engleski

Food safety evaluation of crops produced through genetic engineering - how to reduce unintended effects?

Scientists have begun applying genetic engineering techniques to improve crops two decades ago – around 70 varieties obtained via genetic engineering have been approved to date. Although genetic engineering offers the most precise and controllable genetic modification of crops in entire history of plant improvement, the site of insertion of desirable gene cannot be predicted during the application of this technology. As a consequence, unintended effects due to activation or silencing of genes giving rice to allergenicity or toxicity might occur. Therefore extensive chemical, biochemical and nutritional analyses are performed on each new genetically engineered variety. Since the unintended effects may be predictable on the basis of what is known about the insertion place of the transgenic DNA, an important aim of plant biotechnology is the establishment of techniques for the insertion of transgene into the predetermined chromosomal position (gene targeting). Although gene targeting cannot be applied routinely in crop plants, given recent advances, that goal may be reached in the near future.

genetically modified crops; plant breeding; risk assessment; gene targeting; homologous recombination

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