English, C. (2018, October 17). Synthetic biology mosquitoes: Pioneering solution emerges to counter fears over using genetic engineering to control Zika. Retrieved from https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2018/10/17/synthetic-biology-mosquitoes-pioneering-solution-emerges-to-counter-fears-over-using-genetic-engineering-to-control-zika/

The biotechnology company Oxitech is working on a project that would introduce genetically engineered mosquitoes into the wild, in an effort to reduce the prevalence of mosquitoes carrying the zika virus. The zika virus can cause nervous damage and birth defects. The mosquitoes carry a gene with them that, when passed on to its offspring, will either kill the offspring or make it sterile. By having these modified mosquitoes breed with their wild counterparts that carry the zika virus, the mosquito population would be effectively controlled. However, this project has faced public backlash as the public is worried about “gene flow”: the spread of certain genes into a wild population. A team at the University of Minnesota is working to solve this issue and has “met with the managers of mosquito control districts in California, Florida and other parts of the southern US, and they’re hungry for this kind of technology.”

Even though I’m not entirely knowledgeable about the prevalence of the zika virus in California, these genetically engineered mosquitoes have the potential to provide a solution. That being said, we are again dealing with a case where humans attempt to alter an entire species population, and as is expected, there is not only public backlash, but there may be unintended consequences of removing all mosquitoes. Removing or greatly reducing the mosquito population may alter other insect populations, bat populations, the pollination process, etc.

Porterfield, A. (2018, November 20). Can genetic engineering deliver a natural microbial fertilizer for crops? Retrieved from https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2018/11/20/can-genetic-engineering-deliver-a-natural-microbial-fertilizer-for-crops/

Scientists across the country are looking into genetically modifying nitrogen-fixing bacteria so as to allow them to fix nitrogen on the roots of many different plants, instead of only some legumes and other plants. Recent developments have identified at least 20 genes responsible for nitrogen fixation. A company called Joyn has recently moved into an “160,000 square foot lab in Sacramento, California, devoted to experiments on creating a wider array of effective bacteria that could fix nitrogen.”

This relates to environmental science because the use of synthetic fertilizers in agriculture has become a topic of concern given the pollution that occurs with runoff. Run off from land in which synthetic fertilizer is heavily used often creates hypoxia zones, like that in the Gulf of Mexico. If these scientists are successful, this technology has the potential to greatly reduce or eliminate the use of synthetic fertilizers, and therefore solving an environmental problem related to pollutants.

Mackelprang, R. (2018, October 10). Organic farming with gene editing: An oxymoron or a tool for sustainable agriculture? Retrieved from http://theconversation.com/organic-farming-with-gene-editing-an-oxymoron-or-a-tool-for-sustainable-agriculture-101585

The article begins by making distinctions between genetic engineering, genetic modification, and the use of the CRISPR tool. Specifically, the CRISPR tool allows for more precise gene editing, and it expands the possibilities of transgenic modification. California seems to be becoming rather interested in this technology and similar technologies, evidenced by the large number of gene editing startups based in California. Interest grows, especially given the recent droughts, “Corn with greater yield under drought stress has already been made using CRISPR.”

As with much of the genetic engineering that occurs in plants and animals, the ultimate goal is to profit from these modifications by introducing them into the market. Wild debate is ongoing about the safety of genetic modification, this article presents the case for the benefits of this technology in California, given California’s growing population and its agricultural demands. Genetically engineered crops have the potential to reduce land usage an insecticide use.

Fitchette, T. (2018, November 12). Genetic engineering and IPM aid pink bollworm eradication. Retrieved from https://www.farmprogress.com/cotton/genetic-engineering-and-ipm-aid-pink-bollworm-eradication

Cotton growers in California celebrate the eradication of pink bollworm, a pest that threatened the cotton industry across the cotton belt. The pink bollworm was eradicated using integrative pest management (IPM) techniques that involved pink bollworm moths that were genetically modified to be sterile. It is noted that it is possible the pest may return with more resistance in the future, since this is always a possibility without 100% eradication. The use of genetically engineered pink bollworm moths is especially note worthy since it is believed to have prevented the use of billions of pounds of insecticide.

This case presents an instance of the use of genetic engineering to alter a population. Anthropogenic species eradication may have unintended consequences on ecosystems. However, this case also presents the dangers of using genetically modified (and therefore identical plants) in agriculture. Doing so makes crops more vulnerable to pests and diseases as they suffer from limited resistance due to a lack of genetic diversity. This case very well highlights both the positive aspects of genetic engineering (using genetic engineering to make the pink bollworm sterile) and negative aspects (dangers of monocrop agriculture).

Johnson, C. Y. (2018, December 17). Gene-edited farm animals are coming. Will we eat them? Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/national/wp/2018/12/17/feature/gene-edited-farm-animals-are-coming-will-we-eat-them/?utm_term=.5a8ad80bca19

A group of scientists at the University of California Davis are you expecting a group of genetically engineered cows to be born. These cows are genetically engineered to grow and look like males despite their biological gender. The ultimate goal of this project and similar projects is to introduce genetically engineered animals into human food supply. Cows that grow like males would be of particular interest to ranchers because male cows grow more efficiently and quicker than female cows do. However, there is currently regulatory challenges in the way of similar discoveries to make their way into our food supply.

