How The Genetic Engineering Process Works

Posted by Rosemary Gordon|December 31, 2015

Step 1

Identify a problem you want to address or an improvement you want to make with a genetic solution. In this example, we want to improve virus resistance in summer squash.

Step 2

Find a gene that would be useful to have expressed in your target crop.

Step 3

Build a version of the gene(s) you want to transfer to our original susceptible squash using the genes of the desired trait, and DNA sequences called promoters and markers.

Step 4

Establish a tissue culture of your target crop, in this case the virus-susceptible summer squash.

Step 5

Insert your new DNA into the cultured crop cells in one of two ways: (1) a gene gun or through (2) disabled Agrobacterium tumefaciens.

Steps 6 and 7

Check your tissue culture and look for marker genes to identify which of the cultured cells successfully incorporated the new DNA. Grow those cells that carry the new genes back into plants.

Step 8

Grow the plants to maturity, get seed from them, then test and compare many different engineered plants to find those that express the trait well and have no other mutations or defects. Sometimes you’re lucky and have success quickly. Sometimes none of the first attempts work out and you have to start over. This process can take several years. However, the process can result in traits that would be very difficult to get via traditional cross breeding.

Step 9

The end result of the process is hopefully new summer squash exhibiting virus resistance.

What do you really know about genetic engineering and genetically modified organisms (GMOs)? We have all seen headlines discussing GMOs. Sometimes it is difficult to get to the facts when dealing with the emotions that are tied to this topic.

Recently, American Vegetable Grower asked the question in a state of the industry survey about GMOs. Specifically, the question was: Would you produce a GMO crop if one was available to you? More than 30% of respondents said yes, if it offered production advantages, and 17% said yes, if it offered consumer benefits. So there is interest in the technology.

As a result, American Vegetable Grower is presenting an online series on genetic engineering that is, as they say, just the facts. “The 9 Steps Of The Genetic Engineering Process” begins the series.

This slideshow presentation highlights how a squash variety that currently does not have resistance to a specific disease can, through the genetic engineering process, eventually exhibit virus resistance. Providing guidance as we created the graphic was Margaret Smith, a Professor of Plant Breeding & Genetics in the School of Integrative Plant Sciences at Cornell University.

From there, we will continue to tackle on a month-by-month basis additional topics that relate to genetic engineering by tapping into experts in the industry. We will present information on the role of genetic engineering in the breeding process, the myths and facts surrounding this technology, and how to respond to questions and consumer misconceptions, just to name a few of the topics.

So stay tuned and check back often.

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