Fr om t h e Ed i t or s Dear Reader, From the first computer to space flight to the invention of the wheel, there have been a plethora of scientific discoveries and technological advancements made by humans. As freshmen in LASA, we firmly believe that scientific and technological breakthroughs are a crucial part of our lives. Think about it. When the computer was first made, it was huge. Now, we have computers small enough to fit in your pocket. Heck, we?ve already connected computers all over the globe into what we know now as the internet. In this magazine, we have a wide range of articles over topics including prosthetics, cameras, and electric cars. We also have content over antibiotics, synthesis of elements, and GMO?s. While much of the project was reliant on individual work, interviews, designing, transcriptions and the like, there was a large amount of collaboration as a team to figure out the overall themes and techniques used to create our magazine. Following this letter is the product of many hours of research, designing, formatting and collaborating with others to create something that is, hopefully, enjoyable. From the figuring out the name of our magazine to the finishing touches, we feel as if we?ve managed to grow not only as individuals, but as a group. Despite our awkward and unusual circumstances, working over video calls and doing a lot of texting to hash out even the tiniest details of our work, it was surprisingly enjoyable and satisfying to see our finished product come together so nicely. We?d like to draw your attention to something that we are particularly proud about, the design and editing of the many photographs and graphics in our magazine. We struggled at first to edit those, but we think the outcome was very positive, and we hope that you do too! Of course, we?d be lying if we said that we didn?t run into a few problems and struggled a bit. We had a bit of difficulty with our ASF process because we had to decide what graphics and pictures to include. We had to learn how to use new graphic programs, such as Adobe Illustrator, to carefully craft and illustrate our graphics we wanted to include. It was a challenge due to online learning, but after a couple of days of testing and messing around, we made our graphics. At the same time, we had to work on writing our feature stories. We had to conduct interviews and choose certain quotes to expertly weave into our stories in order to explain and elaborate on our topics. It was a lot to do at once, and combined with the stress of keeping our teammates accountable, it turned out to be much more difficult than we imagined. Over the course of several months we?ve compiled a magazine designed to inform you about the many advancements in the world of science and technology. When we started we could have never imagined the extent of our research, the effort needed to design the graphics, the length of interviews necessary. We couldn?t have done it without the amazing help and advice of our Ezine teacher, Mr. Garcia, and the generous people we interviewed. But of course you?re not here to read about us rambling on about the creation of this magazine. Without further ado, we hope you enjoy reading Breakthrough, and we hope you?ll become much more interested in the many scientific and technological advances that are to come. Enjoy! Sincerely, The Breakthrough Editors ---
Tabl e of C 6
12
The Thinking Behind
The Road Ahead
Photography
4 Credits
10 The History of Each Camera
Front and Back Cover Designed by Isaac Rivera
Con t en t s
Technology Meets Nature
18
d
24
Elemental Discovery 28
16 The History of Electric Vehicles
22
The Numbers Behind GMOs
Discovery of Synthesized Elements From 1984 - 2010
30 Crossword
Inside Front and Inside Back Cover Designed by Marcus Lapina Table of Contents Designed by Saachi Agrawal
Cr ed i t s M eet t h e people w h o h elped cr eat e t h is m agazin e. Designed by Anna Cecil
Saachi Agrawal is one of the editors of this magazine who wrote a section about Genetically Modified Organisms. She is fascinated by how different technologies are used in science, such as using microscopes to see cells. While writing this magazine, she was mainly involved in reading over each feature story and editing them. In her ?free time," Saachi usually watches a lot of YouTube videos to waste time and to procrastinate the more important tasks in her life.
Anna Cecil is a high school freshman and one of the editors of Breakthrough, as well as the writer of the camera advancement feature story and timeline. Her interest in writing about photography stemmed from her enjoyment of taking pictures on her Nikon film camera and her dream to pursue film production in the future. Besides photography, Anna enjoys listening to a lot of 70?s vintage rock and participating in local theater, and if you checked her YouTube search history you would find many, many videos of Broadway and Musical theater stage fails.
