What is a suicide gene in gene modification?

Can someone explain and perhaps provide links as to what a suicide (self destruct) gene is in gene modification (crops and fish and such)? How it functions, and perhaps help explain further questions?

From what I understand, that gene is placed to prevent people from collecting seeds after they plant a crop .. this prevents keeping seeds to re-plant over and over again.. it forces you to buy new seeds for every harvest!

And it's horrible if you ask me

Originally posted by miniatus
From what I understand, that gene is placed to prevent people from collecting seeds after they plant a crop .. this prevents keeping seeds to re-plant over and over again.. it forces you to buy new seeds for every harvest!

And it's horrible if you ask me

thank you. this is my understanding also. however, i read it can also been down with fish.
i would like to know how it works, etc.
no info if i search on the net.
i would be very happy to talk with someone who can explain specifics.
no judgement on my part, just curiosity.

This article is primarily what I'm speaking of ..

en.wikipedia.org...

Genetic use restriction technology (GURT), colloquially known as terminator technology, is the name given to proposed methods for restricting the use of genetically modified plants by causing second generation seeds to be sterile. The technology was developed under a cooperative research and development agreement between the Agricultural Research Service of the United States Department of Agriculture and Delta and Pine Land company in the 1990s, but it is not yet commercially available.[1] Because some stakeholders expressed concerns that this technology might lead to dependence for poor smallholder farmers, Monsanto Company, an agricultural products company and the world's biggest seed supplier, pledged not to commercialize the technology in 1999.[2] However, customers who buy seeds from Monsanto Company must sign a Monsanto Technology/Stewardship Agreement. "The agreement specifically states that the grower will not save or sell the seeds from their harvest for further planting, breeding or cultivation".[3] This legal agreement preempts the need for a "terminator gene". Late in 2006, Monsanto acquired Delta and Pine Land company, along with its greenhouse tests of Terminator seeds and rights to its Canadian patent on Terminator granted on October 11 2005. D&PL has long vowed to commercialize Terminator, targeting rice, wheat and soy in particular.[4]
The technology was discussed during the 8th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity in Curitiba, Brazil, March 20–31, 2006.

Originally posted by miniatus
This article is primarily what I'm speaking of ..

en.wikipedia.org...

Genetic use restriction technology (GURT), colloquially known as terminator technology, is the name given to proposed methods for restricting the use of genetically modified plants by causing second generation seeds to be sterile. The technology was developed under a cooperative research and development agreement between the Agricultural Research Service of the United States Department of Agriculture and Delta and Pine Land company in the 1990s, but it is not yet commercially available.[1] Because some stakeholders expressed concerns that this technology might lead to dependence for poor smallholder farmers, Monsanto Company, an agricultural products company and the world's biggest seed supplier, pledged not to commercialize the technology in 1999.[2] However, customers who buy seeds from Monsanto Company must sign a Monsanto Technology/Stewardship Agreement. "The agreement specifically states that the grower will not save or sell the seeds from their harvest for further planting, breeding or cultivation".[3] This legal agreement preempts the need for a "terminator gene". Late in 2006, Monsanto acquired Delta and Pine Land company, along with its greenhouse tests of Terminator seeds and rights to its Canadian patent on Terminator granted on October 11 2005. D&PL has long vowed to commercialize Terminator, targeting rice, wheat and soy in particular.[4]
The technology was discussed during the 8th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity in Curitiba, Brazil, March 20–31, 2006.

Thanks! Thats helps a lot.
I will do a search on it weird name.
I still wanna know how it works though!
Could it be used on humans for example?

reply to post by BBalazs


Here's a wiki link for you on "terminator technology" (aka: suicide seeds) where it explains that the GMO plants which have this gene, produce seeds that are sterile. en.wikipedia.org... (I know you already knew that part, but it has lots of reference links at the bottom. Like this one: www.adonline.id.au... Maybe you'll find what you're looking for?

I agree, this is dangerous technology, indeed. Can this gene find its way (via cross-pollenization or consumption of the plant) into other plants or other species? Could this be a culprit in the Colony Collapse Disorder of bees worldwide?

This particular process, I doubt would be useful in humans.. surely there would be a better way for something like that ( if you're a mad scientist ) .. This works primarily to make second generation sterile .. so if this were translated directly to humans it would mean that you could have children, and you could live a long life.. but your kids could not have kids of their own and it would in effect cause the end of the genetic line for you.

This has it's use in the commercial world.. this is folks like Monsanto trying to enforce patents.. they don't want you storing their property and re-using it .. they "own" the seeds you purchase and they don't want you to continue profiting on them year after year.. so as a way for them to commercially protect their "property" it's GREAT.. but it's stupid because it forces us to rely on them.. they control it.. and I don't think our food supply should be THAT controlled... it's dangerous

Originally posted by new_here
reply to post by BBalazs

 

Here's a wiki link for you on "terminator technology" (aka: suicide seeds) where it explains that the GMO plants which have this gene, produce seeds that are sterile. en.wikipedia.org... (I know you already knew that part, but it has lots of reference links at the bottom. Like this one: www.adonline.id.au... Maybe you'll find what you're looking for?

