transgenic

Transgenic refers to an organism whose genome contains one or more genes that originated from another species or from a different genetic background, introduced and stably integrated so that the trait is heritable. The term is commonly used for genetically modified organisms in which the introduced gene, or transgene, is not native to the host species.

Transgenic organisms are produced using methods such as Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, particle bombardment, or direct DNA transfer to embryos or cells; advances in genome editing also enable the precise insertion of foreign DNA. The resulting traits can include resistance to pests, tolerance to herbicides, altered metabolism, or production of useful proteins.

In agriculture, transgenic crops may carry Bt toxin genes for insect protection or genes that confer herbicide tolerance, among other traits. In medicine and industry, bacteria or yeast can be engineered to produce insulin or pharmaceutical proteins, and transgenic animals and microorganisms are used as models for research or as bioreactors (for example, goats or other livestock engineered to secrete therapeutic proteins in milk). Transgenic fish have been developed to grow faster, and products marketed under labels such as fluorescent ornamental fish also fall into this category.

Regulatory and ethical considerations accompany transgenic work, including biosafety, potential effects on ecosystems, animal welfare, and public acceptance. Some genome-editing approaches create organisms with no foreign DNA, which in some jurisdictions are not classified as transgenic, highlighting ongoing regulatory distinctions between transgenic and gene-edited organisms.