DNA Manipulation Notes

DNA Manipulation

Diabetes

Genetic engineering

–Animals

–Drugs

Bacterial plasmids

Biopharming

Transgenic organisms

Knockout mice

Cloning

DNA Manipulation

Genetic engineering video notes

Cloning video notes

Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is a disease caused by the inability to properly use insulin, resulting in elevated blood glucose levels

Many people require insulin injections to survive

Insulin allows glucose to be transferred from the blood into cells

Approximately 5% of all deaths are caused by diabetes.

Diabetes

Diabetes video notes:

Insulin Video notes:

Diabetes

Due to the need, actual human insulin is now mass-produced

Scientists insert the human insulin gene into bacteria, and the bacteria makes human insulin.

This genetic engineering, the intentional alteration of a genome by substituting or introducing new genetic material

Diabetes and Insulin

The human genome codes for insulin in inserted into an E. coliplasmid (small circular pieces of DNA)

The E. coli (bacteria) transcribes and translates the piece of human DNA to make the human protein insulin, which is then harvested from the bacteria and put into a container to be used.

Safflowers are also used to produce human insulin.

Genetic Recombination

The first step in genetic recombination is to isolate, or cut out, a DNA fragment that contains the desired gene.

You must also cut the circular plasmid (from the bacteria) to make it linear

Scientists use restriction enzymes which act like molecular scissors, cutting DNA molecule at specific locations.

Video notes: How Genes are inserted

Genetic Recombination

You then insert your DNA segment into a bacterial plasmid using DNA ligase

Let the bacterial plasmid replicate and mass produce your protein

–These plasmids used for transferring foreign genetic material into a cell are called vectors

Transformation

The successful introduction of DNA from another source is called transformation.

The cell that has received the DNA is said to be transformed.

The bacteria is said to contain recombinant DNA, which is a DNA strand that is created using pieces of DNA from two or more sources

Biopharming

Genetic engineering uses DNA technology to modify the genes of a cell or an organism.

Molecular biologists can introduce new functions into an organism.

Today, scientists use genetic engineering to find cures for various diseases that affect animals and plants.

Biopharming

Perhaps most useful is the introduction of one or more genes from one organism into another.

This could cause the host organism to produce a certain protein, such as insulin or clotting factors,that is useful to us. E.g. Allow us to become resistant to certain diseases, grow human organs, grow faster, etc.

When such pharmaceutical products are produced on a large scale, the process is called biopharming

Genetically Engineered animals video:

Medical uses for genetically engineered animals:

Transgenic Organisms: Altered DNA

An organism that has been changed by scientists to contain one or more genes from another organism is known as transgenic organisms or genetically modified organism (GMO)

VIDEO: Jimmy Kimmel!

Why Use Transgenic Plants and Animals?

Cost - animal and plant based methods are usually more economical (cheaper) than operating a laboratory with controlled bacterial populations.

Size – larger organisms can produce more stuff.

Transgenic Plants

Genetically modified (GM) canola and other field crops have been engineered to be resistant to specific herbicides.

–This technology means that herbicides can be sprayed to kill weeds but the crop plant remains healthy.

Farmers spend about 40% less on herbicides for GM canola crops versus conventional canola crops, and they report up to a 10% increase in yield.

Transgenic Plants

Video: How are GMOs Created?

Video: 5 Myths about GMOs

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Knockout Mice

Knockout mice are produced by genetic engineering to have at least one gene completely turned off by a mutation

They are used to study the purpose of each gene.

–If a gene is turned off, you can more easily see what it does. (Knocked out)

Cloning

Cloning is the process of making a genetically identical organism.

It has been used for many years to produce plants (even growing a plant from a cutting is a type of cloning).

The first cloned mammal (Dolly) was born in 1997

Since Dolly, several scientists have cloned other animals, including cows and mice.

Video: Cloning Dolly

Why Clone?

The main reason to clone plants or animals is to mass produce organisms with desired qualities, such as prize-winning apples or a genetically engineered animal that produces more milk, beef, etc.

Other reasons for cloning might include replacing human organs (no rejection or need of a donor because they are your organs) repopulating endangered or extinct species and building a clone army……thoughts?

Issues

Deciding exactly where to draw the line on transgenic organisms and cloning is difficult.

What is acceptable and what isn’t?

Do the ends justify the means?

Video: Careers in Genetic Engineering