Marcus Lapina is a freshman at LASA and one of the editors of the Breakthrough electronic magazine. He created a feature story and timeline about the synthesis of elements. He was involved in the process of checking for typos and editing the text. Marcus is a fan of mathematics and science, especially computer science. He likes to watch videos on YouTube and the occasional Netflix show to cope with what he calls his ?eternal insanity.?
Matthew Manangkalangi is a freshman at LASA and is one of the editors of Breakthrough. He made the article about prosthetics and created the graphic explaining the effect of antibiotics. He made sure that all of the separate articles felt connected to the theme of our magazine. Matthew loves to surf the web and read random articles, practice classical piano pieces, design his game using countless tutorials, and draw random characters from memory during his somewhat minuscule freetime.
Isaac Rivera is another freshman at LASA, and yes, another editor of our magazine. Isaac wrote an article about Electric Vehicles, where they are now, and where they're headed. Isaac was also involved in making sure the images and graphics were up to our standards. Isaac enjoys playing D& D with his friends on the weekends, and arguably staying up too late on weeknights doing homework.
The Thinking Behind Photography rofessional photography is a lot more complicated than it lets on. It requires attention to detail, patience, especially when capturing people, and lots and lots of practice. The threshold between professional and amateur is thicker than expected, and only a practiced photographer can really be able to make the snap decisions that separate a good picture from a great one. These expert photographers have some tools to help them: equipment.
P
John Langford, an Austin-based freelance photographer, said there is a lot of thinking behind the process
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Photography may seem simple at first glance, but take a look behind the scenes and you will find a whole different story. By Anna Cecil
of taking a photo. ?My approach from a sort of a philosophical standpoint is that I want the person to be delighted with the photograph when they leave,? Langford said. This means, if taking a photograph of a person, like a headshot, the end result should look relaxed and natural. ?I put a light on their hair and a light on the backdrop and then I'll tweak that as necessary to show people in their best light so to speak,? Langford said. ?You know, people with a wide face might need different lighting than somebody with a narrow face or so on and so forth.?
A traditional camera bag for multiple devices including lenses and attachments. Photo by Bakeware Sets
Most photoshoots last only an hour to two hours, and there?s no way for a photographer to prepare. All they have is their camera and camera accessories, and deciding how to
tailor their setup to the client is part of the job.
to what they feel is best and easiest for their work.
What are the equipment that each professional photographer likes to use? There are hundreds upon hundreds of brands and makes for -Sara Jordan, Photographer cameras and flash accessories and the like, but from a Langford said that while there are photographer's perspective, is many great camera models out there really a way to narrow it there, it's just easier for a down? photographer to use one brand, even the same exact models. The differences between most camera makes Canon 70D Camera have become few in this Photo by Martin Kraft modern age, but each photographer tends to favor one brand that they use all the time.
"You have to be skilled...there's no room for error "
?I happen to be a Canon photographer,? Langford said. ?And the three main brands at this point are Canon, Nikon, and Sony.? Sara Jordan, a Brooks Institute of Photography alumni and professional photographer, said she uses multiple brands, choosing her camera based on her subject. ?I use Canon, Nikon, Tishika, and Toya interchangeably,? Jordan said. She said that it depends on the photographer. Each one needs to try different things and then stick
?My work cameras are two identical cameras,? Langford said. ?And I?d say it's a ten or twelve-year-old model: the 70D EOS Canon.? He explained it?s much easier to switch from camera to camera when using the same two models. ?When I'm switching from one camera to the other, I don't want the controls on one camera to be different than they are on the other camera,? Langford said. ?I
just need to be able to switch cameras with ease and not have to remember, ?Oh, wait, I'm shooting with this camera. And this knob is here. And this menu is on the fourth screen,' And I just want them to work the same.? While Langford prefers to use two identical cameras, Jordan prefers to switch lenses instead of cameras to take different photos of the same thing without moving around. She said it?s quicker, especially during event photography like the weddings she is frequently hired to photograph. ?You have to be skilled, because a wedding usually only happens once in someone?s life ... There?s no room for error,? Jordan said. Another thing that photographers consider is compromise. Langford said this affected how his usual headshot setup came to be. ?When I use my studio, the main light is always to the left of the camera,? Langford said. ?and that was because there was actually a big cabinet to the right of the
Breakthrough - 7
camera. So it was just kind of out of necessity.? Langford tends to modify his setup depending on the situation. ?The thing that most
possessions and embarked on a three year trip to 38 countries to
"I just need to be able to switch cameras with ease."
