The whole subject has the "don't mess with mother nature" undercurrent. We really could create a monster, as witness natural mutations of disease organisms, terrorist WMD biological agents, etc.

I think there was a Stephen King movie that showed corn plants growing in the snow. Such things are possible, as spinach and kale and wheat have genes for natural anti-freeze, and they could be grafted in theory.

Another obvious research for GE is regeneration, as lizards regrow their tails and sharks replace their teeth. What if...?

The part of the code that programs aging is another; I think they are using fruit flies and flatworms at this time. Many folks would choose to delay their onset of losing hair, feeble-mindedness, menopause (the list goes on), if they could.