Recombinant DNA, sequencing & “-omics”

What discovery enabled recombinant DNA technology?

Restriction enzymes that cleave DNA at specific sequences, allowing fragments from different sources to be joined to create recombinant molecules.

What are DNA cloning and DNA transformation?

Cloning generates many copies of a specific DNA sequence; transformation introduces DNA into cells for expression or propagation.

What major genome project is cited and what were its dates/results?

The Human Genome Project (began 1990) established the human genome sequence by 2003, ≈3.2 billion bases.

What is bioinformatics and why is it necessary?

The integration of computer science and biology to manage and interpret vast sequence and -omics data produced by high-throughput methods.

Name several “-omics” fields mentioned and what they study.

Genomics (all genes), proteomics (proteins/proteome), transcriptomics (all transcribed genes), metabolomics (metabolic reactions), lipidomics (lipids), ionomics (ions).

What practical capability do high-throughput methods provide?

They allow simultaneous monitoring of expression levels for hundreds to thousands of genes and rapid molecular analyses.