Genetic Engineering Basics

What is Genetic Engineering?

Artificially copying a piece of DNA from one organism and joining this copy

into the DNA of another organism

It is the direct manipulation of an organism’s genome using modern DNA technology

Also called Genetic modification

A genome is the entirety of an organism’s hereditary information

It is the simple addition, deletion, or manipulation of a single trait in an organism to create a desired change.

Autoluminograph of a glowing transgenic Tobacco

plant bearing the luciferase gene of the firefly

What is Genetic Engineering?

Daniel Nathans and Hamilton Smith received the 1978 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for their isolation of restriction endonucleases, which are able to cut DNA at specific sites.

Together with ligase, which can join fragments of DNA together, restriction enzymes formed the initial basis of recombinant DNA technology.

What is Genetic Engineering?

Genetic engineering means that DNA from different organisms can be combined

The modification of the characteristics of an organism by manipulating its genetic material (DNA)

The science of changing the DNA of a plant or animal to produce desirable characteristics

It allows genes from one organism to be inserted into a cell of a different organism of a different species.

The technology used to genetically manipulate living cells to produce new chemicals or perform new functions.

Example:

Bacteria can be engineered to produce human proteins (such as, Insulin)

Human genes can be inserted into cells from other animals

Plants or animals with desirable characteristics (such as, fast growth and unusually large size)

What are GMOs?

Genetically Modified organisms are also called transgenic

organisms; since genes are transferred from one organism to another.

It means that bits of genes from different living things have been bolted together and spliced into another organism to make a new one that does something which the scientists want it to do.

Example: Bacteria that produce human insulin

'Trans-' means 'crossing from one place to another‘

The '-genic' bit means genes

Organisms created by genetic engineering are called Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).

What is GEO?

GEO- Genetically Enhanced Organism

For example:

Plants that resist a particular type of weed killer

Sheep makes some special substance in its milk.

Genetic Timeline

Applications of Genetic Engineering

Golden Rice – a possible solution to Vitamin A deficiency (https://www.irri.org/golden-rice)

Glo fish to help detect environmental pollutants

Bt corn, Bt Brinjal

Weedkiller resistant crops

GM potato

Vaccine production

Flavr Savr tomato

Production of Humulin (insulin), Growth hormone, erythropoietin, factor IX, interferons, interleukins, tissue plasminogen activator

Golden Rice

Applications of Genetic Engineering

Gene pharming is a technology that scientists use to alter an animal's own DNA, or to splice in new DNA (a transgene) from another species.

In pharming, these genetically modified (transgenic) animals are mostly used to make human proteins that have medicinal value. The protein encoded by the transgene is secreted into the animal's milk, eggs or blood, and then collected and purified.

Tracy the sheep was the first transgenic farm mammal ever created for the purpose of gene pharming. She was created from a zygote genetically engineered through DNA injection.

To produce milk containing large quantities of the human enzyme alpha- 1 antitrypsin, a substance regarded in the 1990s as a potential pharmaceutical for the treatments of cystic fibrosis and emphysema.

Alpha 1-antitrypsin comprised 50% of the total protein in Tracy's milk. Similar levels were detected in the milk produced by her granddaughters.

Applications of Genetic Engineering

Gene Therapy involves modifying human DNA either to repair it or to replace a faulty gene. The idea of gene therapy is to overcome the effects of a mutation that causes a genetic disease.

Cystic fibrosis is the best-known disease where gene therapy has been tried. (https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/cystic-fibrosis)

(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9592762/)

Applications of Genetic Engineering

Genetic engineering can produce very specific and sensitive diagnostic tests for many diseases, using engineered proteins. This technology is opening up novel ways of delivering medicines to specific targets.

Genetically engineered microbes can be used to produce the antigens needed in a safe and controllable way.

The use of genetically modified yeast cells to produce a vaccine against the hepatitis B virus has been a major success story (https://academic.oup.com/femsyr/article/19/2/foz007/5298404)

Basic Steps of Genetic Engineering

Isolation

Cutting

Ligation and Insertion

Transformation

Expression and Selection

Cloning

Basic Steps of Genetic Engineering

Isolation:

• Isolation of a specific gene from the donor

• Isolation of plasmid from a bacterial cell

Cutting:

• Restriction enzymes act as molecular scissors and cut both donor and plasmid DNA at specific sites (called restriction sites)

Ligation and Insertion:

• Donor DNA (gene of interest) is ligated to plasmid DNA to make recombinant plasmid which is then inserted into the bacterial cell for expression

Basic Steps of Genetic Engineering

Cutting:

• Restriction enzymes act as molecular scissors and cut both donor and plasmid DNA at specific sites (called restriction sites)

Ligation and Insertion:

• Donor DNA (gene of interest) is ligated to plasmid DNA to make recombinant plasmid which is then inserted into the bacterial cell for expression

Basic Steps of Genetic Engineering

Ligation and Insertion:

• Donor DNA (gene of interest) is ligated to plasmid DNA to make recombinant plasmid which is then inserted into the bacterial cell for expression

Basic Steps of Genetic Engineering

Expression & Selection:

• Bacteria with the Recombinant DNA are separated/ selected

Cloning:

• Large amounts of bacteria containing recombinant plasmid are grown in separate cultures. The transformed bacteria produce the desired protein. When the protein is produced in large amounts it is isolated and purified.

Not all transgenic bacteria will express the

Recombinat DNA

Basic Steps of Genetic Engineering

Cloning:

• Large amounts of bacteria containing recombinant plasmid are grown in separate cultures. The transformed bacteria produce the desired protein. When the protein is produced in large amounts it is isolated and purified.

CLONING of positiovely selected bacteria

Basic Steps of Genetic

What is Genetic Engineering?

