Genetically Modified Food: Future Hope or

Frankenfood?

Project Overview
Taking DNA from one organism and placing it into another organism such
as bacteria, a plant or an animal produce genetically modified organisms, or
GMO. If the resulting plants or animals are destined to be eaten by people, then
the term GMO Food is used. Today, many food crops that have been genetically
modified are being grown and eaten.

The production and use of these GMO Foods raises several ethical issues
for the consumer. For example, an agricultural company producing the GMO
food usually patents the DNA and/or the procedure used to obtain the new
organism. Does a company have the right to own a living organism? Is a piece
of DNA considered property to be bought and sold? Is someone who makes a
slight change to that DNA in violation of the patent laws?

The second ethical issue of GMO food is what responsibility does a

business have to inform the consumer about whether a food has been genetically
modified? Currently much of the grain used in the United States has been
genetically modified, but there are no labeling laws requiring GMO food to be
identified as such. Furthermore, there is considerable discussion about whether
GMO foods are sound for the environment and healthy to eat, making labeling
laws very important for some people.

This RWLO provides unique and compelling use of the Internet in a

student-directed exploration of these two questions of the effects of GMO foods
in our lives. It is divided into two parts:
Part 1: In this exercise on the business of GMO food, students choose a
GMO food and its parent company from a provided list. They look up the
most recent patent issued on this food, answering a worksheet about this
patent. They then write and post an opinion about whether a business
can own the sequence of DNA making that GMO food.
Part 2: Students search the Internet to learn the range of opinions on the
use and labeling of GMO foods. They complete a worksheet by giving at
least 4 arguments for and against GMO foods. They then evaluate this
issue by writing and posting their opinions on this subject.

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 Student Learning Objectives
For this RWLO, the students will be able to:

Evaluate the appropriateness of patenting a DNA sequence

Locate at least 4 websites that discuss GMO foods
List at least 2 arguments for having GMO foods and 2 arguments against
them.
Write their opinion on whether GMO foods should be removed from the
market
Publish their opinion at their own website or at the BlackBoard or WebCT
of the class.

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 Procedure Part 1
Patent Search and Opinion
Time: Approximately 1 hour for the Patent Search and filling out the worksheet
and 1 hour for writing and posting an opinion.

Materials: Attached worksheet

Prerequisites: Computer with internet access for each student and a class web
site (or personal website)

Implementation: Students will do the patent search and opinion outside of the
classroom, using either their own computer or one of the schools computers.

Steps:

1. Print the directions for doing the patent search and the patent worksheet
for each student.

2. When Part 1 is due collect the worksheets and correct using the key
provided in the resources section.

3. Encourage discussion of the opinion postings either electronically or in

class.

Grading Rubric for Patent Opinion:

This worksheet is worth 50 points.

--20 points for the parts A through C
--20 points for the posted opinion
--10 points for replying to at least one other posting.
[You may award at least 5 points for more than one response]

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 Procedure Part 2
Benefits and Problems of GMO Foods
Time: Approximately 1 hour for the internet search and filling out the worksheet
and 1 hour for writing and posting an opinion.

Materials: Attached directions and worksheet.

Prerequisites: Computer with internet access for each student and a class web
site (or personal website)

Implementation: Students will do the patent search and opinion outside of the
classroom, using either their own computer or one of the schools computers.

Steps:
1. Print the directions for the Internet search and the worksheet for each
student.

2. When Part 3 is due, collect the worksheets and correct using the key
provided in the resources section.

3. Encourage discussion of the opinion postings either electronically or in

class.

Grading Rubric for Search

This worksheet is worth 60 points

--30 points for parts A through C
--20 points for the posted opinion
--10 points for replying to at least one other posting.
[You may award at least 5 points for more than one response]

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 Content Material
Part 1 Patent Search and Opinion

Student Directions:
1. Choose one (1) of the following genetically modified foods.
2. Go to the U.S. Patent site at http://www.uspto.gov
3. Go to Search option and write in the commercial name of your chosen
food and the type of food OR the company. This will bring up all the
patents that company has on that particular GM food. The patents will be
in order by date, with the most recent patent first.
4. Using the information at the site, complete the worksheet.

