1. GMOs Also known as Genetically Modified Organisms

2. What are GMO’s? • An organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques GMOs can apply to Plants Animals Microorganisms

3. What are they used for? Used in biological and medical research Production of pharmaceutical drugs Experimental medicine, i.e. gene therapy Agriculture Make crops have resistance against certain insects or virus

4. What are some of the GMOs? GloFish were first created to detect toxins in their environment (like canaries in a mine) were created to glow when they encountered these toxins created by isolating the gene for fluorescence from jellyfish and from coral and inserting it into embryos of zebrafish identical to normal zebrafish in every way - eating habits, temperament, life span, environment, etc.- except they absorb light and re-emit it…they glow

5. What else are GMOs? using GMO technology, scientists are able to create patent-protected food crops, which are resistant to commercial herbicides or are able to produce pesticide proteins from within the plant, or stacked trait seeds, which do both Some of the GMO crops are soybeans, corn, cotton, Hawaiian papaya, tomatoes, sugar cane and rice to name a few

6. Controversies over GM crops • Cons • food safety • the effect on natural ecosystems • gene flow into non GM crops • moral/religious concerns • “Playing God” • corporate control of the food supply Pros Pest resistance Herbicide tolerance Disease resistance Cold tolerance drought/ salinity tolerance Nutrition Pharmaceuticals Phytoremediation Means to help clean up heavy metal pollution from contaminated soil • European nations has long held a “zero-tolerance” policy that officially states it protects the European food supply from contamination by unapproved GMOs

7. Labeling Controversies Did you know around 70% of processed foods contain GM ingredients (such as corn or soybeans)? While some advocates would like to see GMOs all but disappear, some do not care as long as they do not consume them Food companies are not required to divulge if product contain GM ingredients Means many consume GMOs on a regular basis and have no idea they are doing so

8. Some of the companies that process food that contains GMOs

9. Bibliography http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/gmfood/overview.php http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetically_modified_food http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetically_modified_organism http://www.slate.com/id/2083482/ http://organic.lovetoknow.com/Which_Foods_Have_GMOs