Week 2 Flashcards
What is biotechnology?
Biotechnology is the exploitation of biological processes and living organisms for industrial and other purposes. Especially the genetic manipulation of microorganisms for the production of antibiotics, hormones, etc.
What is genetic engineering?
Manipulating DNA in the test tube or living organism. This includes mutating it, rearranging it, recombining it, or transferring it into living cells.
What is an open reading frame, how does it relate to genetic engineering?
The section on the mRNA that encodes for a gene. It relates to genetic engineering because the open reading frame is the section that they splice to mutate and manipulate it desirably.
What happens when you randomly change the nucleotide sequence of an open reading frame?
A mutation occurs, which changes the amino acid that is later produced. The change of which amino acid is produced may or may not ultimately affect the protein that is produced. The structure, function, or stability of the resulting protein can be affected.
What is a plasmid expression vector and how is it used in genetic engineering?
A plasmid expression vector is a specialized DNA molecule used in genetic engineering to introduce and express a specific gene within a host cell. These vectors contain elements such as promoters for initiating transcription, multiple cloning sites for gene insertion, selectable markers for identifying successful incorporations, and regulatory sequences to control gene expression. They are widely used in research and medical applications, such as protein production, gene function studies, and developing therapies and vaccines.
Describe the steps you would take to genetically engineer E. coli to synthesize a therapeutic protein.
- An expression vector with the appropriate sequence for transcription and translation is introduced to a foreign gene-coding sequence.
- Each is cut by the restriction enzyme BamHI.
- The foreign gene-coding sequence is ligated into the vector.
- E. coli is transformed with the insertion of the expression vector.
- The foreign gene ends up being expressed in E. coli because it is present in an expression vector.
Explain how embryonic stem cells are used to genetically engineer mice.
The mouse totipotent stem cells are grown in a lab, and then transfected with a transgene (genetically modified). Then those transfected cells are injected into an early mouse embryo, leading to a mouse with a mixture of normal and mutated cells. That mouse will have offspring that have a transgene in every cell.
Why is the golden rice on the first slide golden? Why is this useful to humans?
Humans genetically modified rice to select for Vitamin A. In areas of the world where hunger and malnutrition are an issue, a lot of rice is typically eaten. So scientists genetically modified rice plants to introduce biosynthetic genes (beta-carotene) that have Vitamin A, in order to provide more nutrients to the people. To do this they isolated genes from a daffodil and a bacterium because beta carotene is a precursor for Vitamin A.
What is a transgenic organism?
Transgenic means that exogenous genes are added to the organism’s genome. This means they are genetically modified.
Transgenic refers to an organism or cell whose genome has been altered by the introduction of one or more foreign DNA sequences from another species by artificial means. Transgenic organisms are generated in the laboratory for research purposes.
Name 4 genetically engineered proteins that are used in human medicine.
- Factor 8 - clotting factors
- Insulin
- Tissue Plasminogen Activator
- Platlet-derived growth factor - wound healing
- Monoclonal antibodies
What is an antisense RNA and what effect does it have on gene expression?
An antisense RNA is a form of biotechnology used for experimental HIV and cancer therapies. They can be used to turn down or off genes.
When were genetically engineered animals first attempted?
First done with mice in the 1970s. Now biologist can very precisely mutate, replace, or delete genes in laboratory mice.
What is recombinant DNA?
DNA from two or more different organisms can be combined.
Cut DNA from 2 different organisms into pieces, then combine them together in different ways by DNA ligase to make recombinant DNA
