HUMAN HEALTH RISKS

• Consumption of GMOs may have adverse effects since it is not naturally or organically produced
• Consumption of GMOs may alter the balance of existing microorganisms in the human digestive
system
• Production of toxins may be detrimental to human health
• Production of allergens may have adverse effects on humans
OTHER POTENTIAL RISKS
a. Mutation of genetically engineered microorganisms
b. Cloning
c. Human Genome Project (HGP)
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY
Scientist and medical practitioners would definitely continue to search for ways to preserve lives.
Genetic engineering
- perceived to be one of the keys to this venture.
Gene Therapy and Gene Alteration
- are promising ways to improve human health conditions

BIOSAFETY OF GMOs
The Codex Alimentarius Commission (CODEX)
- responsible for the development of standards, codes of practices, guidelines and
recommendations of food safety.
Codex
- has developed principles for human health risk analysis of genetically modified food
products.
Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety
- International environmental treaty that regulates the transboundary movements of living
modified organisms (LMOS)
International Trade Agreement on Labeling of Gm Food and Food Products
- agreement requires exporters of GM food products to label their products and give rights to
importing parties to reject or accept the GM products.
- the premise of this policy is that consumers have the right to know and the freedom to
choose GM or non-GM products
The World Health Organization
- claims that all GM products that are available in the international market have passed
safety assessment by national authorities.
- the safety assessments basically look at the environmental and health risk factors safety
usually follow the Codex Food Code.
GMO: POLITICS
ARGUMENTS FOR GMO
Increased food production
- proponents argue the GMOs can help feed a growing global population by increasing crop
yields and resistance to pests and diseases.
Improved nutrition
- genetically modified crops can be enriched with essentials vitamins and minerals,
addressing deficiencies in some regions.

Reduced pesticide use

- engineering crops with pests’ resistance can minimize pesticide application, potentially
leading to safer food and a cleaner environment.
Economic benefits
- farmers using GMO seeds can see higher profit due to increased yields and lower pest control
costs.

ARGUMENTS AGAINST GMO

Safety concerns
- some people worry about the long – term health effects of consuming genetically modified
foods. There is ongoing research to address these concerns, but some remain unconvinced.
Environmental impact
- concerns exist about the potential for GMOs to crosspollinate with natural crops, creating
unintended consequences for ecosystems.
Corporate control
- opponents argue that large corporations control most GMO research and seed production,
putting undue power in their hands and potentially harming small farmers.
Labeling
- there is a debate about the mandatory labeling of GMO products. Consumers who want to
avoid GMOs argue for clear labeling to make informed choices.

THE POLITICAL LANDSCAPE

Developed vs Developing nations
Developed Nations
- like the US are generally more pro – GMO, citing potential benefits for food security and
agriculture.
Developing Nations
- often have safety and environmental concerns, along with anxieties about corporate control
of their food supply.
International Trade
 - trade agreements sometimes become battlegrounds for GMOs. Countries with stricter
regulations may find themselves facing pressure from exporters of GMO products.

The Nano World

Nanotechnology
- refers to the science, engineering and technology conducted at the nanoscale.
Nanoscience
- employs the study and application of exceptional small thing in other areas of science.

CONCEPT OF NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY

- Coined by Professor Norio Taniguchi
Physicist Richard Feynman
December 29, 1959
- He talks "There's Plenty of Room At The Bottom"
Nanometer
- is a billionth of a meter, or 10 -9 of a meter.

HOW TO VIEW NANO MATERIALS

1. Electronic Microscope
- type of microscope that utilizes a particle beam of electrons to light up specimen and develop
a well magnified image.
- electron microscopes produce higher and better resolution than older light microscopes
Ruska and Max Knoll
- German engineers Ernst
- built the first electron microscope during 1930s.