When speaking about environmental science, the meat industry is an interesting topic because the meat industry is already responsible for a number of environmental issues. There are the issues of sustainability, runoff fertilizer, methane emission, what cows are fed, and the corn industry. This new development has the potential to affect almost all these aspects of the meat industry, as it has the potential to increase efficiency, reduce land usage, and also has the potential to create new problems, like a lack of genetic diversity.

Oregon State University. (2018, August 3). Groundbreaking poplar study shows trees can be genetically engineered not to spread. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 19, 2018 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180803160207.htm

A study by Oregon State University Researchers has discovered that trees can be genetically engineered to not spread. The researchers’ purpose was not necessarily to curb a forest’s tree population. Instead, the results of this study can be used to prevent the spread of invasive species that have established themselves. The results are also promising for people who fear “that GMO trees will take over the world.” The trees were made sterile through genetic alteration. The study is praised for its extensiveness and the cooperation of government and scientific institutions.

The environmental implications of this new study are that we have once again discovered that we can alter entire ecosystems and species through the use of genetic engineering. Whereas the forest management of today means controlled fires and clearing, the forest management of the future may be genetic engineering certain traits or genetic engineering to favor the reproduction of certain trees. The forest ecosystem is one that is important on a global scale, as the largest forests are found outside of the United States, and because forest provide many ecosystem services we rely on, such as the storing of carbon emissions, the production of oxygen, among others.

University of Missouri-Columbia. (2018, October 15). Virus-resistant pigs to vastly improve global animal health. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 19, 2018 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/10/181015132934.htm

Researchers at the University of Missouri have been able to breed genetically altered pigs that were immune to Transmissible Gastroenteritis Virus (TGEV), a virus that has a 100% mortality rate in infant pigs that are infected. The researchers are glad they will be able to minimize animal suffering, because these are promising results for the eradication of other deadly viruses. They also hope to alleviate some of the financial burden farmers face when their animals become ill, and thus make raising these animals for slaughter a more sustainable system.

This relates to environmental science in that not only are humans altering a species and its population dynamics, but the fact that this is being done with animals that we consume means we may be impacting our industrialized food system. As we have recently learned in class, the way people in most developed countries get their meat is unsustainable. It seems genetically engineering certain animals to be more resistant to disease may make the process more sustainable and alleviate some of the damaging environmental impacts livestock raising has.

Saplakoglu, Y. (2018, May 15). Could Reviving Woolly-Mammoth Genes Fight the Effects of Global Warming? Retrieved from https://www.livescience.com/62569-mammoth-elephant-hybrid-help-climate.html

Some researchers are considering taking certain genes from preserved mammoth DNA that allowed the mammoths to tolerate the cold weather, and creating an Asian elephant-mammoth hybrid that will also be able to tolerate cold weather. This would be done so that elephants can live in cold northern regions and “once there, the genetically tweaked elephants would topple trees that keep the area warm in the winter, thereby restoring a more climate-friendly ecosystem.” Basically, introducing elephants into colder northern regions could keep the regions colder, and scientists hope this could help mitigate some of the effects of human-driven climate change.

While the idea seems a little far-fetched and perhaps even impractical, it is yet another example of humans using genetic bioengineering to alter a species and an ecosystem. Although, this pursuit has much larger implications. The scientists hope that genetically altering Asian elephants will mitigate some of the effects of climate change, and so we are not only affecting a species and a single ecosystem, but the entire world’s climate. In this case, genetic engineering is being investigated to help solve one of the Earth’s biggest environmental problems.

Swetlitz, I. (2018, September 5). Researchers to release first-ever genetically engineered mosquitoes in Africa. Retrieved from https://www.statnews.com/2018/09/05/release-genetically-engineered-mosquitoes-africa/

Researchers in Burkina Faso, Africa, are planning to release 10,000 genetically engineered mosquitos. The males have been genetically altered to be sterile. This is not expected to impact the spread of malaria or the mosquito population greatly, rather the researchers do this to ease the public and government into the idea of releasing genetically engineered mosquitos that will lessen the spread of malaria. So far, there are some people who are worried about genetically editing mosquitos, some villagers wondering if the sterile male mosquitoes “might somehow pass on that sterile status to humans.”

The release of genetically engineered animals is gaining support and materializing across the global scientific community. We may soon see genetic engineering being applied to curve the populations of certain animals, such as in this case with mosquitoes. Therefore, we are altering ecosystems by altering their populations. While it sounds like a great idea to eradicate mosquitoes because they spread malaria, this may have unanticipated consequences. However, the release of these genetically engineered mosquitoes in Africa shows that the global community is moving forward with the idea.

ARC Centre of Excellence in Coral Reef Studies. (2018, September 11). Finding Nemo’s genes. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 16, 2018 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/09/180911083153.htm

A study led by the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology has successfully sequenced the genome of the clown fish. The genome provides a starting point for understanding the biology of reef fish. Studying the clown fish allows for insight into sex change in fishes as well as larval dispersal. The genome sequenced is one of the most complete ever and the researchers are hopeful about its environmental implications.

The sequencing of the clown fish’s genome will help researches understand sex change in fishes and their patterns in reproducing. Both these things will tell researchers not only about the clown fish population, but about the population of reef fishes in general. Reefs recently have faced many environmental issues, such as bleaching, so understanding the reef ecosystem could very much help us preserve them. Genetic sequencing and biotechnology could allow us to better care for our ecosystems. For example, the clown fish is ”the first fish species for which it was demonstrated that predator avoidance behaviour could be impaired by ocean acidification.” Knowing why this occurs could even lead to genetically altered clown fish, or other reef fish, more resistant to certain environmental stressors.