Food: A Cultural Culinary History

 We have never been able to create new species; only nature has

been able to do that over millions of years. The earliest forms of

GMOs, or genetically modifi ed organisms, were created in 1973

and involved taking a tiny gene, cutting off of a piece of DNA,

and then slicing it onto a tiny chromosome (plasmid). Because this

involves combining genes from one creature with another, it was

called recombinant DNA.

 Today, there are two main ways to genetically modify organisms.

One method involves taking an isolated gene plucked off the DNA

that is known to confer some desirable trait, loading it in a gun, and

shooting it into a cell—hoping the gene hits the right spot, becomes

lodged in the cell, and changes the growing organism so that it

expresses whatever the desirable trait may be.

 The other technology uses a vector, such as a bacteria or virus

(often a pathogen), which invades the cell on its own and introduces

Genetically modifi ed foods of the future might be packed with nutritional
content—and taste great.

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