TWO GENERAL TYPES OF ELECTRONIC MICROSOPE

a. Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM)
b. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM)
2. Atomic Force Microscope (AFM)
- developed by Gerd Binig, Calvin Quate and Christoph Gerber in 1986.
- makes use of mechanical probe that gathers information from surface of a material.
3. Scanning Tunneling Microscope
- In 1986, Gerd Binig and Heinrich Rohrer won the Nobel Prize on physics because of these
inventions.
- enables scientist to view and manipulate nanoscale particles, atoms and small molecules.

Nanomanufacturing
 - refers to scaled-up, reliable and cost-effective manufacturing of nanoscale materials,
structures, devices and systems.
Bottom-up Fabrication
- manufactures products by building them up from atomic and molecular-scale components.
- this method can be time-consuming.
- Scientists and engineers are still in search for effective ways of putting up together molecular
components that self-assemble and from the bottom-up to organized structures
Top-down Fabrication
- trims down large pieces of materials into nanoscale.
- process needs larger amounts of materials and discards excess raw materials.

NEW APPROACHES TO THE ASSEMBLY OF NANOMATERIALS

1. Dip Pen Lithography
- It is a method in which the tip of an atomic force microscope is "dipped" into a chemical fluid
and then utilized to "write" on a surface, like an old-fashioned ink pen onto paper.
2. Self-assembly
- It depicts an approach wherein a set of components join together to mold an organized
structure in the absence of an outside direction.
3. Chemical Vapor Deposition
- It is a procedure wherein chemicals act in response to form very pure, high-performance
films.
4. Nanoimprint Lithography
- It is a method of generating nanoscale attributes by "stamping" or "printing" them onto a surface.
5. Molecular Beam Epitaxy
- It is one manner for depositing extremely controlled thin films.
6. Roll-to-Roll Processing
- It is a high-volume practice for constructing nanoscale devices on a roll of ultrathin plastic or
metal.
7. Atomic Layer Epitaxy
- It is a means for laying down one-atom-thick layers on a surface.

Distinct Features of Nanoscale

Nanotechnology
- involves operating at a very small dimension and it allows scientists to make use of the
exceptional optical, chemical, physical, mechanical, and biological qualities of materials of that
signal scale.
1. Scale at Which Much Biology Occurs.
- various activities of the cells take place at the nanoscale.
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
- serves as the genetic material of the cell and is only about 2 nanometers in diameter.
Hemoglobin
- -transports oxygen to the tissues throughout the body is 5.5 nanometers in diameter.
2. Scale at Which Quantum Effects Dominate Properties of Materials.
- Quantum effects direct the behavior and properties of particles in this size scale.
- properties of materials are highly dependent on their size.
- change as a function of size include chemical reactivity, fluorescence, magnetic permeability,
melting point, and electrical conductivity.
3. Nanoscale Materials Have Far Larger Surface Areas Than Similar Masses of Larger-scale
Materials.
- as we increase the surface area per mass of a particular material, a greater amount of the
material comes in contact with another material and can affect its reactivity.

GOVERNMENT DIFFERENT FUNDING FOR NANOTECHNOLOGY IN COUNTRIES (DAYRIT, 2005)

1. U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative
- -The best-known and most-funded program is the National Nanotechnology Initiative of the
United States.
- was established in 2001 to coordinate US. federal nanotechnology R&D.
- NNI budget in 2008 and 2009 were $1.4 billion and $1.5 billion, respectively
2. European Commission
- In February 2008, the EC officially launched the European Nanoelectronics Initiative
Advisory Council (ENIAC).
3. Japan (Nanotechnology Research Institute, under the National Institute for Advanced
Industrial Science and Technology, AIST)
4. Taiwan (Taiwan National Science and Technology Program for Nanoscience and
Nanotechnology)
5. India (Nanotechnology Research and Education Foundation)
6. China (National Center for Nanoscience and Technology)
7. Israel (Israel National Nanotechnology Initiative)
8. Australia (Autralian Office of Nanotechnology)
9. Canada (National Lastimae for Nanotechnology of NINT
10. South Korea (Korea National Nanotechnology Initiative)
11. Thailand (National Nanotechnology Center or NANOTEC)
12. Malaysia (National Malaysia) Nanotechnology Initiatives of NNI)
 POSSIBLE APPLICATIONS OF NANOTECHNOLOGY IN THE PHILIPPINES (DAYRIT, 2005)
1. ICT and semiconductors
2. Health and medicine
3. Energy
4. Food and agriculture
5. Environment