Despite all of the widespread talk of the negative effects of the digital age, young and aspiring photographers can still do what they love. ?The bulk of the population has an iPhone, and it has made it so easy to take pictures and shoot movies,? Langford said
Of course, we have to recognize the danger that comes as we slowly shift from professional photography to take photos, he ended up scrapping more DIY, iPhone and smartphone all of his heavy equipment and used selfies and pictures. When filming a a simple point and shoot camera. He concert of one's favorite band, for still managed to take the same high instance, one fails to concentrate on quality photos, and people were less the experience, instead hoping to intimidated as they would be with a press save and document every part whole camera crew and tons of of our life. Watching the video later equipment. His journey and photos surely won't be as rewarding as are cataloged in his book One witnessing it live in person. And Thousand Days. you can?t get the quality on a smartphone as you can on a ?I like the fact that this digital professional Canon digital camera. When there is an event worth documenting, professional photographers with experience and the right equipment for the job can take photos and not take away from your experience. We have to be careful with the Attachable flash new options iPhone cameras accessory. have given us.
-John Langford, Photographer
photographers are doing is always working towards defining your style,? Langford said. ?Obviously you've got to adapt that to a different situation. Like a hammer is not the right tool in every single situation. So sometimes, I have to adapt.? One problem that comes into play while considering camera set up is the physical size and weight of the tools they use, and moving around heavy equipment can be a drag. ?I use a huge light source,? Langford said. ?It?s 6 feet across and an octagon.? Langford takes his artificial light source to every outdoor shoot as well as indoor to retain consistency, but there are other ways for people to take amazing photos without the need for expensive and heavy duty equipment. When Langford packed up all of his
8 - Breakthrough
Photo by Trio3D.
technology has put creativity within the reach of so many people,? Langford said.
The process of creating a professional and eye-capturing photo is long and detailed, so it?s no surprise that photographers need to be able to
Typical Camera Equipment, lenses, flash, cameras. make difficult decisions about their setup and thinking. From the beginning of the shoot to the fine tuning of each picture, the talent of the photographer is reflected through their thought process that has evolved over years of experience.
Photo by Azlan DuPree.
Accor din g t o w w w.digit alcam er aw or ld.com , t h e m ost popu lar Can on an d Nik on cam er as ar e t h e Can on EOS M 50 an d t h e Nik on 750.