Artificially copying a piece of DNA from one organism and joining this copy

into the DNA of another organism

It is the direct manipulation of an organism’s genome using modern DNA technology

Also called Genetic modification

A genome is the entirety of an organism’s hereditary information

It is the simple addition, deletion, or manipulation of a single trait in an organism to create a desired change.

Autoluminograph of a glowing transgenic Tobacco

plant bearing the luciferase gene of the firefly

What is Genetic Engineering?

Daniel Nathans and Hamilton Smith received the 1978 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for their isolation of restriction endonucleases, which are able to cut DNA at specific sites.

Together with ligase, which can join fragments of DNA together, restriction enzymes formed the initial basis of recombinant DNA technology.

What is Genetic Engineering?

Genetic engineering means that DNA from different organisms can be combined

The modification of the characteristics of an organism by manipulating its genetic material (DNA)

The science of changing the DNA of a plant or animal to produce desirable characteristics

It allows genes from one organism to be inserted into a cell of a different organism of a different species.

The technology used to genetically manipulate living cells to produce new chemicals or perform new functions.

Example:

Bacteria can be engineered to produce human proteins (such as, Insulin)

Human genes can be inserted into cells from other animals

Plants or animals with desirable characteristics (such as, fast growth and unusually large size)

What are GMOs?

Genetically Modified organisms are also called transgenic

organisms; since genes are transferred from one organism to another.

It means that bits of genes from different living things have been bolted together and spliced into another organism to make a new one that does something which the scientists want it to do.

Example: Bacteria that produce human insulin

'Trans-' means 'crossing from one place to another‘

The '-genic' bit means genes

Organisms created by genetic engineering are called Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).

What is GEO?

GEO- Genetically Enhanced Organism

For example:

Plants that resist a particular type of weed killer

Sheep makes some special substance in its milk.

Genetic Timeline

Applications of Genetic Engineering

Golden Rice – a possible solution to Vitamin A deficiency (https://www.irri.org/golden-rice)

Glo fish to help detect environmental pollutants

Bt corn, Bt Brinjal

Weedkiller resistant crops

GM potato

Vaccine production

Flavr Savr tomato

Production of Humulin (insulin), Growth hormone, erythropoietin, factor IX, interferons, interleukins, tissue plasminogen activator

Golden Rice

Applications of Genetic Engineering

Gene pharming is a technology that scientists use to alter an animal's own DNA, or to splice in new DNA (a transgene) from another species.

In pharming, these genetically modified (transgenic) animals are mostly used to make human proteins that have medicinal value. The protein encoded by the transgene is secreted into the animal's milk, eggs or blood, and then collected and purified.

Tracy the sheep was the first transgenic farm mammal ever created for the purpose of gene pharming. She was created from a zygote genetically engineered through DNA injection.

To produce milk containing large quantities of the human enzyme alpha- 1 antitrypsin, a substance regarded in the 1990s as a potential pharmaceutical for the treatments of cystic fibrosis and emphysema.

Alpha 1-antitrypsin comprised 50% of the total protein in Tracy's milk. Similar levels were detected in the milk produced by her granddaughters.

Applications of Genetic Engineering

Gene Therapy involves modifying human DNA either to repair it or to replace a faulty gene. The idea of gene therapy is to overcome the effects of a mutation that causes a genetic disease.

Cystic fibrosis is the best-known disease where gene therapy has been tried. (https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/cystic-fibrosis)

(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9592762/)

Applications of Genetic Engineering

Genetic engineering can produce very specific and sensitive diagnostic tests for many diseases, using engineered proteins. This technology is opening up novel ways of delivering medicines to specific targets.

Genetically engineered microbes can be used to produce the antigens needed in a safe and controllable way.

The use of genetically modified yeast cells to produce a vaccine against the hepatitis B virus has been a major success story (https://academic.oup.com/femsyr/article/19/2/foz007/5298404)

Basic Steps of Genetic Engineering

Isolation

Cutting

Ligation and Insertion

Transformation

Expression and Selection

Cloning

Basic Steps of Genetic Engineering

Isolation:

• Isolation of a specific gene from the donor

• Isolation of plasmid from a bacterial cell

Cutting:

• Restriction enzymes act as molecular scissors and cut both donor and plasmid DNA at specific sites (called restriction sites)

Ligation and Insertion:

• Donor DNA (gene of interest) is ligated to plasmid DNA to make recombinant plasmid which is then inserted into the bacterial cell for expression

Basic Steps of Genetic Engineering

Cutting:

• Restriction enzymes act as molecular scissors and cut both donor and plasmid DNA at specific sites (called restriction sites)

Ligation and Insertion:

• Donor DNA (gene of interest) is ligated to plasmid DNA to make recombinant plasmid which is then inserted into the bacterial cell for expression

Basic Steps of Genetic Engineering

Ligation and Insertion:

• Donor DNA (gene of interest) is ligated to plasmid DNA to make recombinant plasmid which is then inserted into the bacterial cell for expression

Basic Steps of Genetic Engineering

Expression & Selection:

• Bacteria with the Recombinant DNA are separated/ selected

Cloning:

• Large amounts of bacteria containing recombinant plasmid are grown in separate cultures. The transformed bacteria produce the desired protein. When the protein is produced in large amounts it is isolated and purified.

Not all transgenic bacteria will express the

Recombinat DNA

Basic Steps of Genetic Engineering

Cloning:

• Large amounts of bacteria containing recombinant plasmid are grown in separate cultures. The transformed bacteria produce the desired protein. When the protein is produced in large amounts it is isolated and purified.

CLONING of positiovely selected bacteria

Basic Steps of Genetic