DIY Biology

How would you like to design your own pet? As James Gorman writes in "D.I.Y. Biology, on the Wings of the Mockingjay," in the near future, it is very likely that just about anyone will be able to genetically modify any given organism because the tools to do so have become to widely available. More importantly, however, he notes that the production of these organisms with this "do it yourself biology" may result in their undesirable and unforeseen spreading into nature. Using the example of the "Jabberjay" from the popular book series and movie "The Hunger Games," he explains that the genetically modified bird was engineered by the government for the purposes of spying on illicit conversations and groups by hearing what was said and being able to repeat it back at a later time. This backfired and the utility of the bird was lost, and the government thought the bird would fail to live on because of the precautions they had set up: it was engineered to function poorly in the wild, reducing its chances at surviving, and they had only used male birds. Despite this, the Jabberjay mated with native mockingbirds, producing what came to be known as the "Mockingjay," a bird that was extremely successful in the wild and found many ecologically fitting niches. Gorman argues that with the coming age of "do it yourself biology," the chances of organisms being released into and thriving in the wild could drastically rise. One can already buy the required materials to copy DNA for a few hundred dollars. Further, animal and plant diversity may "explode," and "the mixing of genes by humans will initiate a new stage of evolution."

In addition, Emily Anthes in her recently published book, "Frankenstein's Cat," discusses how public opinion has long been strongly opposed to genetically modifying organisms, but as of late these opinions have begun to turn the other direction. One great example as of why this may be is due to the recent release of GloFish, that is, zebrafish who have been genetically engineered with different genes that make them glow, such as the green fluorescent protein (GFP). These fish now come in colors such as Starfire Red, Cosmic Blue, and Sunburst Orange, and are available to purchase for a meager $5.99 each at your local PetCo. A new door may have been opened with the release of such pets, allowing the onset of a wave of GM organisms to begin. However, Anthes later discusses how the release of these pets may be because of their triviality, that they pose no threat to humans or the environment. On the other hand, GM organisms that are designed to produce pharmaceuticals or food for human consumption have recieved major opposition because of several factors, including that the effects of these animals products are simply unknown. But similar to the mockingjay, Anthes states that scientists have already been able to create remote control insects, as well as other organisms with genes that can be turned on and off using a simple switch.

Perhaps Gorman is correct, that the future of do it yourself biology is not so far off. And with public opinion beginning to turn toward GMO acceptance, this future will be embraced far more quickly. Even though the organisms we engineer are designed to function poorly in the wild, precautions will have to be taken to ensure they can do little harm if they do survive, and that they do not take up the ecological niches that naturally occurring organisms already occupy.

Sources
1. Anthes, E. (2013). "Got Milk?" Frankenstein's Cat: Cuddling up to Biotech's Brave New Beasts. (pp. 16-45). New York: Scientific American/Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

2. Gorman, James. (May 10, 2012). "D.I.Y. Biology, on the Wings of the Mockingjay." NY Times. 10 Oct 2013. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/15/science/the-hunger-games-mockingjay-fiction-for-now.html?ref=geneticengineering