Gmo Modification Paper

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Evidence of Genetic Modification in Dry Corn: The presence of genetically modified organisms in grocery stores ABSTRACT The purpose of this experiment was to determine if GMO-derived products were used in the production and cultivation of dry corn from a local grocery store .In order to confirm this theory, a DNA extraction was performed to secure samples to be used for PCR analysis. Agarose gel electrophoresis was then used to separate and discern between GMO (+) and GMO (-) fragments using GMO and plant DNA primers. Positive and negative GMO controls were placed in wells as a comparison, since GMO (+) bands would be congruent in the test food as well as the control. Results showed that the dry corn sample had a DNA band fragment around 210bp, which coincides with the expected band length of GMO-derived products. After analysis of te data, there is significant evidence that GMO-derived products were present in the dry corn sample. DNA sequencing and BLAST analysis would provide further conclusive evidence of this finding. KEYWORDS: GMO, Genetically modified crops, Gel electrophoresis, GMO/plant primers INTRODUCTION In this period of demographic explosion and environmental deterioration, the pressure on agriculture to produce a sufficient food base is continuing to escalate. Traditional farming practices will not suffice with the current availability of arable land. For centuries, farmers have been crossbreeding plants for advantageous traits, but the advent of genetically modified (GM) crops has shown some promise in solving this dilemma. In a more narrow sense, genetically modified organisms (GMO) arise when their genetic material has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally through mating or natural recombination (Simoens, 1995). GM crops contain recombinant DNA, incorporated via a splicing-inserting mechanism, which provide some

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