{"id":37540,"date":"2025-08-08T20:08:50","date_gmt":"2025-08-08T18:08:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/?p=37540"},"modified":"2025-09-22T19:33:41","modified_gmt":"2025-09-22T17:33:41","slug":"methods-and-mechanisms-for-genetic-manipulation-of-plants-animals-and-microorganisms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/methods-and-mechanisms-for-genetic-manipulation-of-plants-animals-and-microorganisms\/","title":{"rendered":"Methods and mechanisms for genetic manipulation of plants, animals, and microorganisms"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mushrooms that don\u2019t brown. Maize that kills insects. Medicine tailor-made for the individual. Are these facts or fiction?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Scientists use genetic engineering to manipulate the DNA in an organism\u2019s genome and enhance or modify certain characteristics. Such engineering can be applied to any organism, from a virus to a plant.<\/span><sup><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1<\/span><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Genetic manipulation is often used to introduce a new, favorable characteristic into the recipient organism, such as tolerance to a chemical herbicide or resistance to insect attacks. It can also be used to alter the organism&#8217;s genes\u2019 activity, such as slowing down natural decay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Key takeaways<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Genetic engineering modifies an organism\u2019s DNA to produce or enhance desired traits through methods like vectors and gene guns.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It has broad applications across plants, animals, and microorganisms, improving agriculture, enabling medical advancements, and supporting fundamental research.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>CRISPR technology revolutionized gene editing with its precision and accessibility, leading to human therapies and gene-edited food available for purchase.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2>What is genetic manipulation?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Genetic engineering is a process that uses laboratory-based technology to alter an organism\u2019s DNA and produce a desired trait. This includes deleting a region of a DNA strand, adding a new segment, or altering a base pair.<\/span><sup><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2<\/span><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>DNA is the genetic code found in humans and almost all other organisms that make them behave and appear as they do. Most DNA is housed in the cell nucleus, but a small amount of DNA is also found in the mitochondria \u2014 the structures within cells that convert the energy from food into a form that cells can process and use.<sup>3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n<div>\n            <!-- Responsive picture tag -->\n        <picture class=\"picture-block\">\n            <source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Slot19_Infographic-1_Desktop.png\" >\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Slot19_Infographic-1_Mobile.png\" alt=\"An illustration of DNA replication with two intertwined strands splitting to form two new identical strands.\">\n        <\/picture>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n<h2>How genetic engineering works<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>DNA\u2019s double helix consists of a base pair: two bases on opposite strands of the DNA molecule. A base pair forms one \u2018rung\u2019 on the DNA \u2018ladder\u2019. Among base pairs:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A (adenine) binds with T (thymine)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">C (cytosine) binds with G (guanine)<\/span><sup><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4<\/span> <\/sup><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Genetic manipulation may change one base pair (A-T or C-G), remove a whole region of DNA, or add an additional copy of a gene. Gene modification could also include extracting DNA from one organism\u2019s genome and joining it with the DNA of another.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While methods of genetic modification vary, the process generally follows these steps:<sup>5<\/sup><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Identify the genetic information desired for the organism.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Isolate and copy the information from the organism that displays that trait.<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Insert that characteristic into the desired organism.<\/li>\n<li>Propagate the organism.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2>Methods of genetic modification<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Methods for genetic manipulation have rapidly evolved over the last century, from basic animal husbandry and inserting genes from one organism into another to more advanced methods of directly editing the genome.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Plasmid method<\/strong>. <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plasmids are small circular pieces of a DNA molecule used to alter microorganisms, such as bacteria. The plasmid is placed in a container with enzymes that cut the plasmid up into small pieces and then joined with the gene of interest.<\/span><sup><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">6<\/span><\/sup>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li><strong>Vector method<\/strong>. This method uses a \u2018vehicle\u2019 or vector to transfer foreign genetic material from one cell to another. <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vectors are typically viruses that attach to a cell and insert DNA into the host cell before detaching.<\/span> The DNA, now part of the host cell, will start replicating as part of the genetic information of the host cell and producing the desired trait.