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Carter L, Mankad A, Hobman EV, Porter NB. Playing God and tampering with nature: popular labels for real concerns in synthetic biology. Transgenic Res 2021; 30:155-167. [PMID: 33502671 DOI: 10.1007/s11248-021-00233-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Public engagement in science with diverse cross-sections of the community is considered a critical aspect of responsible biotechnological innovation. While the research community shows willingness to engage with both ambivalent and supportive audiences about potentially disruptive technological advances, there is less enthusiasm for engaging with groups who hold deeply opposing views to such advances. 'Playing God' and 'tampering with nature' are popular examples of intrinsic objections often made in opposition to the development or use of novel genetic technologies. Historically appearing in arguments against the pursuit of genetically modified organisms in agriculture and food industries, intrinsic objections have previously been labelled by the science community as inconsistent, non-scientific, and vague. Now found in a range of innovation contexts, the domain of synthetic biology appears to attract such objections consistently. We present the findings from a large Australian study (N = 4593) which suggests 'playing God' objections and their variants can be multilayered and, at times, accompanied by meaningful information about risk perceptions. We use qualitative analysis of open-ended responses from an online survey to show how these objections are articulated in response to selected synthetic biology applications across environmental and health domains. Our research invites a rethink of how the synthetic biology community perceives, and engages with, people who express intrinsic objections. These people may additionally hold extrinsic concerns that may be potentially addressed, or at least reasonably considered, through dialogue. We offer some concluding remarks for engaging with publics who employ these types of arguments to communicate unease with aspects of technology development and use.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Carter
- CSIRO Land and Water, Dutton Park, QLD, Australia.
| | - A Mankad
- CSIRO Land and Water, Dutton Park, QLD, Australia
| | - E V Hobman
- CSIRO Land and Water, Dutton Park, QLD, Australia
| | - N B Porter
- CSIRO Land and Water, Wembley, WA, Australia
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Kaiser GG, Mucci NC, González V, Sánchez L, Parrón JA, Pérez MD, Calvo M, Aller JF, Hozbor FA, Mutto AA. Detection of recombinant human lactoferrin and lysozyme produced in a bitransgenic cow. J Dairy Sci 2017; 100:1605-1617. [PMID: 28109583 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2016-11173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2016] [Accepted: 10/07/2016] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Lactoferrin and lysozyme are 2 glycoproteins with great antimicrobial activity, being part of the nonspecific defensive system of human milk, though their use in commercial products is difficult because human milk is a limited source. Therefore, many investigations have been carried out to produce those proteins in biological systems, such as bacteria, yeasts, or plants. Mammals seem to be more suitable as expression systems for human proteins, however, especially for those that are glycosylated. In the present study, we developed a bicistronic commercial vector containing a goat β-casein promoter and an internal ribosome entry site fragment between the human lactoferrin and human lysozyme genes to allow the introduction of both genes into bovine adult fibroblasts in a single transfection. Embryos were obtained by somatic cell nuclear transfer, and, after 6 transferences to recipients, 3 pregnancies and 1 viable bitransgenic calf were obtained. The presence of the vector was confirmed by fluorescent in situ hybridization of skin cells. At 13 mo of life and after artificial induction of lactation, both recombinant proteins were found in the colostrum and milk of the bitransgenic calf. Human lactoferrin concentration in the colostrum was 0.0098 mg/mL and that in milk was 0.011 mg/mL; human lysozyme concentration in the colostrum was 0.0022 mg/mL and that in milk was 0.0024 mg/mL. The molar concentration of both human proteins revealed no differences in protein production of the internal ribosome entry site upstream and downstream protein. The enzymatic activity of lysozyme in the transgenic milk was comparable to that of human milk, being 6 and 10 times higher than that of bovine lysozyme present in milk. This work represents an important step to obtain multiple proteins or enhance single protein production by using animal pharming and fewer regulatory and antibiotic-resistant foreign sequences, allowing the design of humanized milk with added biological value for newborn nutrition and development. Transgenic animals can offer a unique opportunity to the dairy industry, providing starting materials suitable to develop specific products with high added value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Germán G Kaiser
- Grupo de Biotecnología de la Reproducción, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, 7620 Balcarce, Argentina.
| | - Nicolás C Mucci
- Grupo de Biotecnología de la Reproducción, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, 7620 Balcarce, Argentina
| | - Vega González
- Tecnología de los Alimentos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Lourdes Sánchez
- Tecnología de los Alimentos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - José A Parrón
- Tecnología de los Alimentos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - María D Pérez
- Tecnología de los Alimentos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Miguel Calvo
- Tecnología de los Alimentos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Juan F Aller
- Grupo de Biotecnología de la Reproducción, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, 7620 Balcarce, Argentina
| | - Federico A Hozbor
- Grupo de Biotecnología de la Reproducción, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, 7620 Balcarce, Argentina
| | - Adrián A Mutto
- Laboratorio Biotecnologías Aplicadas a la Reproducción y Mejoramiento Genético Animal, Instituto de Investigaciones Biotechnològicas-Instituto Tecnològico Chascomùs (IIB-INTECH), Universidad Nacional de San Martin-Consejo de Investigaciones Cientìficas y Tècnicas (CONICET), 1650 San Martin, Argentina
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Figueiredo MDA, Lanes CFC, Almeida DV, Marins LF. Improving the production of transgenic fish germlines: in vivo evaluation of mosaicism in zebrafish (Danio rerio) using a green fluorescent protein (GFP) and growth hormone cDNA transgene co-injection strategy. Genet Mol Biol 2007. [DOI: 10.1590/s1415-47572007000100008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
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