Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Microorganisms (GMMs)
Atte von Wright*
University of Eastern Finland, Institute of Public Health and
Clinical Nutrition, Finland
Genetically modii ed microorganisms
(GMMs) are powerful biotechnological tools
in producing enzymes, medically important
proteins and chemicals. h e possibilities of
metabolic engineering and targeted muta-
genesis of desired genes have further
increased the usefulness of GMMs in their
various industrial applications.
Regarding the potential i elds of appli-
cation of GMMs in the production of feeds,
they could be used as such as animal
probiotics, digestibility enhancers, silage
additives or preservatives. Although this
remains a possibility, the more immediate
applications include the use of GMM-
produced enzymes and amino acids for
technological and nutritional purposes. In
addition, GMM biomasses obtained as side
streams (co-product of feed additives) of
biotechnological industries could be used
after nutritional and safety assessment as
feed ingredients.
In the present chapter, these potential
and actual applications are reviewed, paying
particular attention to the safety, ei cacy
and regulatory aspects of GMMs in feed
uses. h e focus is mainly on the practices in
the European Union (EU).
h e history of genetic modii cation, or
recombinant DNA technology, actually
started with the introduction of GMMs in
the early 1970s, when the basic cloning
techniques, combining the use of restriction
enzymes, DNA ligases and suitable vector
plasmids to create recombinant plasmids
that could then be introduced into recipient
cells by dif erent transformation techniques,
were developed (Cohen
et al
., 1973).
Subsequently, the techniques have been
considerably rei ned with the design of
expression and integration vectors, allowing
optimal function and stability of the cloned
genes. Because of the advantages of
microorganisms in biotechnology (easy
cultivation and containment, cheap sub-
strates, ei cient downstream processing),
GMMs soon found wide applications,
both in traditional microbiological bio-
technology and in complete novel appli-
cations, such as the production of hormones
and vaccines.
In the legal context, the use of termin-
ology is sometimes dif erent from the
strictly scientii c conventions. h us, accord-
ing to Article 2 of EU directive 2009/41/EC
(OJEU, 2009) '“micro-organism” means any