<sup>7<\/sup><\/li>\n<li><strong>Biolistic method<\/strong>. The gene gun method, or biolistic method, uses a gene gun to \u2018fire\u2019 DNA particles into a cell. DNA can adhere to extremely small particles of metal, such as gold, silver, or tungsten. The DNA-coated metal particles are placed inside the gene gun, a slight vacuum is created between the gun and the tissue, and the DNA particles are shot into the targeted cell.<sup>8<\/sup><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2>Applications of genetic engineering<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Genetic modification is used in a variety of applications, from the food we eat to microorganisms.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Genetic manipulation of plants<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The purpose of plant manipulation varies, from creating crops with enhanced traits for increased yield, improved nutritional content, to reducing our reliance on pesticides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><b>Pest resistance:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> One common application is the introduction of genes from a soil bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), into crops like corn and cotton. These Bt crops produce proteins that are toxic to specific insect pests and reduce the need for chemical insecticides. Bt corn acreage in the United States reached 86% in 2024, according to the USDA.<\/span><sup><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">9<\/span><\/sup><\/li>\n<li><b>Drought resistance:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> As climate change presents new challenges, researchers are developing genetically engineered crops that can withstand arid conditions. For instance, a drought-tolerant corn variety was developed using a gene from Bacillus subtilis. It activates a protein in the plan that helps mitigate damaging drought effects.<\/span><sup><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">10<\/span><\/sup><\/li>\n<li><b>Disease resistance<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Genetic engineering is used to introduce genes that confer resistance to various plant diseases. For example, Hawaiian papaya crops were devastated by the papaya ringspot virus until genetically engineered virus-resistant varieties were introduced in the 1990s.<\/span><sup><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">11<\/span><\/sup><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Genetic manipulation of animals<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Genetic engineering in animals is employed for a variety of purposes, from improving livestock productivity and disease resistance to biomedical applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><b>Disease resistance:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Researchers are working to engineer animals with increased resistance to common diseases, reducing the need for antibiotics. For example, the FDA approved the use of gene-editing technology that creates pigs that are resistant to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) virus, a disease that caused $1.2 billion in losses per year for the U.S. pork industry between 2016 and 2020.<\/span><sup><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">12<\/span><\/sup><\/li>\n<li><b>Research models:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Genetically engineered animals, particularly mice, are used as research tools for understanding human diseases and testing new therapies. Scientists can introduce or deactivate specific genes in mice to mimic human conditions like cancer, Alzheimer&#8217;s, or cystic fibrosis, providing critical insights into disease mechanisms.<\/span><sup><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">13<\/span><\/sup><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Genetic manipulation of microorganisms<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The genetic engineering of microorganisms is also used across various industries, from medicine and biotechnology to environmental remediation and food production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><b>Insulin production:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> One of the earliest examples of microorganism genetic engineering is the alteration of <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">E. coli <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">bacteria to produce human insulin. Previously, insulin for diabetics was extracted from animal pancreases. Humulin, a recombinant human insulin, became the first genetically engineered drug approved by the FDA.<\/span><sup><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">14<\/span><\/sup><\/li>\n<li><b>Enzyme production:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Genetically engineered microbes produce industrial enzymes used in countless applications, including detergents, food processing, textiles, and paper manufacturing. These enzymes offer more efficient and environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional chemical processes.<\/span><sup><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">15<\/span><\/sup><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2>CRISPR: the next step in genetic manipulation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>CRISPR-Cas is a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/how-big-data-is-changing-genetic-research\/\">technology of genetic engineering<\/a> that allows the genetic material of viruses, bacteria, cells, plants, and animals to be altered in a relatively simple, but very accurate and efficient way. The technology works by changing characteristics through genetic alterations or by adding entirely new genetic information.<sup>16<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><b>2007: Bacterial immunity discovered<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Researchers Rodolphe Barrangou and Philippe Horvath at Danisco, a leading yogurt culture producer, discovered something in the bacterium Streptococcus thermophilus. They found unusual clusters of repeated DNA sequences, or CRISPRs, that matched the DNA of viruses that attacked the yogurt culture. This \u2018genetic memory\u2019 allowed the bacteria to identify and fight off these invading viruses.