GM Food Commercial Name Company Type

1. Bayer Tolerant to Liberty herbicide
Canola Oil Liberty Link Canola CropScience
2. Natreon Naturally Canola oil with no trans fats
Canola Oil Stable Canola Oil Dow AgroSciences
3. Resistant to corn borer
Corn Attribute Bt Sweet Syngenta Seeds
4. Improved Drought Drought resistant, high yield
Corn Response DuPont corn
5. Resistant to Roundup
Corn Roundup Ready Monsanto (glyphosphate) herbicide
6. Peanuts high in oleic fatty acid
Peanuts Flavr Runner Mycogen
7. Cornell Research Resistant to resist papaya
Papaya Rainbow Foundation ringspot virus
8 Resistant to Roundup
Lettuce Roundup Ready Monsanto herbicide
9. Improved Protein Added food soy ingredient
Soybeans Functionality DuPont

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 Name: _________________________

WORKSHEET ON PATENTS OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOOD

1. Complete the following:

Type of food: ______________________

Name of GM food: ____________________________

Company holding the patent: _________________________

Country of this company: ____________________________

2. Patent Information
Date of most recent patent: _________________________

Date filed: ___________________

Patent number: ____________________________

Name of patent: ___________________________________

________________________________________________

Name of Inventor: ____________________________________

3. Information on Patented Product

a) Give a brief description of the patented DNA (length, where obtained, etc) or a
brief description of what the GM product is designed to do.

b) What technique (PCR, tissue culture, etc) was involved in creating this
organism, if indicated?

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Part 1 Worksheet, page 2

4. Opinion
This patent gives the company ownership of the GM organism so that no one
else may use this sequence of DNA. Write no fewer than 150 words on the
ethics of a company owning an organism. You may use the following questions
to help you with your opinion. Do you think that a company can own an
organism? Can it sell that organism to the highest bidder? If someone changes
that organism slightly, can that person patent the changed organism?

5. Post Your Opinion

Post your opinion about patenting organisms on either the Blackboard or Web CT
site for your class or on your own site.
Site posted: _____________________________________________________

6. Response to Others Opinions

Reply to at least one other posting from another class member. You may agree
or disagree with the others opinions.

Referenced URLs:
http://www.uspto.gov

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 Content Material
Part 2: Benefits and Problems with GMO Foods
Student Directions:
Introduction:
Since GMO foods with improved productivity are easily produced and patented,
more and more GMO foods are grown and eaten in the United States. Right now,
more than sixty percent of our corn and eighty percent of our soybeans are
GMO.

Some people see these GMO foods as a future hope for a world that is becoming
overpopulated and in need of a greater and greater food source. The other side
points out that we do not know the long-term consequences of our tinkering with
genes. These arguments, along with the huge profits for food-producing
companies of all stripes, have been flung back and forth for years. Are GMO
foods future hope or Frankenfoods?

Directions:
1. Google GM foods or genetic modification or GMO or another such key
words of your choice.

2. Select at least 3 sites that are in favor of GMO foods and 3 sites that are
against GMO foods.

3. Fill out the attached worksheet on the pros and cons of GMO foods, along
with your opinions. Lastly, post your opinions for others to read.

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 Name: ________________________

WORKSHEET ON THE GMO FOOD DEBATE

A. Finding Sites in the Debate on GMO Foods

Google GMO foods, genetic modification or another such key words of your
choice. You may also try the company sites of the companies given in part 1 for
a pro-GMO approach. The anti-GMO approach is often taken up by organic
farmers and organic food stores. The government sites are nonpartisan and will
give opinions on both sides of the debate.

a) Write down the sites you found in favor of GMO foods.

_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________

b) Write down the sites you found against GMO foods.

_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
[Use the other side of the paper for additional sites you used in this exercise]

B. Articulating the Debate

a) Give at least 3 reasons why GMO foods are the future hope for the world.
Use the back of the paper for any other reasons.
1.

2.

3.

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Part 2 Worksheet, page 2

b) Give at least 3 reasons why GMO foods are Frankenfoods and a threat to
humans.
1.

2.

3.

C. Formulating Your Own Arguments in the Debate

Now that you have heard from others on the GMO food debate, you are ready to
give your own opinion. Write at least 150 words on what is your opinion on GMO
foods, using another piece of paper, if necessary. You may use the following
questions to help you. What are the pieces of evidence to support your position?
Which arguments make the most sense to you? Which arguments are
suspicious to you? If you were in charge of buying food for your school campus,
would you prefer one type of food to another?

D. Posting Your Opinion

Post your opinion to your website or to the class website so others can read your
opinion.
Posted site: ___________________________________________

E. Reviewing Others Opinions

Review at least one other opinion of a classmate. Do you agree or disagree?
How well has the other person framed the arguments

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 Part 1 ASSESSMENT
Grading Rubric for Patent Worksheet

This worksheet is worth 50 points.