Photo by R Walker
Photo by Jared Polin
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T he
H is t o r y
Pinhold camera invented by Ibn al-Haytham
Ear ly 1000 AD
Of E ac h
Graphics by Anna Cecil
Photographic camera invented by Joseph Nicephore
Nicephore's partner invents Dry Plate Cameras
1825 1878
Digital SLR Camera invented by Nikon
George Eastman invents Kodak Film Cameras
1986
1888 Photo by John Langford
Early digital cameras created-start of the future
1976
Instant cameras such as the Polaroid invented
1948
Oskar Barnack uses 35mm flim for the first time
1913
C a me r a T y p e Original films
shot with stop motion effects
Vladimir Zworykin's Iconoscope used for broadcasts
Sony develops cassette recorders for consumers
1930's 1898
1983
Di gi tal Ci ne Cam eras Sony Broadcast Cameras used for TV news
MiniDV Home Camcorder released
2020
1996
Red Digital Cinema 4k 35mm camera released
2005
Panasonic DVX100 popularized for young directors
2002
George Lucas films Star Wars: A Trilogy digitally
1999
Electric vehicle parked in Austin. As people are becoming more environmentally aware, more people are choosing to drive electric vehicles. Photo by Isaac Rivera
The Road Ahead By Isaac Rivera
Electric Vehicles, where they are today, and where they are going rom their near extinction towards the beginning of the 1900?s, to their brief rediscovery in the late 20th century, electric vehicles have come a long way toward the flood of new electric vehicles in the past decade. Now that
F
12 - Breakthrough
they?re popping up everywhere more people are looking at switching over. In an age where climate change is becoming more and more of a problem, the electric vehicle provides a unique appeal with
it not releasing any emissions directly. With the new wave of electric vehicles (EVs), it seems like the prime time to transition, with even government departments offering aid in the transition. However, as with all things,
customers to do just that.?
"We would love for folks to be able to drive electric. And we have instances for our customers to do just that." EV Operations Lead for Austin Energy Nathan Richardson there are still many who are hesitant to make the jump. Austin Energy, a department of Austin?s city government, works towards lowering the overall emissions of greenhouse gases in Austin. Nathan Richardson, EV operations lead for Austin Energy, said one way they
work towards lowering these emissions is via encouraging more people to drive electric vehicles, thus moving away from the greenhouse gas emitting gas vehicles. ?We would love for folks to be able to drive electric,? Richardson said, ?and we have instances for our
Electric vehicle charging in Austin Texas. As more people are choosing to drive electric, more and more charging stations are popping up. Photo by Isaac Rivera
Some people aren?t as optimistic about the introduction of electric vehicles.
?Electric vehicles can be considered disrupting the current market,? Nathan Richardson said, ?so we try to make it as easy for customers to own electric vehicles,? One way Austin Energy helps with making it easier for customers to own electric vehicles is by providing a rebate for the installation of a charging station for residential customers, as well as business owners. With the assistance that is provided to help switching over to electric, and with new models of EV?s being pumped out, it seems as if the EV market is skyrocketing, but UT Professor Ronald Matthews, a professor of mechanical engineering, says that's not necessarily true. ?This is the problem,? Mathews said. ?Like I said Breakthrough - 13
it's [EV/Hybrid market] only 3% of the car and light duty vehicle market right now. So everybody is offering lots and lots of hybrids, lots and lots of pure electric vehicles, but people aren't buying many of them.? Matthews explained that since hybrid vehicles have two different systems that generate power, they are more pricey.
?Electric vehicles can be considered disrupting the current market,?
Nathan Richardson And since batteries are expensive, even pure electric vehicles cost more than your traditional gas vehicle. This is
also due to concerns about having to replace batteries, and the limited range that EV?s provide.
Austin energy sign outside one of their facilities. Austin energy is a department of the City of Austin, responsible for providing energy services to more than 470,000 customers, as well as a population of ~one million. Photo Taken by Isaac Rivera
Breakthrough - 14
A row of Tesla electric vehicle charging stations. Small setups like these can be found all around Austin, many of which are found outside of businesses for customer or employ use. Photo by Isaac Rivera
When asked about the future of electric vehicles, and whether he thought they may ever fully replace gasoline vehicles, Professor Matthews said,
"So everybody is offering lots and lots of hybrids, lots and lots of pure electric vehicles, but people aren't buying many of them.?
?That all depends upon the consumer.?
