Research Note: Genetic Engineering and Genetic Screening

Genetic engineering is an ultra‐modern form of biotechnology. It is a broad term used to describe a multitude of closely related processes such as crossbreeding, plant hybridization and fermentation—all of which promise to transform, for the better, many important areas of concern in the world. Genetic scientists working in the medical field, for instance, are close to finding cures for diseases such as cystic fibrosis by experimenting with the transfer of genes between microbes, plants and animals. There are currently about 1,000 genetic diseases that can be diagnosed by DNA methodologies. In the process, however, genetic scientists are altering life forms and even creating new ones.