Question

Genetic engineering can be used to create more productive strains of farm animals used for milk and meat production. By adding genes to an animal’s DNA, the animal can be made to be more resistant to common infections. This can reduce the need to administer large doses of antibiotics to the animals.

Do you think that this type of genetic engineering should be pursued? Explain your answer.

What are some possible impacts (positive and negative) of this type of genetic engineering on individuals, society, and the environment?

Answer 1

Benefits: Less antibiotics in the food supply arguably means less drug resistant strains of bacteria, more resistant animals may therefore mean greater yields and therefore more food. More food, obviously, means that the millions of people that die every day from starvation, wont. With the expanse in genetics knowledge that this will grant humans would be taking great leaps forward in the understanding of their own genetic code and knowledge is always a good thing.
Drawbacks: Life will always evolve a way around it and bacteria and other infectious agents will evolve to infect again and possibly (although unlikely) become more infectious to humans. Some people worry that genetic modification will lead to "franken animals". Other people worry that big businesses will have a firm grip on the worlds food supply as they will be the only ones with the means to produce such animals/plants. When these GMOs get out into the "real world" some worry of cross hybridization and how it will effect species as a whole. Some also argue that humans are "playing God".