What are genetically modified bacteria?

Genetically modified bacteria are like tiny superheroes who have been given special powers to do amazing things.

Imagine you have a friend who can only eat apples, that’s their normal way of life. But one day, someone gives them the power to also eat oranges. That’s what we’re doing with genetically modified bacteria. We're giving them new instructions so they can do new jobs.

Think of bacteria as little chefs in a kitchen. They normally follow their own recipe book, let's say it’s only for making cheese. But if we change the recipe, they can start making ice cream instead! We do this by changing their genetic code, which is like their recipe book. Scientists use tools to add or swap parts of their code so the bacteria become super chefs with new powers.

Sometimes we want these little chefs to clean up pollution, make medicine, or even help us grow better food. It’s like giving them a brand-new tool kit, they can do more than ever before!