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What Does The Supreme Court Have To Say About GMOs?

The Supreme Court examines challenges behind the new technology of genetically modified organisms.

Bhanodai Pippala

Mar 06, 2017

Alpharetta, Georgia

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What Does The Supreme Court Have To Say About GMOs?

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Genetically modified organisms have been part of several Supreme Court cases regarding patent law. A genetically modified organism (GMO) is a type of organism where part of its DNA was modified through methods such as splicing, transgenic technology, etc.

The earliest question to come before the Supreme Court regarding GMOs was in 1980, regarding whether the organisms could garner a patent.An engineer for General Electric developed a GMO that can be used for cleaning up oil spills. The United States rejected General Electric's patent request, because living things were not able to have patent eligibility. General Electric appealed to the Supreme Court to decide on significant issue on a new technology. The Court sided with General Electric by ruling a GMO as patentable. The justification is that GMOs could be viewed as a "manufacture" rather than a living creature that already exists in nature.

A major recent decision regarding GMOs was reached in 2013 with Bowman v. Monsanto Co.Vernon Bowman was a farmer who bought seeds that were patented by Monsanto Co. One of the conditions behind the patent was that the seeds couldn't be planted for more than one season. Bowman ignored the requirements and instead planted the seeds multiple seasons. The Court ruled in favor of Monsanto Co. by stating that Bowman should have requested the company's permission to replant the seeds for another season in accordance with the patent rules. The Court wasn't directly clear if the decision applied to self-replicating technologies that will become more prevalent over time.

The case Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics, Inc. didn't deal with GMOs but could implicate future cases regarding the certain type of organisms. The Court ruled in the case that naturally occurring DNA sequences could not be eligible for a patent. However, the Court would allow for artificial DNA sequences to be eligible for a patent. Critics have argued that the decision may be applied to GMOs in the future, but it has still yet to be determined.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.

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What Does The Supreme Court Have To Say About GMOs?

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The Best Lines from the Fab Four

And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make

The sun is up, the sky is blue, it's beautiful and so are you

Love is old, love is new, love is all, love is you

There's nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be

Life is very short, and there's no time for fussing and fighting, my friend

He say, "I know you, you know me", One thing I can tell you is you got to be free

Oh please, say to me, You'll let me be your man. And please say to me, You'll let me hold your hand

It was twenty years ago today, Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play. They've been going in and out of style, but they're guaranteed to raise a smile

Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see

Can you hear me? When it rains and shine, it's just a state of mind

Little darling, it's been long cold lonely winter. Little darling, it feels like years since it' s been here. Here comes the sun, Here comes the sun, and I say it's alright

We danced through the night and we held each other tight, and before too long I fell in love with her. Now, I'll never dance with another when I saw her standing there

I love you, I love you, I love you, that's all I want to say

You say you want a revolution. Well you know, we all want to change the world

All the lonely people, where do they all come from. All the lonely people, where do they all belong

Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends

Hey Jude, don't make it bad. Take a sad song and make it better

Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away. Now it looks as though they're here to stay. Oh, I believe in yesterday

And when the brokenhearted people, living in the world agree, there will be an answer, let it be.

And anytime you feel the pain, Hey Jude, refrain. Don't carry the world upon your shoulders

I'll give you all I got to give if you say you'll love me too. I may not have a lot to give but what I got I'll give to you. I don't care too much for money. Money can't buy me love

All you need is love, love is all you need

Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

Blackbird singing in the dead of night, Take these broken wings and learn to fly. All your life, You were only waiting for this moment to arise

Though I know I'll never lose affection, for people and things that went before. I know I'll often stop and think about them. In my life, I love you more

Obviously the best superpower.

There have been many lessons learned.

1. The importance of traditions.

2. How to be thankful for family and friends.

3. How to give back.

4. What the word "community" really means.

5. That it isn't about the destination, but the journey.

6. The consequences of making bad choices.

7. To trust people, until you have a reason not to.

8. To be welcoming and accepting of everyone.

9. How to be my own, individual person.

10. How to work for what I want.

11. How to be great at giving directions.

12. How to be humble.

13. To be well-rounded.

14. How to be great at conflict resolution.

15. The beauty of getting outside and exploring.

16. To be prepared for anything.

17. That you don't always have to do it alone.

18. How to be creative.

19. To brush off gossip.

I have never been so thankful to know you.

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

Don't freak out

Email the professor

Attend the first class

Keep attending class

Have a backup plan

Remember that everything works out at the end

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