Genetic engineering and its application

                     

   

 u  The change in the genetic make up of living cells by inserting desired gene through a vector is called as genetic engineering

u  Genetic engineering also called as recombinant DNA technology

u  It is a set of technique that are used to provide effective treatment of various disease

u  And to provides  economic benefits which include improved plants and animals for agriculture

The term genetic engineering was first coined by Jack Williamson in 1951 in his science friction novel (Dragon’s  Island

u  Gregor  Mendel manipulates plant species in 1900

u  Genetic material identified in 1944

u  DNA structure discovery 1953

u  First transgenic mice created  in 1974

u  First GMO drug approved 1982

u  First GMO crops was prepared in 1987

u  Steps involved in genetic enginerring

u  Isolate the gene

u  Insert it in a host using a vector

u  Insert modified vector into the host cell

u  Allow host to multiply and to synthesize protein

u  Separate and purified the product of gene

u  Isolation of gene:

Gene is cut out using restriction endonucleases molecular

 scissors

Cut DNA at specific base sequence

DNA cut at exactly the right place to isolate the gene

Make a staggered cut forming sticky end

u  Inserting gene into vector:

Vector- molecule of DNA which is used to carry a foreign gene into a host cell. Now you have the gene that you wish to have duplicated , you need to put it into something else to make it produce what you want .Most common vector

Insert modified vector into the

 host cell

Modified vector is inserted into the host cell by

 using  microinjection and electroporation

 techniques

Multiplication of host cell by cloning

Large scale fermentation

Bacteria undergoes binary fission

Large number produced quickly

All genetically identical because of Asexual reproduction

Separate and purified the product of gene

u  Bacteria killed and separated from protein

   by centrifugation

u  Protein of interest separated from other by

u   large scale chromatography and ultrafiltration

u  Tools used in genetic engineering

u  Gene of interest

u  Restriction enzyme

u  Vector

u   Host cell

u  Gene of interest

Gene of interest is one such gene which confer the desired phenotype. For example, Antibiotic resistance genes of Bacteria. Or Bt gene. Researchers day and night try to characterize the genes encoded by organisms in order to find out their function. Saltol gene for example in rice confer tolerance to submergence and salinity. Thus in that Saltol is gene of interest.

u  Restriction enzyme

A restriction enzyme is an enzyme that cleaves DNA into fragments at or near specific recognition sites within molecules known as restriction sites. Restriction enzymes are one class of the brooder endonuclease group of enzyme.

u  Vector

A carrier of disease or of medication. For example in malaria a mosquito is the vector that carries and transfers the infectious agent. In molecular biology , a vector may be a virus or a plasmid that carries a piece of foreign DNA to a host cell.

u  Host cell

A living cell invaded by or capable of being invaded by an infectious agent (such as a bacterium or a virus) 

Application of genetic engineering

Human cloning:

In human ,genetic engineering is used to treat genetic disorder and cancer. It also helps in supplying new body part.

Medical treatment:

Genetic engineering in medicine has been widely used for production of insulin, gene therapy , human growth hormone.

Industry:

Using microorganisms to produce all sorts of molecules and optimizing molecules that can be produced by genetically modified organisms liker bacteria.

Pharmaceuticals:

Now genetic engineering produce a large number of low cost, high quality drugs.