Case Study Comparison

Case Study Type of genetic Benefits Risks and Current status Other
modification Concerns of research and solutions?
development

Modifying Deletion and Improves quality Making fuel from Genetically Selective
bacteria to insertion of fuel grass and modifying E.coli breeding of
produce inedible parts of to produce more plants to improve
biofuels Use of bioethanol crops contain bioethanol fuel quality
in biodiesel, lignin and
which is used by cellulose → leads Use of enzymes Selective
various machines to inefficiency of to breakdown breeding to
ethanol lignin and weaken plant cell
production cellulose for walls
easier production
Ethanol doesn’t Make the
have a high Balance each process of
energy content. It part of reactions breaking down
also binds to within E.coli to plants better
water and causes make more
corrosion in ethanol
metals

Not enough
safety testing
which could lead
to unintended
consequences in
regards to human
health

Golden Rice Insert genes from Beta-carotene is Rice with corn Use of daffodil Vitamin A
plants with converted into gene may not gene for beta deficiency treated
beta-carotene Vitamin A in the contain enough carotene and by eating more
into genome of body, by putting beta-carotene. inserted it into foods with
rice plants foods with high rice. Wasn’t very naturally
levels of Vitamin Humans need successful. occurring
A it can help protein and fat to beta-carotene
individuals with convert Use of corn gene (leaf greens,
Vitamin A beta-carotene, for beta carotene sweet potatoes,
deficiency which and inserted it etc)
malnourished into rice. In
people lack. testing at the
moment.
Not enough
testing for
potential side
effects

Golden rice
cross-pollination
with other rice
 crops.

Fast-growing Putting a growth Sells salmon Can escape from Examine effects Genetically
salmon hormone gene faster nets and breed of releasing modifying catfish
from Pacific with wild salmon, modified fish into and tilapia
chinook salmon making their wild fish
into the Atlantic offspring less fit populations
salmon.
Unmodified
females mate
more with
modified males,
making
unmodified males
have less
opportunity for
mating

Some studies
show that
modified salmon
eat more than
wild salmon,
depleting the
amount of food
available for wild
salmon

Virus-resistant Inserted papaya Makes papaya Person who eats Developing Isolating papayas
papaya ringspot virus resistant to the papaya may methods at to prevent
coat protein into virus have reaction to making the transfer of
papaya seeds inserted protein papaya resistant disease
to the ringspot
Non-GMO virus Breeding
papaya cross naturally virus
breeding with resistant
GMO- papaya,
problematic since Cross protection,
some countries or treating trees
do not allow with a mild
import of GMO version of the
crops virus

Papayas having
similar genomes
would make
scientists unable
to develop
solutions in the
event that a
disease affects
all of them.