Non-genetic Engineering Method: Simple Selection

Traditionally, “superior” individuals of organisms with the most ideal characteristics are identified and propagated for several years till the population is dominated by the “superior” genotype. This simple selection process can be hastened by the modern marker-assisted selection method, which analyses organisms molecularly to detect individuals with genes that express desired traits. Upon selection and propagation, a “superior” organism is crossed with another “superior” organism to produce a hybrid progeny which displays the combined desired traits of its parents.

Adapted from: Safety of Genetically Engineered Foods Approaches to Assessing Unintended Health Effects, Institute of Medicine and National Research Council of the National Academies, 2004, The National Academy Press