Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering

Genetic Modification and Transcription

• The process of transferring genes from one type to another or modifying the genes of the same type is known as genetic modification.
• Transcription is the process of converting the information in the DNA of a cell into mRNA.

Translation and mRNA

• During translation, mRNA encodes the sequence of amino acids that make up a protein.
• Amino acids are brought to ribosomes during translation by tRNA.

RNA Transcription

• The enzyme responsible for carrying out the conversion of DNA information into mRNA is RNA polymerase.
• Rho-dependent termination is a process that stops RNA transcription by releasing the RNA transcript from the DNA template.
• Rho-independent termination relies on the formation of a hairpin loop in the RNA transcript to stop transcription.

Ribosomes and rRNA

• rRNA makes up the majority of the RNA component of ribosomes, along with ribosomal proteins.

DNA Modification and Degradation

• The enzyme responsible for degrading DNA molecules by breaking the phosphodiester bonds that link one nucleotide to the next is DNase.
• DNA Ligase is an enzyme that seals gaps in DNA molecules by forming phosphodiester bonds.
• Reverse transcription is the process of converting RNA into DNA.

Chromatin Structure

• Euchromatin is a lightly packed form of chromatin that is more accessible to transcription factors.

Biotechnology

• The primary focus of biotechnology is to apply biological principles to develop new products and technologies.
• Biotechnology involves learning from nature and applying it to solve real-world problems.
• The prefix 'Bio' in 'Biotechnology' means life or living organisms.

History of Biotechnology

• The ancient civilization that used moldy curds as an antibiotic was Greece.
• The Greeks used crop rotation to increase soil fertility.
• The year 1973 was a significant milestone in biotechnology, marking the first transformation of bacteria by Boyer and Cohen.
• The year 2010 was significant in biotechnology, marking the completion of the Human Genome Project.

Branches of Biotechnology

• Industrial Biotechnology focuses on the development of new products and processes using microorganisms.
• Green Biotechnology is involved in the application of biotechnology to agricultural processes and products.
• Red Biotechnology is focused on the development of medical products and technologies.
• White Biotechnology is another name for Industrial Biotechnology, due to its focus on industrial applications.

Other Biotechnology Concepts

• Palindrome DNA is a type of DNA that reads the same forwards and backwards.
• Endonucleases are enzymes that cut DNA molecules at specific sequences.
• Endoribonuclease is an enzyme that degrades RNA molecules.
• Exonuclease is an enzyme that degrades DNA molecules from the ends.
• Fermentation was traditionally used to produce beverages such as beer and wine.