10 Interestingly Scary Examples of Genetic Engineering You Should Know About

web spinning goat

Spider Web Goats

Strong, flexible spider silk is one of the most sought-after materials in nature as it could be used to make a variety of products,  from artificial ligaments to parachute cords.  So far though, it has been difficult to produce it on a commercial scale. In 2000, Nexia Biotechnologies announced it had a solution to the problem: a goat that produced spiders’ web protein in its milk. Researchers combined a spiders’ dragline silk gene with goats’ DNA in such a way that the goats would make the silk protein  in their milk. This “silk milk” could then be used to manufacture a web-like material called biosteel.

Genetically-Engineered-Salmon1

Fast-growing salmon

AquaBounty’s genetically modified salmon grows twice as fast as the conventional farmed fish.  In the photo above,  two same-age salmon, with the genetically altered fish in the rear, are shown. The company claims the fish has the same flavor, texture, color and odor as regular salmon; however, there is ongoing debate over whether the fish are safe for human consumption. If the FDA approves the sale of the salmon, it will be the first time the government has allowed a genetically engineered creature to be sold on the market for humans to consume.
The genetically engineered Atlantic salmon has an added growth hormone from Chinook salmon, which allows the fish to produce growth hormone year-round. Scientists are able to keep the hormone active by using a gene from an eel-like fish called an ocean pout, which acts as an “on switch” for the hormone.

Democracy needs journalism it can trust.

This election season, the stakes are higher than usual — and so is the pressure on newsrooms to soften their coverage, stay quiet, or just disappear. Independent reporting, the kind that answers to readers instead of advertisers or political pressure, matters more in a moment like this, not less.

For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed independent and reader-funded. We have no corporate owner and no shareholders telling us what to cover or how to cover it. That independence is also our biggest vulnerability: nothing protects it except readers choosing to fund it directly.

Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under in a moment like this, it's rarely the independent, reader-funded ones that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Back to top