<\/span><sup><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">17<\/span><\/sup><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>2008: A universal editing tool<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A year later, Erik Sontheimer and Luciano Marraffini at Northwestern University published a paper suggesting that CRISPR could be an all-purpose genome-editing tool. Their research demonstrated that the spacers between the bacterial CRISPR segments effectively \u2018cut up\u2019 the invading viral DNA, rendering the virus harmless. They theorized that these repeating spacers could be programmed to target and alter genetic material in most living things.<\/span><sup><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">18<\/span><\/sup><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>2012: Therapeutic potential emerges<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2012, Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier discovered how CRISPR could potentially provide gene therapy for patients with genetic diseases.<\/span><sup><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">19<\/span><\/sup><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> In 2013, Feng Zhang and George Church built on this research and demonstrated CRISPR&#8217;s efficacy in editing human and mouse cells, specifically highlighting its therapeutic applications for nervous system disorders.<\/span><sup><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">20<\/span><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>How CRISPR works<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can think about CRISPR like the \u2018find and replace\u2019 function in a word processor, but for DNA: CRISPR finds the genetic data you wish to alter and replaces it with new material.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are three key components that allow CRISPR to work effectively:<sup>21<\/sup><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Guide RNA (gRNA).<\/strong>&nbsp;A piece of RNA (a genetic cousin of DNA) is engineered in a lab that finds the targeted gene.<\/li>\n<li><strong>CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9).<\/strong>&nbsp;The \u2018scissors\u2019 that cut out the undesired DNA.<\/li>\n<li><strong>DNA (new material).<\/strong>&nbsp;The desired piece of DNA that is inserted after the cut.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n<div>\n            <!-- Responsive picture tag -->\n        <picture class=\"picture-block\">\n            <source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Slot19_Infographic-2_Desktop.png\" >\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Slot19_Infographic-2_Mobile.png\" alt=\"Illustration depicting the three key components of CRISPR: guide RNA, Cas9, and new DNA.\">\n        <\/picture>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CRISPR is more affordable and available than earlier forms of genetic engineering. Research institutions deliver CRISPR components worldwide \u2014 non-profit Addgene reports sharing nearly 300,000 CRISPR plasmids since the organization\u2019s start.<\/span><sup><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">22<\/span><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CRISPR-edited organisms are already in our grocery stores:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2023, CRISPR-edited mustard greens hit U.S. shelves, engineered to remove the pungency that makes them taste bitter while keeping the nutritional value.<\/span><sup><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">23<\/span><\/sup><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CRISPR gene editing is being used to make larger tomato varieties sweeter, like cherry tomatoes, by disabling genes that limit sugar production.<\/span><sup><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">24<\/span><\/sup><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>When it comes to genetic modification and engineering on plants, animals, and microorganisms, the methods listed ultimately result in the same thing: altering the basic DNA structure of a cell in order to bring about a preferred characteristic. As these scientific methods continue to improve, dynamic gene modification will continue to provide alternative solutions to the way we live on the earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Explore the possibilities of CRISPR genetic engineering with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/subject-matter\/health-sciences-and-wellness\">online health science courses<\/a> offered on GetSmarter in collaboration with the world\u2019s leading universities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"related-programme-block\">\n<div class=\"related-programme\" onclick=\"window.open('https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/products\/harvard-vpal-crispr-gene-editing-applications-online-short-course', '_blank')\">\n    <div class=\"row\">\n        <div class=\"col-12 col-md-11\">\n            <div class=\"related-programme__school-logo-container\">\n            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/universities\/harvard-university\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"related-programme__school-logo-link\">\n                <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/HAR_VPAL_black_variant.png\" alt=\"School Logo\" class=\"related-programme__school-logo\">\n            <\/a>\n            <\/div>\n            <div class=\"related-programme__copy\">\n            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/universities\/harvard-university\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"related-programme__school-name\">\n                HARVARD'S VPAL            <\/a><br>\n            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/products\/harvard-vpal-crispr-gene-editing-applications-online-short-course\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"related-programme__programme-name\">\n                CRISPR: Gene-editing Applications            <\/a>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"col-md-1 related-programme__chevron-column\">\n            <div class=\"related-programme__icon-container\">\n                <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"add-btn\" src=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/blog\/assets\/icn_arrow-circle_right.svg\" alt=\"Read More Icon\">\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"related-programme-block\">\n<div class=\"related-programme\" onclick=\"window.open('https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/products\/mit-sloan-unsupervised-machine-learning-unlocking-the-potential-of-data-online-short-course', '_blank')\">\n    <div class=\"row\">\n        <div class=\"col-12 col-md-11\">\n            <div class=\"related-programme__school-logo-container\">\n            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/universities\/massachusetts-institute-of-technology\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"related-programme__school-logo-link\">\n                <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/blog_related_courses_logos_MIT_Sloan.png\" alt=\"School Logo\" class=\"related-programme__school-logo\">\n            <\/a>\n            <\/div>\n            <div class=\"related-programme__copy\">\n            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/universities\/massachusetts-institute-of-technology\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"related-programme__school-name\">\n                MIT Sloan School of Management            <\/a><br>\n            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/products\/mit-sloan-unsupervised-machine-learning-unlocking-the-potential-of-data-online-short-course\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"related-programme__programme-name\">\n                Unsupervised Machine Learning: Unlocking the Potential of Data            <\/a>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"col-md-1 related-programme__chevron-column\">\n            <div class=\"related-programme__icon-container\">\n                <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"add-btn\" src=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/blog\/assets\/icn_arrow-circle_right.svg\" alt=\"Read More Icon\">\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"related-programme-block\">\n<div class=\"related-programme\" onclick=\"window.open('https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/products\/mit-sloan-artificial-intelligence-in-health-care-online-short-course', '_blank')\">\n    <div class=\"row\">\n        <div class=\"col-12 col-md-11\">\n            <div class=\"related-programme__school-logo-container\">\n            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/universities\/massachusetts-institute-of-technology\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"related-programme__school-logo-link\">\n                <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/blog_related_courses_logos_MIT_Sloan.png\" alt=\"School Logo\" class=\"related-programme__school-logo\">\n            <\/a>\n            <\/div>\n            <div class=\"related-programme__copy\">\n            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/universities\/massachusetts-institute-of-technology\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"related-programme__school-name\">\n                MIT Sloan School of Management            <\/a><br>\n            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/products\/mit-sloan-artificial-intelligence-in-health-care-online-short-course\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"related-programme__programme-name\">\n                Artificial Intelligence in Health Care            <\/a>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"col-md-1 related-programme__chevron-column\">\n            <div class=\"related-programme__icon-container\">\n                <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"add-btn\" src=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/blog\/assets\/icn_arrow-circle_right.svg\" alt=\"Read More Icon\">\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"accordion\">\n<div class=\"card\">\n<div id=\"headingOne\" class=\"card-header\">\n<h6 class=\"mb-0\"><button class=\"btn\" style=\"background-color: transparent;\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-target=\"#sources\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-controls=\"sources\"> <strong>Click here to view sources<\/strong> <\/button><\/h6>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"sources\" class=\"collapse\" aria-labelledby=\"headingOne\" data-parent=\"#accordion\">\n<div class=\"card-body\">\n<ul class=\"mx-0\" style=\"list-style: none;\">\n\n<li class=\"mb-4\"><sup>1<\/sup> (Nd). \u2018What is genetic engineering?\u2019 Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yourgenome.org\/theme\/what-is-genetic-engineering\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Your Genome<\/a>. Accessed June 25, 2019.<\/li>\n\n<li class=\"mb-4\"><sup>2<\/sup> (Jul, 2025). \u2018Genetic engineering\u2019. Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.genome.gov\/genetics-glossary\/Genetic-Engineering\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">National Human Genome Research Institute<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n<li class=\"mb-4\"><sup>3<\/sup> (Nd). \u2018What is DNA?\u2019 Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/medlineplus.gov\/genetics\/understanding\/basics\/dna\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">MedlinePlus<\/a>. Accessed July 7, 2025.<\/li>\n\n<li class=\"mb-4\"><sup>4<\/sup> (Jul, 2025). \u2018Base pair.\u2019 Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.genome.gov\/genetics-glossary\/Base-Pair\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">National Human Genome Research Institute<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n<li class=\"mb-4\"><sup>5<\/sup> (Mar, 2024). \u2018Science and history of GMOs and other food modification processes.\u2019 Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/food\/agricultural-biotechnology\/science-and-history-gmos-and-other-food-modification-processes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">U.S. Food &#038; Drug Administration<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n<li class=\"mb-4\"><sup>6<\/sup> (Apr, 2025). \u2018What is a plasmid? Role in genetic engineering and cloning.