Understanding synthetic DNA Flashcards
what is SynDNA?
a man-made version of DNA that scientists create in a lab. DNA is like a blueprint that carries information for building and operating living things. But sometimes, researchers want to create specific pieces of DNA for different purposes, like studying diseases or developing new treatments. That’s where SynDNA comes in.
Using SynDNA in academic medical centers
Ex. Studying genetic diseases- Cystic fibrosis- scientists may want to create a synthetic piece of DNA that mimics the mutation (the tiny mistake) that causes the disease. By putting this synDNA into the cells in the lab, they can study how the disease develops and test possible treatments on actual patients.
simple explanation
imagine you want to know how a broken part in a machine causes it to stop working. You would create a small fake
Another example of when Syn DNA is important in AMC’s
Gene therapy research- trying to fix “gene problems”- if a person has a disease because their DNA is missing or wrong in some parts, researchers can make synthetic DNA to replace the “bad part” this is called “gene therapy”. it is like fixing a broken instruction manual. scientists might use Syn DNA to “rewrite” the instructions in someones cells to fix the problem.
Analogy
imagine you have a book where one page is missing, it makes the story hard to understand. Scientists create a new page (synthetic DNA) to replace the missing one. so, the book is able to be read correctly.
Using Syn DNA in CRO’s
CRO’s work with companies that make medicines (pharma). They would use SynDNA to test how new medicines affect cells and to see if they work against diseases. They may create SynDNA that mimics a virus or bacteria to test if a new medicine can fight it. It’s a faster and cheaper way than testing with real virsues or bacteria.
Another usage example with CRO’s
some work on developing medicines that are tailored to individual people’s DNA. They might create synthetic DNA that represents the DNA of a specific person or group of people. This helps test if a new medicine will work better for some people compared to others.
