"A man without ethics is a wild beast loosed upon this world."
-Albert Camus
"Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have a right to do and what is right to do."
-Potter Stewart
Recombinant DNA is defined by Biology-online.org as spliced DNA from two or more different sources that have been cleaved by restriction enzymes and joined by ligases. Genetically engineered DNA made by recombining fragments of DNA from different organisms. The joining together of genetic material from two different organisms.
Examples of recombinant DNA organisms include:
- Glofish - A zebra fish infused with either coral, anemone, or jelly fish DNA; which makes it glow neon red or green instead of being the usual black and white.
- Vacanti mouse - A mouse that has what looks like a human ear growing on its back. The "ear" is not an actual ear but an ear-shaped cartilage structure.
- Neonmice - Mice that glow in the dark.
- Golden rice - A new variety of rice engineered to express the enzymes responsible for β-carotene biosynthesis.
- Insect-resistant crops - Crops with recombinant DNA from Bacillus thuringeiensis, a bacterium that naturally produces a Bt toxin protein with insecticidal properties. It repels insects without having to spray the crops with insecticides.
There is no doubt in my mind that recombinant DNA has helped scientists make huge advances. It has helped them create crops that could help save people from vitamin deficiency, which could lead to death. Golden rice is a great example of this, as its DNA allows it to make up for the vitamin A deficiency in the diets of people in undeveloped countries.
Another example of the advances that scientists have been able to make thanks to recombinant DNA are the Neonmice. Neonmice allowed scientists to understand 2 very important things: they helped them find a new way to engineer the animals to make them acquire certain medical conditions which has greatly speed the research in finding cures for this diseases. The second thing they helped them achieve was a greater understanding of type II diabetes which has send scientists around the world on their way to find a cure.
However, what troubles me is this: how far should the scientists take recombinant DNA? Recombinant DNA (or rDNA) is something that shouldn't be played with. It can create dangerous organisms, or organisms that when inserted into natural habitats could unbalance the food chain and destroy other species.
It is also not ethical to toy with life. Scientists who experiment with recombinant DNA might develop a "God complex" which could lead to them trying to control life and new species. It is also not fair to the animals being used as experiments for rDNA. The scientists are meddling with the essence of their being, their DNA, which could lead to trauma. Another thing that isn't ethical is how much pain and discomfort these experiments must be causing the animals.
The questions I have are:
How safe is it to experiment with rDNA?
Should the humans be allowed to create new species without consideration to the consequences it may have on the environment?
How far should scientists be allowed to go? Should they stop at plants, fish, and lesser mammals? Or should they continue towards greater mammals and humans?
How far is too far?
