Manipulating genomes Flashcards
What is the purpose of DNA sequencing?
Working out the sequence of bases in a strand of DNA
What is bioinformatics?
The development of software and computingtools needed to organise and analyse raw biological data
What is computational biology?
Using raw data to build theoretical models of biological systems
What is a genome?
All the genetic material of an organism
What is genomics?
The branch of biology concerned with evolution, structure, function, and mapping of genomes
What is synthetic biology?
The redesign of existing natural biological systems
How can the comparison of many human genomes help the understanding of disease?
Show the patterns of disease inherited by people and diseases which people may be vulnerable to
Why might scientists want to analyse the genomes of pathogens?
- To find out the source of an infection
- To identify antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria
- To track the progress of an outbreak
- To identify regions of pathogen genomes that may be useful targets for new drugs
How can DNA barcoding allow for the identification of species?
- Sections of the genome are common to all species but the sequences vary between them
- This section of DNA can be compared
How can DNA sequencing allow scientists to identify the evolutionary relationships between species?
- DNA sequences of different organisms can be compared
- Due to DNA mutation rate scientists can calculate how long ago species diverged from a common ancestor
What can DNA profiling be used for?
- Identifying individuals at risk of developing certain diseases
- Identifying perpatrators of crimes
What is the process of Southern blotting?
- Gel electrophoresis is completed
- Nitrocellulose paper is placed against the gel
- Paper placed in buffer solution with DNA probes which hybridise
- Autoradiography is completed
What does PCR stand for?
Polymerase Chain Reaction
What is added to a DNA sample in PCR?
- DNA nucleotides
- DNA polymerase
- 3’ primers
What temperatures is PCR cycled through?
- 95º
- 55º
- 72º
Why is the sample heated to 55º in PCR?
Allows the primer to bind to the DNA
Why is the sample heated to 95º in PCR?
Hydrogen bonds between strands break
Why is the sample heated to 72º?
It is the optimum temperature for taq polyermase
How is an insulin recombinant plasmid formed?
- mRNA is isolated and converted to cDNA using reverse transcriptase
- Plasmid is cut with a restriction so the sticky ends match the cDNA
- Plasmid and gene are combined with DNA ligase
How can recombinant plasmids be inserted into bacteria?
- Electroporation or
- Place cells and plasmid in Ca2+ and increase the temperature
Which bacteria is used to produce GM plants?
A. tumefaciens
What are the positive impacts of genetic engineering of pathogens?
- Useful substances can be produced cheaply, reliably and in large quantities
- Used for research into medical treatments
- Living resource of sequences DNA fragments for future use
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What are the negatives of genetic engineering of pathogens?
- pathogens could be modified to make them more virulent (could be used as a biological weapon)
- Antibiotic resistant bacteria could escape from labs
What are the positives of engineering soya beans with herbicide and insect resistance?
- reduces need for pesticides
- targets effect on pesticides that damage the crop
- increases crop yields
