How Little Corn Seeds Became Super Food

As the small corn seeds patiently sat in the lab they looked around at all the equipment. Rows of tables lined the lab filled with beakers and chemicals. “I wonder why we’re here”, pondered one of them. “I hope they don’t hurt us, I want to grow up to be big and strong one day. I’ll be the best corn anyone has ever eaten”, exclaimed another. They seemed to be sitting there forever. Eventually a tall man in a white lab coat entered the room. He was wearing safety goggles and carried a clipboard. He looked very professional, which made the small seeds nervous.

(1) Emotional Corn Collection
by Sarah Embery

           He approached the table and looked down at all the small seeds patiently waiting. “Excuse me,” a seed squeaked, “why are we here?”

“Well,” the man proclaimed “today we’re going to be turning you into super food.”

“Super food? So we can be super heroes?” they all exclaimed together.

“Precisely!”

(1) Emotional Corn Collection
by Sarah Embery

The tall man in the white lab coat spread them out onto the table. “What we are doing is called genetic modification, we will be placing new DNA into your body (3). But you don’t have to worry, it won’t change how you look, but when you grow up you will be able to do amazing things. A lot of different seeds go through the same process so there is nothing to be scared of. Once the procedure is done you will be known as genetically modified organisms or GMOs” (3).

“Is it going to hurt?” One whimpered.

“Maybe for just a second. It is a simple injection, like us humans receive when we go to the doctor”, he replied.

“Oh thank goodness! That won’t be bad.” They answered.

            As all the seeds eagerly sat waiting for their injections they began to daydream about all of the things they will be able to do with their new improvements. They thought they might be able to fly or become invisible but then they realized that those improvements would not be able to help humans when they were eaten. What can GMO plants do? They sat and they thought. The seeds that were finished with their injections did not look any different nor did they really feel different. Between the mixes of ideas of what they will be able to do one blurted out “So what can we do now?”

(1) Emotional Corn Collection
by Sarah Embery

“So many incredible things! With your new improvements you can help the world become a better place. With a simple injection you will be able to grow in all sorts of soil and weather (2). That means that in places having a hard time growing food, you will be able to grow. You can help people from going hungry in third world countries like Africa where they do not have a lot of resources. On top of that, you are now healthier for humans. You have an increased nutritional value so humans can grow up big and strong” (2). The tall man informed.

“Wow we really will be super food! I can’t wait to help change the world.”

(1) Emotional Corn Collection
by Sarah Embery

The little corn seeds left the lab very proud. With genetic modification they knew they could help save people all over the world. Together they would change how the world looked at food one small seed at a time.

(1)   Embery, S. J. (2014). Emotional corn collection [Art].
 

(2)  Maghari, B., & Ardekani, A. M. (2011). Genetically modified foods and social concerns. Avicenna Journal of Medical Biotechnology, 3(3), 109-117.

(3)   Tzotzos, G. T., Head, G. P., & Hull, R. (2009). Genetically modified plants: Assessing safety and managing risk. San Diego, CA: Elsevier.