Biotechnology

Biotechnology

The engineering of organisms for useful purposes

Genetic engineering

Creation of hybrid genes and their introduction into organisms in which the gene is not normally present

Give two examples of medical applications for biotechnology?

Therapeutic drugs

Genetic disorder screening

Gene therapy

Replace defective genes

Somatic cell

Treatment after birth

Germ cell

Cures in offspring

What bacteria is used to change plants cell

Agrobacterium tumefaciens

Agrobacterium tumefaciens

Bacteria capable of inserting genes in plant cells

Give 2 examples of what crop GMOs do?

Increase nutrient content

Delayed ripening

Give 2 examples of what genetically modified animals can do?

Faster growth rates

Leaner meats

Give 2 examples of biotechnology in the environment?

Biofuel production

Biodegradable plastics

What are 2 other uses of biotechnology?

Biological weapons

DNA fingerprinting

What is genetic engineering possible?

Genetic code is universal, Ribosomes and mRNA tRNA and enzymes function the same, cells can translate foreign DNA

Donor gene

Segment of DNA with desired gene

Vector

DNA molecule into which the donor gene is placed

Bacterial plasmid

Tiny loop of DNA containing only a few genes

Recombinant DNA

Donor gene and vector

Gene splicing

Process of making recombinant DNA

What are the steps of genetic engineering?

Cutting donor gene, combining gene with plasmids, combining plasmids with bacteria

What is step one of genetic engineering?

Cutting out the donor gene with restriction enzymes

Where do the restriction enzymes cut?

At a specific base sequence or a palindrome sequence

What does cutting leave?

Sticky ends

What is step to of genetic engineering?

Combining the isolated gene with isolated plasmids

Where do you cute the isolated gene, and isolated plasmids?

Cut both with same restriction enzyme so they have complementary sticky ends

How do you join isolated genes and isolated plasmids?

With DNA Ligase

What is the last step of genetic engineering?

Combining the plasmids with live bacteria

What is electrophoresis?

Where DNA can separated based on size and charge

What charge does DNA have

Negative

What are electrophoresis uses?

DNA analysis, forensic and paternity cases

What is a polymerase chain reaction or (PCR)

It's a gene amplifier that can make continuous copies of a DNA segment

What is a polymerase chain reactions use?

It produces a large amount of DNA to be studied

What are the steps to PCR?

Combine, Heat, and Primers, Cooling

What is the first step to PCR?

Combining a DNA strand, free nucleotides, and heat resistant DNA polymerase in a test tube

What is the second step in PCR?

Heat to near boiling

What is the third step to PCR?

Adding primers to the solution

Primers

Short segments of single stranded DNA complimentary to beginning and end of gene

What is the fourth step to PCR?

As polymerase cools it fills in the rest of the gene with nucleotides

What is last step of PCR?

Repeat process

What are GMOs?

Organisms that contain genes from another species

Genetic testing

Scanning a patients DNA for specific traits

Give two uses of genetic testing

Determine sex, and carrier screening

What are the controversies of genetic testing?

Absence of cures, reproduction issues

Gene therapy

Using normal genes to supplement or replace defective genes target cells

What are the two basic methods of gene therapy?

Ex vivo

In vivo

Ex vivo

Outside the body, cells are returned to body by injection

In vivo

Inside the body, vectors deliver genes to cells in patients body

What are the main obstacles in gene therapy?

Gene delivery tools, limited knowledge, multigene disorders, high cost

Vectors

Viruses

Why don't vectors work?

Viruses have problems with toxicity

What does CRISPR allow for

Gene editing in living cells

How does CRISPR work?

Researchs produce a guide RNA for a targeted DNA sequence, and attach the Cas9 enzyme which cuts DNA

What is sickle cell anemia?

Mutation in the HBB gene B-globin

What is the effect of the mutation?

Causes hemoglobin to form stiff cresent shaped cell

What does sickle cell anemia lead too?

Lead to pain, and organ damage

What is CRISPR role in gene therapy?

Used to repair or replace the mutated gene responsible for sickle cell disease

What vector is used in sickle cell anemia?

Vector is a HIV relates virus

How do they use CRISPR in sickle cell?

Use it to reactivate the production of fetal hemoglobin

Why is fetal hemoglobin good?

It carries oxygen more effectively and is unaffected by the sickle cell mutation

What gene does CRISPR target in sickle cell?

It targets BCL11A a regulatory gene

What is BCL11A?

A gene that normally shuts of fetal hemoglobin production after birth

What is the treatment process for sickle cell?

Collection of stem cell, ex vivo gene editing, conditioning the patient, and transplantation

Collection of stem cells

Blood forming cells are taken from patients bone marrow and blood

Ex. Vivo gene editing

In a lab CRISPR is used to edit stem cells either correcting or activating

Conditioning the patient

Patient undergoes chemotherapy to destroy stem cells

Transplantation

Edited stem cells are returned to patient where that begin producing healthy blood cells