Biotechnology + Art

This week the topic that interested me the most was biotechnology pertaining to animals. As mentioned throughout the lectures, animal biotechnology is extremely controversial dealing with topics such as genetic engineering and cloning. Biotechnology affects animal agriculture across the world. Both genetic engineering and cloning are huge developments in the scientific/technology sense but are also utilized for artistic and aesthetic purposes. Though biotechnology used among animals has its pros and cons, many people still don’t believe in the genetic modification and alteration of animals.

    

Vacanti mouse, with a human ear growing on its back.

The process of genetic engineering can be defined as, “the deliberate modification of the characteristics of an organism by manipulating its genetic material.” In animals, this is done by adding and or removing sequences of DNA into the animal in order for it to obtain and carry out a new trait. After listening to the lectures and Animal biotechnology youtube video I was interested in doing more research. I found that in many cases the animals are harmed in the process of these experiments. Although there were countless in which the animals were left unharmed. Scientist has even engineered the DNA of a frog to be more translucent in order to perform dissection-free animal research.

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A look inside the see-through frog.

Another controversial topic in animal biotechnology is cloning. Cloning is typically done in animal agriculture to reproduce animals that were successful livestock, such as cows who produced a lot of milk. But this science can also be used to assist in the preservation of endangered species. This is possible because the cloning process is done asexually. Meaning that they only need one animal to create a clone. 

Cloning Fact Sheet

These technologies are becoming incorporated into our lives more every day.  I’ve even heard of people cloning their pets who have passed. If these technologies are used in ways that do harm the animals they can be very beneficial to art and science. 

Sources

“Animal Biotechnology.” YouTube, 25 July 2008, www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCIvAuwaf-o&ab_channel=UniversityofCaliforniaTelevision%28UCTV%29.

“Cloning Fact Sheet.” Genome.Gov, www.genome.gov/about-genomics/fact-sheets/Cloning-Fact-Sheet.

Edwards, David. “Cloning OnePager - Bio.” Www.Bio.Org, www.bio.org/sites/default/files/legacy/bioorg/docs/files/Cloning_onepager.pdf.

Miranda, Carolina A. “Weird Science: Biotechnology as Art Form.” ARTnews.Com, 18 Nov. 2019, www.artnews.com/art-news/news/biotechnology-as-art-form-2184/.

Smith, L C, et al. “Benefits and Problems with Cloning Animals.” The Canadian Veterinary Journal = La Revue Veterinaire Canadienne, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Dec. 2000, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1476349/.

           Young, Chris. “11 Real Examples of Genetically Modified Organisms: Marvels or Monsters.” Interesting                    Engineering, 17 Apr. 2023, https://interestingengineering.com/science/11-real-examples-of-genetically-modified-organisms-marvels-or-monsters.