\u2019 Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/synapse.patsnap.com\/article\/what-is-a-plasmid-role-in-genetic-engineering-and-cloning\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> Synapse<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n<li class=\"mb-4\"><sup>7<\/sup> (Jan, 2024). \u2018Vectors 101.\u2019 Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/patienteducation.asgct.org\/gene-therapy-101\/vectors-101\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n<li class=\"mb-4\"><sup>8<\/sup> Baltes, N., Gil-Humanes, J., et. al. (2017). \u2018Genome engineering and agriculture: Opportunities and challenges.\u2019 Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S1877117317300431\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ScienceDirect<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n<li class=\"mb-4\"><sup>9<\/sup> (Jan, 2025). \u2018Adoption of genetically engineered crops in the United States \u2013 recent trends in GE adoption.\u2019 Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ers.usda.gov\/data-products\/adoption-of-genetically-engineered-crops-in-the-united-states\/recent-trends-in-ge-adoption\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n<li class=\"mb-4\"><sup>10<\/sup> McFadden, J. (Mar, 2019). \u2018Drought-tolerant corn in the United States: Research, commercialization, and related crop production practices.\u2019 Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ers.usda.gov\/amber-waves\/2019\/march\/drought-tolerant-corn-in-the-united-states-research-commercialization-and-related-crop-production-practices\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n<li class=\"mb-4\"><sup>11<\/sup> (Jun, 2022). \u2018Understanding the genomic modifications in transgenic papaya.\u2019 Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/news\/understanding-genomic-modifications-transgenic\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">U.S. National Science Foundation<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n<li class=\"mb-4\"><sup>12<\/sup> Scott Nolen, R. (May, 2025). \u2018FDA approves gene-editing tech creating PRRS-resistant pigs.\u2019 Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.avma.org\/news\/fda-approves-gene-editing-tech-creating-prrs-resistant-pigs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">American Veterinary Medical Association<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n<li class=\"mb-4\"><sup>13<\/sup> (Aug, 2020). \u2018Knockout mice fact sheet.\u2019 Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.genome.gov\/about-genomics\/fact-sheets\/Knockout-Mice-Fact-Sheet\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">National Human Genome Research Institute<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n<li class=\"mb-4\"><sup>14<\/sup> (Jul, 2019). \u2018The history of a wonderful thing we call Insulin.\u2019 Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/diabetes.org\/blog\/history-wonderful-thing-we-call-insulin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">American Diabetes Association<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n<li class=\"mb-4\"><sup>15<\/sup> (Nd). \u2018Biotechnology.\u2019 Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.enzymetechnicalassociation.org\/enzymes\/biotechnology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Enzyme Technical Association<\/a>. Accessed on July 21, 2025.<\/li>\n\n<li class=\"mb-4\"><sup>16<\/sup> (Jul, 2025). \u2018CRISPR.\u2019 Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.genome.gov\/genetics-glossary\/CRISPR\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">National Human Genome Research Institute<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n<li class=\"mb-4\"><sup>17<\/sup> Cohen, J. (Feb, 2017). \u2018How the battle lines over CRISPR were drawn.\u2019 Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencemag.org\/news\/2017\/02\/how-battle-lines-over-crispr-were-drawn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Science Mag<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n<li class=\"mb-4\"><sup>18<\/sup> Marraffini, L., et al. (Dec, 2008). \u2018CRISPR interference limits horizontal gene transfer in Staphylococci by targeting DNA.\u2019 Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC2695655\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">NCBI<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n<li class=\"mb-4\"><sup>19<\/sup> (Oct, 2020). \u2018Press release: Genetic scissors: a tool for rewriting the code of life.\u2019 Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nobelprize.org\/prizes\/chemistry\/2020\/press-release\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Nobel Prize<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n<li class=\"mb-4\"><sup>20<\/sup> Cohen, J. (Feb, 2017). \u2018How the battle lines over CRISPR were drawn.\u2019 Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencemag.org\/news\/2017\/02\/how-battle-lines-over-crispr-were-drawn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"Science Mag<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n<li class=\"mb-4\"><sup>21<\/sup> (Aug, 2021). \u2018What is CRISPR?\u2019 Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbinsights.com\/research\/what-is-crispr\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">CBInsights<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n<li class=\"mb-4\"><sup>22<\/sup> Leeson, R. (Apr, 2024). \u2018Twenty years of Addgene sharing: CRISPR.\u2019 Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.addgene.org\/twenty-years-of-addgene-crispr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Addgene<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n<li class=\"mb-4\"><sup>23<\/sup> (Mullin, E. (May, 2023). \u2018The first Crispr-edited salad is here.\u2019 Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wired.com\/story\/wired30-crispr-edited-salad-greens\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Wired<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n<li class=\"mb-4\"><sup>24<\/sup> LePage, M. (Nov, 2024). \u2018Sweeter tomatoes are coming soon thanks to CRISPR gene editing.