The Gene Machine Flashcards
How is the desired sequence of nucleotide bases for a gene determined in the ‘gene machine’?
The sequence is determined by identifying the amino acid sequence of the desired protein, using mRNA codons to find the complementary DNA triplets
What safety and ethical check are carried out on the fgene sequence?
The sequence is checked for biosafety, biosecurity and compliance with international and ethical standards
What is the first step in using the ‘gene machine’ after determining the nucleotide sequence of the gene?
The desired sequence is fed into the computer
What are oligonucleotides and how are they used in the gene machine?
Oligonucleotides are small, overlapping single strands of nucleotides designed by a computer, which are assembled to form the desired gene
How are oligonucleotides assembled in the ‘gene machine’?
In an automated process, nucleotides are added one at a time in the required sequence
What happens to the oligonucleotides after assembly in the ‘gene machine’?
They are joined together to form the complete gene
Why does the gene produced by the ‘gene machine’ not contain introns or non - coding DNA?
The ‘gene machine’ produces genes directly from the desired sequence, excluding introns and non - coding regions
How is the gene replicated after it is assembled in the ‘gene machine’?
The gene is replicated using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
What does the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) do after assembling the gene?
PCR constructs the complementary strand of nucleotides to create a double - stranded gene
What is the purpose of multiplying the gene using PCR?
To produce numerous copies of the gene
How can the gene be stored or transferred to other organisms after being constructed?
The gene is inserted into a bacterial plasmid using sticky ends, which acts as a vector for storage, cloning or transfer
How is the accuracy of the constructed genes verified?
Genes are checked using standard sequencing techniques, and those with errors are rejected
What are bacterial plasmids used for in this process?
They act as vectors for storing, cloning or transferring the gene to other organisms
What is the role of sticky ends in gene insertion?
Sticky ends allow the gene to be inserted into a bacterial plasmid
What is a key advantage of the gene machine regarding the sequence of nucleotides?
Any sequence of nucleotides can be produced
