by Anoushka Kumar

Genetic Engineering is the process of using rDNA technology, a technology that uses enzymes (proteins that accelerate chemical reactions) to alter the genetic makeup of an organism.

And it is far more prominent in our lives than most believe. In medicine it is used to mass-produce human-growth hormones, drugs, insulin, vaccines, and many more vital essentials.

In agriculture, genetic engineering is used to create genetically-modified crops to withstand harsh conditions, and other genetically-modified organisms. 

In research, organisms are genetically engineered to discover the functions of certain genes.It is used in industry by transforming microorganisms such as bacteria or yeast, or insect mammalian cells with gene coding for a useful protein. The genetic code is a set of rules detailing how the four-letter code of DNA is translated into the 20-letter code of amino acids, which are structural units that make up proteins.

Genetic engineering has already established itself as an integral part of our world. In fact, The BLS (Bureau of Labour Statistics) has reported that biomedical engineers can anticipate to see a 23% growth in demand for years between 2014 and 2024. 

And now, due to biotechnology’s rapid advancement, what were questions based on sci-fi movies, like genetically engineered humans, has become an ethics question. Genetic Engineering is something that might even reshape humanity; Jamie Metzl, author of the book ‘Hacking Darwin’ said ‘’Genetic engineering, in other words, could easily shift from being a health or lifestyle choice to becoming an imperative for survival.’’ 



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