To write a successful research paper on genetic engineering, the writer must first know what the subject is all about. Genetic engineering is the manual addition of new DNA to an organism to add one or more new traits that are generally not found in that organism. It is also called genetic modification. Aside from introducing additional copies of a gene to an organism, it may also mean changing or replacing one base pair or even deleting a whole region of DNA. It could also mean taking DNA from one organism and mixing it with the DNA of another. All these processes are used by scientists to modify certain characteristics of an individual organism. As an example, genetic engineering is used to create plants that have a higher nutritional value or are able to tolerate exposure to herbicides.