UT Professor of mechanical engineering, Ronald Mathews
Breakthrough - 15
Elemental Discovery Synthesizing superheavy elements
by Marcus Lapina
Jacklyn Gates (front) and Kenneth Gregorith (back) reference a chart of lifetimes of superheavy elements at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, California. Photo by Marilyn Chung, Courtesy of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
-
n April 5, 2010, a scientific discovery was made in Dubna, Russia, a sort of discovery that hasn?t been made for three years. Scientists had discovered element 117 filling in the empty gap on the bottom right of the periodic table. Scientists have been searching for heavier and heavier elements for
O
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Mexico:
years now, expanding the world?s scientific knowledge. Dr. Gary Beall, a chemistry professor at Texas State University at Austin is an expert on the synthesis of elements. Prior to working at Texas State, he worked at ORNL, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, a key lab to the discovery of superheavy
elements. Julie Ezold, a scientist at ORNL, was previously the manager of the Californium-252 Program, a program for the creation of atoms for target material such as californium-252 and berkelium-249, among others. Jacklyn Gates, scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, is the leader of
the Heavy Element Nuclear and Radiochemistry Group, a group that tries to synthesize atoms of superheavy elements. These people collaborate with other scientists all over the world to discover and find new synthetic elements. ?What we try to do is take two things that exist here on Earth,? Gates said, ? say the oxygen that you can breathe out of the air, or the carbon that?s in our bodies, or maybe the lead that we find in the earth, and we try to combine the nuclei of those two things together and make something bigger.? With this method, scientists can create new nuclei, including the nuclei of heavier elements that don?t occur naturally on earth such as americium. ?They started looking at accelerating heavy atoms and smashing them together and hoping that you got one of the heavier elements, and that?s how the vast majority of man-made elements are made today. So for instance, the very first one that was done that way was accelerating a helium ion into ... a plutonium atom,
and that?s the way they first made americium in a cyclotron,? said Beall. The cyclotron is an important part of the synthesis of superheavy elements. It?s purpose is similar to the particle accelerator at the Joint
about 10% of the speed of light, and the job of the cyclotron is to do that.? There are only a few places where these elements can be discovered. These facilities have accelerators similar to the cyclotron that accelerate the ions into the target.
So in this case we?re trying to make tennessine where you use calcium and berkelium. So we speed the calcium up so it?s travelling at about 10% of the speed of light, and the job of the cyclotron is to do that. -Jacklyn Gates, scientist at LBL Institute for Nuclear Research, the JINR where tennessine was discovered. It?s used as a part of creating superheavy elements. ?The cyclotron?s job is to make things go really, really fast,? said Gates, ?So in this case we?re trying to make tennessine where you use calcium and berkelium. So we speed the calcium up so it?s travelling at
Ca
Bk
20 protons
97 protons
Scientists at Dubna, Russia accelerated calcium, element 20, into berkelium, element 97, to attempt to create tennessine, element 117. Graphic by Marcus Lapina
Today, scientists are conducting experiments to find new elements in these international facilities. ?Currently right now, the Japanese are ... doing an experiment right now,? Ezold said. ?The Russians, I?m pretty sure, have finished their superheavy element factory, and they?re in the process of doing all of the startup to get the equipment
Ts
117 protons
Breakthrough - 19
not very much ... so if you want to go up to try to make element 119, you might only be able to make an atom a year with our current technology.? It?s difficult to make these superheavy elements, and the materials required aren?t easy to obtain. There are still more problems that come from synthesizing new elements such as the radiation. The high flux isotope reactor is being reloaded at Oak One of the Ridge National Laboratory. While it isn't being used today to directly create new elements, the target material was problems that made from the high flux isotope reactor. come up when
synthesizing superheavy elements is that the materials required to synthesize these elements are hard to come by. There are several other issues that arise from synthesizing elements.
Photo by Marilyn Genevieve Martin, Courtesy of Oak Ridge National Laboratory
running again, and they will start their experiments. And the Germans, I know they?ve broken ground because I saw it last summer, their new facility.? Currently, scientists synthesize new elements by bombarding two nuclei. However, in the past, scientists have used a method called neutron capture. ?When I was at Oak Ridge National Lab, we had a high flux neutron reactor that essentially put uranium-238 targets in, and by neutron capture, they would slowly build up to elements called the actinides,? said Beall, ?And so, we could make americium, curium, einsteinium, nobelium, fermium, that whole series by just bombarding these things with neutrons.?
