetically engineered tress. Retrieved from: https://
geneticliteracyproject.org/2014/04/09/greener-paper-through-genetically-engineered-trees/

Whitman, D. (2000). Genetically Modified Food: Helpful or harmful? CSA Discovery Guide. Retrieved
from https://www.afn.ca/uploads/files/env/ns_-_gm_foods.pdf
World Health Organization. (2014). Frequently asked questions on Genetically Modified Foods. Re-
trieved from: https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/food-genetically-modified