Prompt:
Genetically engineered foods are greatly criticized, and often feared, by many people. Initially people feared that exogenous DNA from the food item could then transfer to the consumer’s cells and cause harmful effects. More recently (and with the advent of siRNA technologies) there is a worry that ‘transgenic RNA’ from the food could get into the consumer’s cells and cause misregulation of the consumer’s genes. What is your view on this, and how would you present it to someone who has no biology background?
As an informed genetics student, I do not share the fear that some people have against genetically modified foods. In fact, I support genetic modification of foods because there are several benefits such as increased yield and nutrition, and decreased need for the use of pesticides.
However, I can imagine that many people who worry about the consequences of genetically modifying food may not have a background in the study of genetics, and are thus uninformed about what genetically modified foods can and cannot do. Therefore, by educating the public about genetics, we will be able to reduce misconceptions that may contribute to the public’s concern about genetically modified foods.
One way to better inform the public about genetics is to incorporate more genetics at the high school level in general science courses. Personally, I did not learn very much about genetics until I started studying in university and enrolled in genetics courses. Therefore, I would expect most people to have a limited knowledge of genetics unless they decided to pursue the study of genetics at the post-secondary level. If more genetics were taught at an earlier age, when general science courses are mandatory, I believe that the general public would be able to make more informed opinions regarding genetically modified foods.