We often read of the genetic engineering people adding a gene. Do the GMO people ever add a complete chromosome?
I haven’t worked with GMO people in more than a decade, but back in the early days, it was only a single gene or two. It took as long to figure out which chromosome to attach a gene to to get the desired effect as it did to figure out which gene produced the effect.
In yeast they use artificial mini chromosomes
There are also papers on plant and human artificial mini chromosomes
The trick is to add the genes that you want the organism to grow with and use. With one-cell organisms it’s not so relevant, but with sexual organisms, it may cause problems if there is a mismatch of chromosomes. Besides, a chromosome may have hundreds or thousnds of genes, are they all necessary, relevant, and definitely not detrimental?
I am almost 100% certain that we have created a bacterium that is made of 100% synthesized genetic material. They removed the genetic material of a compatible bacterium, and inserted the new stuff, and it went on living and functioning just fine.
However, when salmon and plants and such are GMO’d, according to the class I took on the subject back in college a few years ago, it’s just a couple genes that they insert or remove from particular chromosomes.