20 - Breakthrough
?It?s not easy,? said Gates, ?So for instance for tennessine, with our current technology, we can make an atom a week of tennessine which is
?It?s not sort of the thing where you can stand around and watch what you?re doing,? said Beall. ?You know they?re going to be isolated in the cyclotron, and you?re going to have a target that?s isolated, and certainly all those lighter man-made elements that we used to make, this was done in a high flux reactor.? After the ion beam hits the target, scientists now have to check if they have created a new atom. Ezold explained the process of checking if a new atom had been synthesized.
The cyclotron was developed by Ernest Lawrence in 1932. There are cyclotrons being used all over the world such as the one in Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory that is currently being used for the purpose of creating superheavy elements. Courtesy of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
look like, and Jacklyn Gates (left) and Kenneth Gregorith (right) work on a machine called FIONA at Lawrence Berkeley National then it decayed Laboratory. FIONA is designed to measure to mass of an atom especially the masses of superheavy elements. into 113, and then decayed, I Photo by Marilyn Chung, Courtesy of Lawrence Berkeley think, into 111 National Laboratory amazing things with them is just from these spontaneous fissions.? truly exciting,? said Ezold, ?but to Scientists have been synthesizing know that you?re only one of two heavier and heavier elements for places in the world that can do this over 80 years. Ezold spoke about and then the science that can come what excites her most about these from what we make, so even scientific discoveries. though we make very tiny ?The fact that quantities of einsteinium, and we we?re still even go further into fermium, what using this the researchers can do with even So element 117 would decay by facility that?s those tiny quantities and what alpha based on its energy and then it 55-years-old they?re learning from them today, would go to element 115 which had and we?re it?s just awesome.? previously been discovered. still doing
?If those detectors see simultaneous events, and what?s happening is the new element, we don?t know how it would react, but if it decays, we know what it decays into,? said Ezold, ?So element 117 would decay by alpha based on its energy and then it would go to element 115 which had previously been discovered. And so you knew with the profile what 115 was going to
-Julie Ezold, scientist at ORNL
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D I SCO V ERY O F SYN T H ESI Z ED by Marcus Lapina
Darmstadtium
Copernicium
Liv
This element was created by bomarding nickel into lead in the GSI in Darmstadtium, Germany.
This element was created by bomarding zinc into lead in the GSI in Darmstadtium, Germany.
Thi
1984
1994
1994
1996
bom into JIN
1998
Hassium
Roentgenium
Flerovium
This element was created by bomarding iron into lead in the GSI in Darmstadtium, Germany.
This element was created by bomarding nickel into bismuth in the GSI in Darmstadtium, Germany.
This element was created by bomarding calcium into plutonium in the JINR in Dubna, Russia.
D EL EM EN T S FRO M 1984- 20 10 For decades, scientists have been synthesizing elements. The first of these synthetic elements was discovered in 1937. So far, scientists have discovered 24 of these synthetic elements, filling in the gaps and expanding the periodic table. Scientists are still trying to find more elements, but here are the 10 most recently discovered synthetic elements.
vermorium
Nihonium
Tennessine
is element was created by marding calcium o curium in the NR in Dubna, Russia.
This element was created by bomarding zinc into bistmuth in the RIKEN in W ako, Japan.
This element was created by bomarding calcium into berkelium in the JINR in Dubna, Russia.
2000
2003
2004
2006
Moscovium
Oganesson
This element was created by bomarding calcium into americium in the JINR in Dubna, Russia.
This element was created by bomarding calcium into californium in the JINR in Dubna, Russia.
