Genetic Engineering

Genetic Engineering (Pharm animals)

• Introduction
• Likely Areas of Manipulation
• Myths Concerning GE
• Quotes

Introduction

Genetic Engineering is a further way to exploit and abuse animals. This "new" way allows scientists to alter animals genetic make-up and even mix genetic material between species. What started out in the early 80s as a few tentative experiments has now exploded into a highly contentious free-for-all.

The transgenic animals are not only confined to the laboratory but they are being "created" with grotesque deformities. The major thrust of this work is aimed at creating tailor-made animals for research, engineering them to produce medical substances, and "improving" creatures for eating.

Joyce D'Silva, director of Compassion in World Farming has said, "I think {scientists} started out optimistic that they'd get faster growing super-animals, then they found out that they were often deformed and suffered greatly – surprise, surprise." As in the case of money, it is not difficult to see why this should happen.

There have been attempts to produce grazing pigs, pigs which produce appealing milk, and muscular chickens containing calf genes. More "successful" scientists have created turkeys which produce more eggs, and sheep containing mouse genes have been created to grow more wool. As for fish engineering, there are GE fish on sale and also there is plenty of work being done on them behind the scenes. Their main aim is create GE mega-fish which grow larger and faster. They have also tried putting flounder genes inside salmon to help them tolerate cold better and become disease resistant.

There are several noticeable risks associated with fish engineering. Changes in size and breeding patterns could effect all other creatures which feed on that fish, GE fish could displace other varieties hence further reducing the natural gene pool, and escapes from fish farms are so common now that in parts of Norway escaped fish outnumber wild ones at a ratio of 5:1. What else? Another risk that grows out of genetic engineering replicates is this tendency toward creation of genetic uniformity, the emergence of harmful recessives, and, of course, the greater susceptibility of organisms to devastation by pathogens, as has been shown to be the case in crops.

A further category of risks is environmental and ecological and is a direct result from "pharming" animals. The risk is associated with releasing GE animals into the environment, but with negative, unanticipated consequences. What animals have been released into the environment? Predator insects have been "designed" to perform biological pest control by preying on noxious insects . The more any organism differs from its parent stock, the more difficult it will be to predict its effect on the environment. Genetic engineers invariably work in the dark and virtually nothing is known about how genes integrate into chromosomes. If you disbelieve us, we only need to cite intensive farming practice techniques to show how far removed we are, as a species, from understanding the unique symbiosis that exists between Nature and her inhabitants.

For example, with GE practices one faulty action will compound several others creating a chain reaction that was not imagined at the initial point of departure. If an animal such as a GE predator insect is too "successful" at what he does then this could cause crowding out of other species, plants and animals, that one did not wish to affect. Similarly, "new" animals could start displaying traits in an environment setting that were not evident in the laboratory or other "controlled" situations. Consequently, each transgenic animal is unique and may express entirely different characteristics than first thought. Because of this lack of control, mutants may be produced.

There is also the question of "wastage" of pharm animals who didn't make the grade. Multi-national companies working with transgenic animals would like to recoup some of their costs by selling them for meat. It is already happening in Australia.

Compassion in World Farming has said:

 

"Of the 50,000 -100,000 genes in farm animals, we know the identity and function of only 1-2 per cent. Making modifications to this genome is like playing with a chemistry set which has had all the labels removed. Except that in the case of gene transfer, the experimental materials are living, sentient creatures, capable of feeling the pain that is caused when the experiments inevitably go wrong."

How insulting it is that these "smart" scientists now call these defenseless, disposable animals in their care "pharm" animals. It is too late to ask what it is that could possibility be a limiting factor to these people. Preserving the identity and autonomous integrity of the animal perhaps? That has already been violated. Morality perhaps? Ethics? A sense of decent boundaries? Now that this work has began it is disquieting to realise that there is no limiting factor as it is aggressively encouraged and even funded by governments, including our own.

Scientists do little to educate the public about moral interests for two reasons. Most scientists are trained to ignore moral issues and secondly it is not in their best interest to warrant public scrutiny over their laboratory, behind-closed-doors practices.

The good news is unlike vivisection, if GE "fails", if there are any catastrophic outcomes of GE (especially of humans) then this is likely to eventuate in the imposition of severe restrictions on both research and its practical applications and in wholesale public rejection of biotechnology. Our choice as consumers, also, is not limited to collaboration or subjugation. We cannot blindly hope that a wiser council will prevail. Taxpayers have a right to know the truth, and not to be bamboozled with government and "industry" propaganda. The best thing we can do is lobby government and consciously avoid buying any products from a company which uses GE techniques in their manufacturing – don't forget to write and tell that Company what you are doing. If money really does talk then they will soon get the message.

Likely Areas of Manipulation

1. Increasing the levels and types of nutrients in animal feeds.
2. Increasing animal growth and food production.
3. Improving animal health.
4. Embryo multiplication: for example., the rapid multiplication of "superior" animals.
5. Transgenesis: transferring desirable traits from one animal species to another.

Professor John Webster, of Bristol University, predicts that animals will be manipulated in a further six areas:

1. Altering an animal's digestion to increase nutrient availability.
2. Manipulation of an animal's metabolism to increase the production of milk, meat and wool.
3. Increasing the productive rate in females.
4. Manipulation of animal consciousness.
5. Insertion of human genes to make animas produce pharmaceuticals.
6. Insertion of human genes into animals so that they can serve as organ donors.

Myths Concerning GE

• GE reduces the cost of food.
• GE food increases consumer choice
• Normal crops and GE crops must be mixed at harvest.
• Nobody would ever put viruses into our food.
• We have the best regulations in the world.
• Just injecting cows with GE hormones can't hurt.
• Milk from cows injected with BST is just like any other milk.
• They can now engineer perfect drugs from micro-organisms.
• There is no danger anyone will clone a human being.
• You own your body.
• Soon human organ donors won't be needed, they will get organs from animals.
• If genes couldn't be patented it would hamper research.
• Terminator technology will never be used.
• Anything new is always progress.

Quotes

• "Biotech companies are not behaving responsibly, considering the irreversible nature of any accident which may occur. There should be a moratorium on the introduction of genetic engineering until the science can be proven to be safe, and we believe that companies with a vested interest cannot be trusted to to this...."
  – Q. Gargen, Genetics Concern, Ireland
• "Ninety per cent of people want fair dinkum labels."
  – Bob Phelps, Director, Australian GeneEthics Network
• "I believe in technology. But it is too new for us to be absolutely sure of what we are doing."
  – Dr A. Pusztai in a press statement
• "The geneticist Dr Pusztai is a very dangerous man. He has released into the environment a virulent self-replicating organism, which is already running riot across Britain. Its called the truth."
  – George Monbiot, Guardian, 1999
• "I suggest projects should be vetted by ethical committees comprising eminent people in various disciplines. Such ethical committees should be universal."
  – Professor Sir J. Rotblat, Nobel Peace-prize winner
• "Twelve voices were shouting in anger, and they were all alike. No question, now, what had happened to the faces of the pigs. The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which."
  – George Orwell, Animal Farm
• "Mainstream commentators, including bioethicists, are already peddling the idea of cloning dying children."
  – The Council for Responsible Genetics