Genetic Engineering

• Genetic engineering

  Modifying an organism's genome by adding a new helpful gene
• Genetic engineering process

  1. Find desirable gene

  2. Cut out gene using enzymes

  3. Insert gene into vector (virus or bacterial plasmid)

  4. Introduce vector to target organism

  5. Organism cells take up vector and produce protein coded by gene
• Genetically engineered organisms

  • Sheep producing drugs in milk
  • Bacteria producing human insulin
• Genetically modified crops

  • Improved fruit size and quality
  • Disease resistance
  • Insect resistance
  • Herbicide resistance
• Gene therapy


  Giving a person a healthy version of a gene to fix an inherited disorder
• Gene therapy is difficult because the faulty gene is in all of the person's cells, so the new gene would have to be transferred to every cell</b>
• A potential solution is to transfer the gene at an early stage of development, such as at the egg or embryo stage
• Method

  1. Cut beneficial gene from cell with restriction enzymes
  2. These create complementary sticky ends
  3. Put Sticky ends together with DNA ligase
  4. reinsert into recombinant plasmid to be cultured