In Ben Bova's intriguing novel, Multiple Man (1976), several identical copies of the American president are discovered deceased, raising the question of whether a clone or the genuine individual occupies the Oval Office.
Although it is a work of fiction, recent advancements in science and engineering have made it feasible to create an exact replica of the original – at least in the realm of livestock. This was exemplified by Dolly, the sheep.
"The process calls for single cells to be separated from a growing calf embryo," wrote J. Madeleine Nash in an article which was published by Time. Each cell is then injected into an unfertilized egg and implanted into the womb of a surrogate cow.
"Because the nucleus of the unfertilized egg is removed beforehand, it contains no genetic material that might interfere with the development of the embryo," Nash wrote.
Cloning – the process of creating a genetically identical copy of a cell, gene, or entire organism – is just one of the many techniques of biotechnology. Generally, biotechnology is defined as "any technique that uses living organisms to make or modify a product, to improve plants or animals, or to develop microorganisms for specific uses."
Biotechnology has existed since ancient times. Spirulina, one of the oldest forms of life on earth, is believed to be what the ancient Israelites of the Old Testament called "manna from heaven."
Modern era
The modern era of biotechnology, however, had its origin in 1953 when American biochemist James Watson and British biophysicist Francis Crick presented their double-helix model of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid).
DNA, the genetic material of all cellular organisms and most viruses, carries the information needed to direct so-called "protein synthesis" and "replication." Protein synthesis is defined as "the production of proteins needed by the cells or virus for its activities and development." Replication, on the other hand, is "the process by which DNA copies itself for each descendant cell or virus, passing on the information needed for protein synthesis."
In the 1960s, Swiss microbiologist Werner Arber identified unique enzymes known as restriction enzymes in bacteria. These enzymes are capable of cleaving the DNA strands of any organism at specific locations.
In 1973, American geneticist Stanley Cohen, along with American biochemist Herbert Boyer, successfully extracted a particular gene (a segment of genetic material that dictates the inheritance of specific traits or a set of traits) from one bacterium and transferred it into another using restriction enzymes.
This milestone signified the advent of recombinant DNA technology, often referred to as genetic engineering. In essence, it involves "the alternation of an organism's genetic, or hereditary, material to eliminate undesirable characteristics or to produce desirable new ones."
In recent times, genetic engineering has been employed to enhance food production in plants and animals, to diagnose diseases, to improve medical treatments, to develop vaccines and other beneficial pharmaceuticals, and to assist in the management of industrial waste.
"Modern techniques in biotechnology have vastly increased the speed at which nature could be manipulated to serve society's needs," said Dr. Felimon Uriarte Jr. when he was still the head of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). "Biotechnology, in conjunction with other emerging technologies, will undoubtedly be a major source of innovation and growth in the next millennium."
Food crisis
"There is a lot that happens around the world we cannot control," American Congressman Jan Schakowsky once said. "We cannot stop earthquakes, we cannot prevent droughts, and we cannot prevent all conflict, but when we know where the hungry, the homeless and the sick exist, then we can help."
Hunger is the physical sensation of desiring food. When politicians, relief workers and social scientists talk about people suffering from hunger, they usually refer to those who are unable to eat sufficient food to meet their basic nutritional needs for sustained periods of time.
But with the continuous number of people added annually to the current population, it is more likely that hunger will be the rule rather than an exception. "Population growth is going crazy," pointed out Dr. Frank A. Shotkoski, an accomplished American molecular biologist and biotechnology expert. "From 2 billion in 1935, it doubled to 4 billion in 1975. By 2000, the world was home to 6 billion. In 2030, there will be about 8 billion people inhabiting this planet."
In addition, there are the issues of climate change: rising temperatures and changing precipitation patterns. "Climate change is a major challenge for agriculture and food security," said the late Dr. Randy Hautea, then director of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA).
Biotechnology is seen as a probable solution. "All possible tools that can help promote sustainable agriculture for food security must be marshalled," suggested Ismail Serageldin when he was still the vice-president of World Bank, "and biotechnology, safely developed, could be a tremendous help."
The tools used in biotechnology include gene cloning, tissue culture, microbial culture, DNA-marker technology, and genetic engineering. The latter is the most controversial as it is the method used in developing genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
Transgenic crops
A GM/biotech or transgenic crop is a plant that has a novel combination of genetic material obtained through the use of modern biotechnology, according to a fact sheet circulated by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA).
"GM technology can address problems that cannot be solved through conventional crop improvement methods," the fact sheet states. "It enables plant breeders to bring together in one plant useful genes from a wide range of sources, not just from within the crop species or closely related plants.
"This powerful tool allows plant breeders to attain a desired trait combination faster and address urgent concerns like the development of crops that are resistant to biotic (diseases and pests) or abiotic stresses (drought and waterlogging), and with increased yield and improved food and nutrient quality," the fact sheet adds.
In 1994, Calgene's delayed-ripening tomato became the first GM food crop to be produced and consumed in an industrialized country. In 1995, GM cotton and GM corn were subsequently commercialized. Soon to be introduced in the country are the following: GM eggplant and the vitamin A-rich golden rice.
But despite the benefits that biotechnology brings, there are still organizations like Greenpeace, an anti-GMO organization, which continue to take a preventive stance. "It's now possible to do stuff that only writers could imagine before and build up completely new life forms. The argument that we need genetically-modified food to feed the world is complete bull," Greenpeace deplored.
Not a "quick fix"
Emmanuel F. Pinol, when he was still the head of the Department of Agriculture, admitted to some media personalities that biotechnology won't be a "quick fix" to the problem of food insecurity. "Personally, I'm not really convinced that GM plants are the quick-fix to our shortage of food," he was quoted as saying.
Dr. Vivencio Mamaril, one of the country's biotech experts, seems to agree. "Biotechnology is just one of the possible solutions to the problem of the looming food crisis," he told participants of the seminar-workshop on biotechnology held in Davao City.
Dr. Channapatna Prakash, a professor of plant molecular genetics, has the same view. "(Biotechnology) is not the only way to increase food production but right now represents a major scientific breakthrough to develop better crop varieties in addressing some of the food production problems," he said. (To be continued)