\u2019 Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newscientist.com\/article\/2456025-sweeter-tomatoes-are-coming-soon-thanks-to-crispr-gene-editing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">NewScientist<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mushrooms that don\u2019t brown. Maize that kills insects. Medicine tailor-made for the individual. Are these facts or fiction? Scientists use genetic engineering to manipulate the DNA in an organism\u2019s genome and enhance or modify certain characteristics. Such engineering can be applied to any organism, from a virus to a plant.1 Genetic manipulation is often used [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":96,"featured_media":40724,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[132,121],"article-format":[],"class_list":["post-37540","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-career-advice","tag-executive-education","tag-health"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.2 (Yoast SEO v26.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Genetic Manipulation of Plants, Animals, and Microorganisms<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Genetic engineering alters the building blocks of living organisms. Explore the methods used for the manipulation of plants, animals, and microorganisms.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/methods-and-mechanisms-for-genetic-manipulation-of-plants-animals-and-microorganisms\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Methods and mechanisms for genetic manipulation of plants, animals, and microorganisms\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Genetic engineering alters the building blocks of living organisms. Explore the methods used for the manipulation of plants, animals, and microorganisms.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/methods-and-mechanisms-for-genetic-manipulation-of-plants-animals-and-microorganisms\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"GetSmarter Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-08-08T18:08:50+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-09-22T17:33:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Blog132_Getsmarter_Methods-and-Mechanisms-for-Genetic-Manipulation-of-Plants-Animals-and-Microorganisms_blog.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"844\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Amanda Smith\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Amanda Smith\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/methods-and-mechanisms-for-genetic-manipulation-of-plants-animals-and-microorganisms\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Blog132_Getsmarter_Methods-and-Mechanisms-for-Genetic-Manipulation-of-Plants-Animals-and-Microorganisms_blog.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Blog132_Getsmarter_Methods-and-Mechanisms-for-Genetic-Manipulation-of-Plants-Animals-and-Microorganisms_blog.jpg\",\"width\":1500,\"height\":844},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/methods-and-mechanisms-for-genetic-manipulation-of-plants-animals-and-microorganisms\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Blog\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\"}]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Genetic Manipulation of Plants, Animals, and Microorganisms","description":"Genetic engineering alters the building blocks of living organisms. Explore the methods used for the manipulation of plants, animals, and microorganisms.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/methods-and-mechanisms-for-genetic-manipulation-of-plants-animals-and-microorganisms\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Methods and mechanisms for genetic manipulation of plants, animals, and microorganisms","og_description":"Genetic engineering alters the building blocks of living organisms. Explore the methods used for the manipulation of plants, animals, and microorganisms.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/methods-and-mechanisms-for-genetic-manipulation-of-plants-animals-and-microorganisms\/","og_site_name":"GetSmarter Blog","article_published_time":"2025-08-08T18:08:50+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-09-22T17:33:41+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1500,"height":844,"url":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Blog132_Getsmarter_Methods-and-Mechanisms-for-Genetic-Manipulation-of-Plants-Animals-and-Microorganisms_blog.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Amanda Smith","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Amanda Smith","Est. reading time":"9 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/methods-and-mechanisms-for-genetic-manipulation-of-plants-animals-and-microorganisms\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Blog132_Getsmarter_Methods-and-Mechanisms-for-Genetic-Manipulation-of-Plants-Animals-and-Microorganisms_blog.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Blog132_Getsmarter_Methods-and-Mechanisms-for-Genetic-Manipulation-of-Plants-Animals-and-Microorganisms_blog.jpg","width":1500,"height":844},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/methods-and-mechanisms-for-genetic-manipulation-of-plants-animals-and-microorganisms\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog"}]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37540","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/96"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37540"}],"version-history":[{"count":26,"href":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37540\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":52124,"href":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37540\/revisions\/52124"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40724"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37540"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37540"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37540"},{"taxonomy":"article-format","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article-format?post=37540"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}