I agree, this is dangerous technology, indeed. Can this gene find its way (via cross-pollenization or consumption of the plant) into other plants or other species? Could this be a culprit in the Colony Collapse Disorder of bees worldwide?

thanks!
I personally don't think any tech is is itself dangerous. however creating suicide life, just doesn't seem appropriate....that why i gotta know more
i am interested in specifics to study if this gene mutation (?) could get out of hand in some way, just out of curiosity.
will look at links! Thanks again!

Originally posted by miniatus
This particular process, I doubt would be useful in humans.. surely there would be a better way for something like that ( if you're a mad scientist ) .. This works primarily to make second generation sterile .. so if this were translated directly to humans it would mean that you could have children, and you could live a long life.. but your kids could not have kids of their own and it would in effect cause the end of the genetic line for you.

This has it's use in the commercial world.. this is folks like Monsanto trying to enforce patents.. they don't want you storing their property and re-using it .. they "own" the seeds you purchase and they don't want you to continue profiting on them year after year.. so as a way for them to commercially protect their "property" it's GREAT.. but it's stupid because it forces us to rely on them.. they control it.. and I don't think our food supply should be THAT controlled... it's dangerous

i know monstano back story, i just want to know more about how it actually works. does it change gene strucure etc. can a first generation suicide gene be created? can it spread, etc.

Good luck in your quest .. I'm not sure how much you will find on the specifics being that we're talking about Monsanto here and they are notoriously greedy with their information.. and since it's not been approved for actual use yet, I'm not sure what is out there.. but I confess I've not personally looked up much about it.. I mainly wanted to study it to find out if it had been permitted yet..

reply to post by BBalazs

Could it be used on humans for example?

There are some generational studies of eating GMO food with mice, hamsters and other animals that does show quite alarming and significant health implications. There have also been cases of significant farm animal deaths when these animals have been eating GM crops.

This technology is being used on humans and is getting introduced into the food chain. There has been an aggressive campaign by Monsanto to avoid any labeling laws of GM products and they have even gone as far to sue companies that claim to be 'GMO Free'.

When getting into it, the eugenics movement does appear to be one of the motivators behind the current state of affairs with GMO. The alignment with this philosophy is in the way that large scale population control is being slowly introduced to avoid the panic with sudden population drops.

reply to post by BBalazs

I still wanna know how it works though!

Depends upon the technology. A number of viruses and bacteria engineered for genetic engineering projects have been designed to self-terminate after an average number of replications (which will vary in time according to temperature and other environmental factors). They have a few different methods of using this.

In plants, it's generally done using hybridization. The seeds you get are akin to the sperm/egg combination leading to a mule, liger, or other hybrid animal that is sterile.

Could it be used on humans for example?

No.

We don't have the technological capability to engineer a retrovirus capable of simultaneously modifying the genetic content of nearly every living cell in the body.

Although the human race is evolving at a rate that, it would not surprise me if we start to see genetic incompatibilities with each other before too much longer (a few thousand years at this population size and attrition rate will lead to considerable genetic divergence). This means our species will encounter an increasing number of genetics-related birth and health disorders, as incompatibilities will become more likely with the increasing number of new genetic traits.

But, again - no.

reply to post by Aim64C



Yeah, but if it can be used in viruses, can it be weaponized with this technology?

The Suicide Gene is property of Monsanto.

It was not invented or intended for mass agricultural use, and will not be. Monsanto saw the obvious dangers such a gene could pose to an eco system. There is strict ban on publishing information people could use to replicate it, because of the dangers, and also it is patented.

reply to post by truthinfact


Thanks, but what is the technology, gene manipulation behind it?
There are now suicide fish you know.
How do they do it?
Can this tech be weaponized?

Originally posted by BBalazs
reply to post by Aim64C

 

Yeah, but if it can be used in viruses, can it be weaponized with this technology?

No.

Retroviruses are used to infect a particular sub-species - and only in the first stages of cellular development where the lipid and protein coats are reliable and allow for all subsequent mitotic divisions to carry on the intended gene.

It's not a practical weapon.

There are far more effective ways of killing people. Nuclear weapons, chlorine gas, the common cold....

reply to post by Aim64C


So it could be done, just not effective?
You could in theory create a self destruct virus?

Originally posted by BBalazs
reply to post by Aim64C

 

So it could be done, just not effective?
You could in theory create a self destruct virus?

It's about as effective as the message encoded into this post designed to hijack your mind and implant suicidal thoughts.

Teenager blogs are more effective forms of population control.

reply to post by Aim64C




I think you misunderstood where i was going with this.
Think about what i was asking.
Or shall i reclarify?

The answer is yes and no, viruses are very different than plants, biologically speaking. So the terminator gene, which was deisgned for plants, cannot be applied to a virus. How ever you could theoretically make a virus that runs its "course" and does its "damage" and than just goes away. Theoretically anything is possible.