Transcript Applications for Genetic Engineering

Biotechnology- When biology
meets technology
Why is genetic engineering a valuable
tool in Biology?
What is biotechnology?
• Application of biological techniques to
manipulate DNA to benefit humans
• Biotechnology has impacted the fields of
forensics, medicine, and agriculture.
Biotechnology- Forensics
• Forensics uses scientific techniques to collect
evidence
• Used to analyze different DNA samples at a
crime scene or to determine paternity of a
child and compare it to a known sample
• Process is called DNA fingerprinting and uses
the technique of gel electrophoresis to
conduct the DNA fingerprinting.
Why are these both called fingerprint?
What are some similarities?
Differences?
Forensics- DNA Fingerprinting process
• Take DNA samples and use restriction enzymes to cut
the DNA at certain sites.
• The samples are placed in an agarose gel and into an
electrophoresis machine where electrical charges are
used to separate the pieces of DNA by size and
molecular weight
• Creates a banding pattern for each sample
• If a crime scene blood sample was taken and a suspects
sample matches up with the crime scene definitive
evidence of guilt. In paternity tests matching band
pattern must be seen between child and father
Process of electrophoresis
DNA Fingerprinting Animation
• http://bcs.whfreeman.com/thelifewire/conten
t/chp16/1602001.html
• http://www.sumanasinc.com/webcontent/ani
mations/content/paternitytesting.html
Which suspect was at the crime
scene?
Let’s watch the process
• http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/
493667/recombinant-DNAtechnology/271855/In-vitromutagenesis#toc271856
Selective Breeding, Hybridization
Allowing only organisms with desired traits to produce
offspring
Crossing dissimilar organisms to bring together the best of
both organisms
Examples:
Mule – Donkey and Horse
Liger – Lion and Tiger
Tangelo – Tangerine and
Pomelo
Wheat plants – Mostly hybrids
Selected for ability to resist disease,
weather tolerance, and produce
the most grains
Advantages/Disadvantages
Perks: Allows for desired improvement of a species.
Humans select traits that they find appealing.
Disadvantages:
• Beef Cattle – Bigger cattle produces more meat.
More meat = More $
“Double Muscling”
• (Problems with birthing) cows have a harder time
birthing their young because they are too big.
• Loss of certain traits over time if the same ones
are repeatedly passed down.
Advantages/Disadvantages
• Sterility results in some animals which means
they cannot produce offspring.
• Generally will make plants hardier and more
disease resistant.
• Can combine disease resistance with foodproducing capabilities. (Crops)
Biotechnology in Medicine
( Recombinant DNA Technology)Transformation
• Genetic alternation of one
organism’s DNA to transform it to
express a section of another
organism (foreign) DNA
•
Bacteria are usually used as
vectors to place beneficial genes
inside because they can mass
produce the gene quickly
Example: Using bacteria to create
insulin. Humans use the bacterial
plasmid to insert desired genes and
have the bacteria produce the product
in this case, human insulin. Using
transformation is a faster and cheaper
process to assist humans need for
insulin.
Recombinant DNA Technology in
Agriculture- Genetic Engineering in
Plants
• Recombinant transformation can also happen
with crops  called plant hybridization
• Desired genes can be inserted into crop DNA
to:
– enhance the vitamins by inserting genes for
specific vitamins (golden rice- enhanced with
Vitamin A)
– Resist certain insects, can tolerate herbicides,
prevent rotting
Recombinant DNA Tech Clip
• http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/
493667/recombinant-DNAtechnology/271855/In-vitromutagenesis#toc271856
Insulin Transformation
Food Genetic Engineering- GMO
• Genetically Modified Foods
– Rice, tomatoes, corn, and other common food products
have been genetically modified withstand harsher
tempertures, grow larger, be preserved longer on
shelves,make toxins so pests don’t eat them.
– Cows that produce human milk (contain human gene)
Advantages of Biotechnology in
Agriculture
• Advantage- Can help individuals that have
deficiencies.
• Advantage- Crop yield increases and can have
a longer life
• Advantage- farmers can charge and make
more money
• Advantage- the food that we eat may contain
more nutrients
Disadvantages of Biotechnology in
Agriculture
• May cause health related issues in human (e.g. allergic
reactions) since the inserted genes come from a
foreign vector and the foods are not labeled if they
have been genetically modified. Not FDA regulated
• Environmental threat- herbicide tolerant crop plants do
not die when exposed to weed killing chemicals, so an
increased amount may have to be sprayed to ensure
greater weed control can affect the habitats of other
animals in the
• Genetic pollution- cross pollination of genetically
modified plants can become pollinated by nongenetically modified plants by wind, birds, and insects.
Genetically Modified Foods
• http://www.cfs.gov.hk/english/programme/pr
ogramme_gmf/programme_gmf_er_res2.html
Biotechnology- Gene Therapy
• Use a vector (virus) and place needed genes in
to replace faulted genes
• Used for cancer therapy, replacing missing
factors and enzymes in organism
Gene Therapy
• http://www.edu365.cat/aulanet/comsoc/Lab_
bio/simulacions/GeneTherapy/GeneTherapy.h
tm
Cloning
• Creating an identical copy of something – produced from a
single cell.
• When cloning animals we are not certain about the effects on
the created organism. Usually cloned organisms are sick and
do not live very long.
– Ex. Dolly and premature aging
Advantages of cloning
• Creating tissues for transplantation that would
not be rejected by the organism- therapeutic
cloning
• Using these tissues to help fight diseases like
Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s (replace damages
brain cells)
• Create therapeutic proteins like antibodies
(monoclonal antibodies)and have several
copies
Disadvantages of cloning
• Reduced the variety in a species since all
organisms have the same genetic information.
Think of cloning humans…we would all have
the exact same traits not good as a species
• Organisms that are cloned usually experience
premature aging
• Going against the natural order of things in
the world.
Therapeutic Cloning- Stem Cell
Research
•Stem cell: cells found within the
body that have not become
specialized for a particular function
•Found in adult bone marrow,
umbilical cord blood, and human
embryos
•May be able to take a patient’s own
disease free cells and grow them
outside of the body when needed
and alter them to create a specific
cell type that is needed
• Re-introduce them into patient for
possible therapy benefits