2010
Soybean seedlings grow in a field while many weeds overcrowd the ground. These soybean plants have been genetically modified to resist the herbicide glyphosate, which would kill a non GMO plant from its strength. Photo by Robert Hollingworth, Courtesy of Robert Hollingworth
Technology M eets N ature How GMOs Revolutionized the Agriculture Industry
by Saachi Agrawal
24 - Breakthrough
ne may go to a grocery store, see some genetically-modified corn on a shelf, and choose to not purchase it, thinking GM Os are dangerous. H owever, GM Os are as safe as regular foods, and they have revolutionized the agriculture business.
O
The amount of genetically modified organisms (GM Os) on food shelves has drastically increased over the last 30 years. They are sold in grocery stores and synthesized in labs all over the world. With newer processes such as CRI SPR transforming the process to make GM Os, some people are concerned that
GM Os are toxic and dangerous to eat. Others think that there isn?t enough research to prove that GM Os are safe because they are a newer invention, so there isn?t a lot
biotechnology or genetic engineering,? H ollingworth said.
H ollingworth added that this usually involves adding a foreign piece of D N A into the organism. To make sure that new piece of D N A doesn?t cause any complications in of information available about them. H owever, people have been modifying crops for many years in order to grow crops with certain desirable traits. D onald M cM ahon is a professor of the N utrition, D ietetics and Food Sciences D epartment at U tah State U niversity. ?A ll plants are genetically modified cause we breed them using selection techniques,? M cM ahon said. When scientists find a desirable trait in a plant or animal, they will cross breed it so the daughter plants have that trait, and farmers have been using this technique for centuries to improve their crops and livestock. H owever, GM Os are modified in a way that isn?t possible with conventional breeding, according to Bob H ollingworth, a retired professor of the D epartment of Entomology and I nstitute for I ntegrative Toxicology at M ichigan State U niversity. ?I t?s done using the tools of modern
genetically modified organism,? H ollingworth said. ?Y ou have to analyze for [toxicity levels] and any allergens that might be known to be there.? When tested, GM Os are compared to existing products sold on the market. ?The approach here is not to try to define absolute safety,? H ollingworth said. ?I t's to say, is it as safe as the organisms and the food from them that are already on the market and that we accept to be safe?? Scientists aren?t trying to prove that GM Os are 100% safe, but they are trying to prove that GM Os are as safe as the other produce for purchase. H owever, normal foods can also be harmful.
the modified organism, this addition is heavily regulated by the FD A . ?There is a whole series of things that have to be done to prove, as far as possible, these are safe to consume,? H ollingworth said. ?That includes completely defining what you've changed in the genetics of the organism, down to the sequences and where they are in the gene.? Scientists also have to prove that the added genes didn?t produce any toxic materials in the GM O or cause any allergic reactions. There are many processes and procedures used to show this. ?Y ou have to go in and do a lot of analytical chemistry on most of the major constituents of the
?Plants produce toxic materials all the time, including food plants,? H ollingworth said. ?One of the major things that organisms do is to produce toxic materials to discourage people from consuming them.? H ollingworth said that scientists have selected foods to not produce toxic chemicals and that GM Os aren?t harmful to consume. ?They've been consumed by people in the U nited States for 30 years without any evidence of ill effects that we know of,? H ollingworth said. ?The N ational A cademy of Sciences, the U S, which is the sort
Breakthrough - 25
are susceptible to a certain disease that isn?t possible to selectively breed out.
Two weeks later, these soybean plants continue to grow. These plants have been sprayed with herbicide early on so all the weeds will die while the soybean plants will remain intact and alive.
?Y ou could take a disease-resistant gene from another plant and add it into a genetically modified banana plant and ? have a banana plant that is not susceptible to the disease that is killing all the other plants,? H ollingworth said.