NANOTECH ROADMAP FOR THE PHILIPPINES (FUNDED BY PCASTRD-DOST

Study 1. ICT and Semi-conductors
• Dr. Arnel Salvador, Dr. Roland Sarmago,
• Mr. Armando Somintac, Michael Defensor (RA)
Study 2. Health and Biomedical
• Dr. Carlo Mar Blanca, Dr. Blessie Basilia, Dr. Cynthia Saloma, Dindi Samsuya (RA)
Study 3. Energy
• Dr. Jim Minglana, Dr. Erwin Enriquez, Dr. Gerry Nuesca, Ian Harvey Arellano (RA)
Study 4. Environment
• Dr. Fabian Dayrit, Dr. Christina Binag, Christian Malapit (RA)
Study 5. Agriculture and Food
• Dr. Milagros Peralta, Dr. Fortune Sevilla, Dr. Antonio Laurena,
• Dr. Veronica Sabularse, Ruby Ortiz (RA)
Study 6. Health and Environmental Risk
• Dr. Flerida Cariño
Study 7. Nano-Metrology
• Dr. Erwin Enriquez
Study 8. Education and Public Awareness
• Dr. Fabian Dayrit

BENEFITS AND CONCERNS OF USING NANOTECHNOLOGY

Nanotechnology
- is not a single technology; it may become pervasive.
- seeks to develop new materials with specific properties.
- may introduce new efficiencies and paradigms which may make some natural resources and
current practices uncompetitive or obsolete.
- it may be complicated to detect its presence unless one has the specialist tools of
nanotechnology.
 THE ASPECTS OF GENE THERAPY
Gene therapy
is a potential method to either treat or cure genetic-related human illnesses.
BASIC PROCESS OF HUMAN GENE THERAPY
1. Replacement of mutated gene that causes disease with a healthy copy of the gene.
2. Inactivation of a mutated gene that is functioning improperly.
3. Introducing a new gene into the body to help fight diseases.
• In general, a gene cannot be directly inserted into a human gene or cell.
• A gene is inserted into another gene using a carrier or vector.
• At present, the most common type of vectors are viruses that have been genetically changed to
carry normal human DNA.
Viruses
- have evolved a way of encapsulating and transporting their genes to human cells in a
pathogenic manner (Science Daily, 2017).
-
TWO TYPES OF GENE THERAPY
The idea of gene therapy is based on
a. correcting a disease at its root
b. fixing the abnormal genes that appear to lead to certain diseases.

Example Of Areas Affected Possible Benefits Concern

by Nanotechnology

Environment • Improved detection and • High reactivity and toxicity

removal of contaminants. • Pervasive distribution in the
• Development of benign environment.
industrial processes and • No nano-specific EPA
materials. regulation.

Health • Improve medicine • Ability to cross cell

membranes and translocate
in the body.

Economy • New jobs • Potential cost of cleanups

and healthcare.
• Accessibility to all income
• Redistribution of wealth levels.
• Better product
Somatic Gene Therapy
- involves the manipulation of genes in cells that will be helpful to the patient but not inherited
to the next generation (Nimsergern, 1988).

TYPES OF SOMATIC GENE THERAPY

a. Ex-Vivo Gene Therapy
- cells are taken out from the body and grown in the laboratory.
- cells are then exposed to the virus containing the desired gene and then after recombination,
the recombinant cells are returned to the patient.
b. In-Vivo Gene Therapy
- genes are transferred to the cells present inside the patient’s body.
Germ-Line Gene Therapy
- involves the genetic modification of germ cells or the origin cells that will pass the change on
to the next generation (Your Genome,2017).