--20 points for the parts A through C
--20 points for the posted opinion
--10 points for replying to at least one other posting.
[You may award at least 5 points for more than one response]

Part 2 ASSESSMENT
Grading Rubric for GMO Debate Worksheet
This worksheet is worth 60 points
--30 points for parts A through C
--20 points for the posted opinion
--10 points for replying to at least one other posting.
[You may award at least 5 points for more than one response]

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 Links to Course Competencies
This RWLO could be applied in the following courses: BIOL 1406 (majors
Introductory Biology), BITC 1311 Introduction to Biotechnology and BIOL 1323
Human Nutrition. BIOL 1408 Introductory Biology for nonmajors may use this
RWLO as one of the special topics that make up this course. Specifically, this
RWLO meets the following course competencies:

BIOL 1406 Cell and Molecular Biology (majors)

Genetic Manipulation
Describe plasmid vectors.
Discuss recombinant DNA techniques
Discuss applications of biotechnology
Critical Thinking
Apply knowledge to new situation or problem.
Evaluate two or more positions on an issue.
Synthesize opinions.

BITC 1311 Introduction to Biotechnology

Genetic Manipulation
Describe plasmid vectors.
Discuss recombinant DNA techniques
Discuss applications of biotechnology
Critical Thinking
Apply knowledge to new situation or problem.
Evaluate two or more positions on an issue.
Synthesize opinions.

BIOL 1323 Human Nutrition

Genetic Manipulation
Describe plasmid vectors.
Discuss recombinant DNA techniques
Discuss applications of biotechnology
Critical Thinking
Apply knowledge to new situation or problem.
Evaluate two or more positions on an issue.
Synthesize opinions.

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 Supplementary Resources

Web Resources

The following are some annotated web sites on the GMO debate.

http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/elsi/gmfood.shtml
A government site on GMO foods

http://agnic.umd.edu/ An agricultural biotechnology site from the University of

Maryland. Other universities, such as Iowa, have similar sites.

http://www.bio.org/news/features/20040113.asp This is the official site of the

biotechnology business group, the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO)

http://www.fao.org/news/2001/010405-e.htm This United Nations site gives

ethical arguments pro and con.

http://www.newscientist.com/channel/opinion/gm-food/ This New Scientist article

gives many articles dealing with the ethics and background.

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/campaigns/genetic-engineering
Greenpeaces take on GMO foods

http://www.organicconsumers.org/gelink.html Another perspective from the

Organic Consumers Association

http://www.monsanto.com/monsanto/layout/sci_tech/default.asp Monsantos site

has information from the industry perspective.

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 Recommendations
Recommendations for Integration:
This RWLO is designed for a high school Biology course or a college-level
introductory Biology course. It would be best included near the end of the unit on
DNA and DNA technology, so that students can understand the content material
and therefore articulate their opinions.
The on-line searches and the writing of opinions for the two parts of the
RWLO are best done as homework assignments.
The student opinions should be posted to the class website such as
Blackboard or WebCT to be reviewed by the other students as a starting point for
discussion. Doing so will eliminate the monitoring and maintenance
requirements of an open site, yet still allow the students to publish on the
internet.

Back-up:
In the event that the students do not have access to the internet, either through
their school or at home, the following backup accommodations may be used
The patent information for a few of the GMO foods may also be downloaded
shortly before class and copies made for the students.
The PBS movie Harvest of Fear , http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/harvest/, may be
shown in class and discussed afterwards. This is a Frontline show on GMO
foods that may be watched by streaming video on a computer with a fast
modem. There is also a teacher guide. This film would be good shown in
class, with the follow-up discussion that is part of the teacher guide.

Extension: Discussion on Labeling GMO foods

One area of the GMO food debate is that of whether GMO foods should
be labeled as such. The arguments against labeling, put forth mostly by the
industry, are that 1) it is impossible in todays collection and distribution system to
distinguish between traditional and GMO foods, 2) there is little difference
between traditional and GMO foods and 3) there is de facto labeling since
organic food cannot be GMO, so any organic food is non-GMO food.
Those in favor of labeling, mostly the organic food groups, argue that
labeling is in the consumers interests. They say that the organic label is not
enough. However, organic farming is a multi-billion dollar business that is very
threatened by GMO food. Anything that distinguishes organic from GMO is
considered an advantage to the organic growers.
Students can discuss the benefits and difficulties of a label law for GMO
foods at the end of this unit.

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