HG 12 Biotechnology and Society

Flashcards for Biotechnology and Society Lecture

Biotechnology

The use of recombinant DNA and molecular biology to produce commodities like drugs and better crops, as well as services like diagnostic tests and individual identification.

Making Human Proteins in Bacteria

Producing insulin for Type II Diabetes using recombinant DNA technology, offering a safer alternative to extracting insulin from cow and pig pancreases.

Abatacept

A fusion protein used as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis.

Human Products in Animals

Using cows, goats, and sheep for transgenic protein production, with the DNA switch only active in mammary gland cells.

Plant-based production

Low cost but often yields are also low.

Genetically Modified Foods (Biotech Approach)

Adding specific genes from another plant, animal, bacteria, or fungus to improve traits like pesticide and insect resistance.

Golden Banana

Boosted with Vitamin A to improve nutritional value.

DNA profiling

Developed in the 1980s, it uses Variable Number Tandem Repeats (VNTRs) to identify individuals based on repetitive DNA.

Embryonic Stem Cells

Derived from the blastocyst, these stem cells are pluripotent, meaning they can become any cell type.

Adult Stem Cells

Found in adult tissues and organs, these stem cells are multipotent, with limited cell type potential.

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPS)

Cells that have been reprogrammed to exhibit pluripotent qualities similar to embryonic stem cells.

CRISPR-Cas9

Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats; an enzyme which cuts DNA.

CRISPR-Cas9 Solutions for Xenotransplantation

Edit out genes for pig cell surface markers and edit in human genes to allow a reliable and reproducible source of organs.

Precision Medicine

Combines many different areas of information to provide a more personalized approach to health treatment.

Artificial Selection/Selective Breeding

Human intervention to selectively breed organisms together that possess desired traits or characteristics to perpetuate those traits in future generations.

VNTRs (Variable Number Tandem Repeats)

Single sequence of DNA that gets copied and repeated again consecutively along the chromosome, with varying repeat numbers among individuals.

Electrophoresis Gel

Gel used to separate DNA fragments by size, with smaller fragments moving more quickly towards the positive electrode.

Southern Blotting

Transferring DNA fragments onto a nitrocellulose membrane via capillary action for easier handling and stability.

Pluripotent

Ability to become any cell type.

Multipotent

Stem cells with limited differentiation options, capable of generating cell types within a speci c pathway.

Spray-On Skin

Spray-on skin is a stem cell product used for burn treatment.

Cas9

An endonuclease, an enzyme that cuts DNA.

Non-Homologous End Joining (NHEJ)

The cell connects DNA ends, introduces bases, resulting in disruption. This enables gene disruption or altered function.

Homology Directed Repair (HDR)

Donor DNA provided as template, cell repairs using complementary sequence, for specific DNA insertion, and the potential for correcting mutations.

Transplant Rejection

The body identifies the new organ as foreign, leading to an immune response.

Endogenous Retroviruses

Viruses that integrated themselves into the genomes of our ancestors millions of years ago.