STEM CELL GENE THERAPY

Stem Cells
- are mother cells that have the potential to become any type of cell in the body.
- One of the main characteristics of stem cells is their ability to self-renew or multiply while
maintaining the potential to develop into other types of cells.
- can become cells of the blood, heart, bones, skin, muscles, brain, among others. There are
different sources of stem cells but all types of stem cells have the same capacity to develop into
multiple types of cells.
- are derived from different sources. Two of which are embryonic and somatic stem cells.
Embryonic Stem Cells
- are derived from a four- or five-day-old human embryo that is in the blastocyst phase of
development.
Embryos
- are usually extras that have been created in IVF (in vitro fertilization) clinics where several eggs
are fertilized in a test tube then implanted into a woman (Crosta, 2013).
Somatic Stem Cells
- cells that exist throughout the body after embryonic development and are found inside of
different types of tissue.
- have been found in tissues such as the brain, bone marrow, blood, blood vessels, skeletal
muscles, skin, and the liver.
- remain in a non-dividing state for years until activated by disease or tissue injury.
 Climate change
- refers to the rise in average surface temperatures on Earth.
- is due primarily to the human use of fossil fuels, which releases carbon dioxide and other
greenhouse gases into the air.
Climate
- long-term weather patterns prevailing over a given area of the planet. This
- came from the Greek word klinein meaning “to slope.” It then evolved to klima, connoting a
zone or region of the Earth as characterized by its atmospheric conditions.

CAUSES OF CLIMATE CHANGE

NATURAL CAUSES AND MAN-MADE
1. Volcanic Eruption
Several types of volcanic eruptions—during which lava, tephra, and assorted gases are
expelled from a volcanic vent or fissure—have been distinguished by volcanologists.
2. Orbital Changes
Milankovitch cycles
- describe the collective effects of changes in the Earth's movements on its climate over
thousands of years.
3. Human Activities (Anthropogenic)
- contribute to climate change by causing changes in Earth’s atmosphere in the amounts of
greenhouse gases, cloudiness, etc.

ELEMENTS OF SUN AND EARTH INTERACTION

1. Aphelion
o the point in the orbit of the Earth that is farthest from the Sun
2. Perihelion
o the point in the orbit of the Earth that is closest to the Sun
3. Earth’s Axial Tilt
o inclination angle of the Earth (23.5 degrees) in relation to a perpendicular line to its
orbital plane.
4. Precession
o the change in the orientation of the rotational axis of the Earth
5. Equinox
o the time the Sun at noon is directly over the Equator.
o it happens twice a year, causing an almost equal length of day and night.
6. Solstice
o happens when the Sun at noon sits above the Tropic of Cancer or Tropic of Capricorn,
o the summer solstice has the longest period of daylight
 o the winter solstice has the shortest period.
7. Precession of the Equinoxes
o the motion of the equinoxes relative to the precession of the Earth’s axis of rotation.
o happens over thousands of years.

Greenhouse Gases
- certain gases that cause the trapping of solar radiation in the Earth’s surface by blocking its
natural dissipation to space. Examples are Carbon Dioxide and Methane.

EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE

1. Melting of Ice Caps
o leads to the rise in sea levels, the dissolution of salt in the ocean, and the disruption of
natural ocean currents.
2. More Severe Weather Patterns
3. More Intense Heatwaves
o leads to drought, wildfires, and desertification.
4. Food Issues
5. Health

COMBATING CLIMATE CHANGE

1989 Montreal Protocol
- designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of numerous substances
that are responsible for ozone depletion.
- banned the use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) which were used as refrigerants but are
known to be ozone-depleting agents.
1992 UN Earth Summit
- provided the framework convention for combating Climate Change.
- This led to the 1997 Kyoto Protocol.
1997 Kyoto Protocol
- promoted the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions based on the consensus that global
warming is caused by human activities.
- signed by 192 countries, Canada pulled out on 2012.
2015 Paris Accord
- limits the increase of global average temperature to 1.5o C above the pre- Industrial
Revolution levels.
- signed by 195 countries, with the United States notably backing out of the deal.