Biotechnology
Biotechnology
• Any process that uses our understanding of
living things to create a product
Genetic Engineering
The process of making changes in the
DNA code of living organisms
Genetic engineering can be accomplished
through transformation.
Transformation is when a cell takes in DNA
from outside the cell. This DNA becomes
part of the cell’s DNA.
This can be accomplished with the help of
bacteria.
Bacterial
Transformation
The changing of one strain of bacteria into
another strain
Plasmid: a circular
piece of DNA found in
bacteria
F+ bacterium contains a
plasmid
F- bacterium does not
contain a plasmid
Steps of Bacterial
Transformation
1-Remove the plasmid from the bacterium.
Steps of Bacterial
Transformation
2-Isolate the gene of interest.
A gene of interest is a piece of DNA that
codes for a protein we want more of
Steps of Bacterial
Transformation
3-Open the plasmid by cutting it with a
restriction enzyme
This leaves “sticky ends”
Which need to be the complement of the
sticky ends left on the DNA fragment you
want to insert.
Sticky Ends
Sticky Ends
The restriction enzyme EcoR1 cuts the DNA
at the sequence GAATTC, between the G
and the A
Sticky Ends
Sticky Ends
Steps of Bacterial Transformation
4-Insert the gene of interest
Steps of Bacterial Transformation
5-Insert the plasmid
with recombinant
DNA into a new
bacterium.
Recombinant DNA:
DNA produced by
combining DNA from
different organisms
Steps of Bacterial Transformation
6-The bacteria reproduces itself and the
plasmid. All descendants express the
inserted gene
Bacterial Transformation
Other Types of Transformation
• Plants:
-Use bacteria that insert their plasmid into
plant cells
-removing cell walls sometimes allows
plant cells to take up foreign DNA on their
own
Other Types of Transformation
• Animals:
-Many egg cells are large enough that
DNA can be directly injected
Genetically Engineered
Products
Production of Human Insulin
• Insulin regulates the
blood sugar level.
• The gene for human
insulin is inserted into
yeast or bacteria,
from which large
quantities of the
human insulin are
manufactured
http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/genetics/images/ch1_diagram.gif
http://www.ingenious.org.uk/media/4.0_SAC/webimages/1032/1/10321271_3.jpg
Golden Rice
• Undernourished people in poorer countries may
have blindness caused by a lack of vitamin A
• Contains beta-carotene, which forms Vitamin A
Golden Rice
• Genes for making
beta-carotene are
taken from daffodils
and inserted into the
genome of rice
http://www.bairesbiotec.org.ar/images/speake1.jpg
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/toons/varvel/biotech.protest.gif
Recombinant Bovine Growth
Hormone
• rBGH is a genetically
engineered version of a
hormone, which is found
in the pituitary gland of
cows and controls milk
production
• rBGH can increase cows’
milk production by as
much as 20-30%
http://www.healingdaily.com/detoxification-diet/rBGH.
http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Milk_glass.jpg
Spider Silk
• Elastic, light weight fiber 5 times stronger than steel
• One method involves inserting the gene from a
weaving spider into a fertilized goat egg. The
resultant “spider-goat” produces milk that can be
manufactured into strong fibers.
http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/motm/spider/goat.jpg
Spider Silk
• To make flak jackets,
rope, textiles, sutures,
artificial tendons, and
bandages for burn
victims
Glowing Organisms
• Genes that make jellyfish glow are inserted
into other organisms
• The organism glows under UV light
http://www.fluorescentpets.com/prod31.jpg
Glowing organisms
• Extra credit if you research the importance
of this type of organism.
Bt Crops
• Bt is a bacterium that is toxic to
some insects. In the lab, the
gene that produces the toxic
effect is inserted into the DNA of
plants
• Bt crops produce an insecticide
protein thousands of times more
powerful than the chemical spray
insecticides
Transgenic Organisms : Any
organism whose genome
incorporates and expresses genes
from the same or a different
species
Genetically modified products:
Altering the DNA of an organism to
get it to express different
traits.