Photo by Robert Hollingworth, Courtesy of Robert Hollingworth
of number one top science organization did a study about three or four years ago and concluded there were no well established health effects.? Behind the rigorous testing of GM Os, there are many reasons why scientists are making them in the first place. Some are made to stop competition between weeds and crops. ?There are these plants that have been modified to have herbicide resistance,? M cM ahon said, ?so that you could actually spray the field with Roundup and kill all the weeds and allow those plants to grow.? GM Os can also be made to be more disease-resistant. A ccording to H ollingworth, all banana crops
26 - Breakthrough
A nother reason scientists are making GM O foods is to improve nutrition in certain crops. ?I n many parts of the world, rice is the staple, cereal grain that they use,? M cM ahon said, ?and rice, unlike wheat, is actually deficient in some vitamins.?
nutrient. ?Y ou can look at solving a health problem within that population by being able to now grow a rice plant with...increased vitamin content,? M cM ahon said. Prateek Sharma, A ssistant Professor of N utrition, D ietetics and Food Sciences D epartment at U tah State U niversity, said that due to overpopulation, humans will need more resources to produce food in the future. H owever, there won?t be enough resources to feed everyone if people use the same amount of resources today to produce food. ?We are using so many [resources] and then there will be one place where everything will be depleted and people will starve,? Sharma said. I n order to have a sustainable process to make products, scientists
The approach here is not to try to define absolute safety.It's to say, is it as safe as the organisms and the food from them that are already on the market and that we accept to be safe? Bob Hollingworth, retired professor of the Department of Entomology and Institute for Integrative Toxicology at Michigan State University
A ccording to M cM ahon, scientists have added Vitamin A , which that population is deficient in, to their supply of rice by adding a gene that allows rice plants to produce that
are trying to make GM O foods in a more efficient manner. H owever, scientists will still need to develop
Later in the season, a full field of soybean crops is ready to be harvested, without a weed in sight. In the future, using genetic engineering to help kill weeds will help farmers increase the productivity and utilize their yield greatly. Photo by Robert Hollingworth, Courtesy of Robert Hollingworth
and discover more technologies to make future GM Os more accessible and easily available. ?We?re going to need new technologies and rely on technologies to be able to feed not just the wealthy populations in the world, but also the not-so-wealthy,? M cM ahon said. ?That's really a responsibility on the wealthy countries to look at what they can do to one, increase the food production in other countries and two, to be able to provide food to countries that are not able to provide it for their own populations.?
A s of now, GM Os are used to help farmers get the most out of their crops by improving crop yield and nutrition. They are heavily tested and undergo many processes to ensure their safety, and there?s no reliable research that says that GM Os are dangerous. I n the future, one can expect GM Os to further revolutionize crops and agriculture, one plant and seed at a time.
Graphic by Saachi Agrawal
Breakthrough - 27
The N umbers Global Area of GMO Crops
Area of GMO Crops by Country
Source: ISAAA
% of Consumers
Source: ISAAA
According to the N Times, 90% of scien GMOs are safe for c but only about a thi consumers believe
s Behind GM Os By Saachi Agrawal
New York ntists believe consumption, ird of this.
Agriculture has changed drastically over the years, from farming wheat in small plots of land for a tiny village to editing and adding various genomes to feed millions of people. Here are some graphics that show various aspects of GMOs.
Most Genetically Modified Crops (USA)
Source: FDA
1. Cytokinesis 2. Vertebrate 3. DNA 4. Camera 5. Atom
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Crossw ord
6. Prosthetic 7. Biology 8. Gravity 9. Microscope 10. Scale
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Answer s can be found her e 1. Cyt ok inesis 2. Ver t ebr at e 3. DNA 4. Camer a 5. At om 6. Pr ost het ic
7. Biology 8. Gr avit y 9. Micr oscope 10 . Scale
Th an k s For Readin g Graphic by Matthew Manangkalangi
Special thanks to Gary Beall Julie Ezold Jacklyn Gates Bob Hollingworth Sara Jordan John Langford Ronald Matthews Donald McMahon Nathan Richardson Prateek Sharma