bacteria biotech
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69 Terms
Why are bacteria useful in biotechnology?
They grow quickly
Why is E. coli commonly used in biotechnology?
It grows fast
What does genetically tractable mean?
An organism is easy to genetically modify
What is recombinant DNA?
DNA made by combining genetic material from different sources.
What is recombinant protein production?
Using genetically modified cells to produce a protein encoded by introduced DNA.
Why are plasmids useful in biotechnology?
They can carry genes of interest
What is a cloning vector?
A DNA molecule
What is an expression vector?
A plasmid designed to make the host cell produce a protein from an inserted gene.
What is the difference between a cloning vector and an expression vector?
A cloning vector mainly copies DNA
What is a gene of interest?
The gene you want to clone
What is an origin of replication?
A DNA sequence that allows a plasmid to be copied inside a bacterial cell.
Why does a plasmid need an origin of replication?
Without it
What is a selectable marker?
A gene used to identify cells that contain the plasmid
Why are antibiotic resistance genes used as selectable markers?
Only bacteria that have taken up the plasmid can grow on medium containing that antibiotic.
What is a promoter?
A DNA sequence where RNA polymerase binds to start transcription.
Why is a promoter needed in an expression plasmid?
It drives transcription of the inserted gene so the protein can be made.
What is an inducible promoter?
A promoter that can be switched on by adding a specific chemical or condition.
Why are inducible promoters useful?
They allow protein production to be controlled so the gene is only expressed when wanted.
What is IPTG used for?
It is commonly used to induce expression from lac-based promoters.
What is a ribosome binding site?
A sequence that helps the bacterial ribosome bind to mRNA and start translation.
Why is a ribosome binding site needed?
It allows the inserted gene to be efficiently translated into protein.
What is a terminator in an expression plasmid?
A DNA sequence that stops transcription.
Why is a terminator useful?
It helps ensure transcription ends properly after the gene of interest.
What is a reporter gene?
A gene whose product is easy to detect and is used to monitor gene expression or promoter activity.
What is GFP used for?
As a fluorescent reporter to visualise gene expression
Why is GFP useful in biotechnology?
It fluoresces without needing destructive staining
What is blue-white screening used for?
To identify bacteria that contain plasmids with an inserted DNA fragment.
What does a white colony usually mean in blue-white screening?
The plasmid likely contains an insert disrupting the lacZ gene.
What does a blue colony usually mean in blue-white screening?
The plasmid likely has no insert and the lacZ gene is still functional.
What are restriction enzymes used for?
Cutting DNA at specific sequences.
What is DNA ligase used for?
Joining DNA fragments together.
Why are restriction enzymes and ligase useful in cloning?
Restriction enzymes cut the vector and insert
What is bacterial transformation in biotechnology?
Introducing plasmid DNA into bacterial cells.
What are competent cells?
Bacterial cells treated so they can take up DNA.
Why do bacteria need to be made competent for transformation?
Most bacteria do not naturally take up plasmid DNA efficiently.
What is PCR used for in biotechnology?
Amplifying specific DNA sequences.
Why is PCR useful before cloning?
It can make many copies of the gene or DNA fragment you want to insert.
What is sequencing used for after cloning?
To confirm that the correct DNA insert is present and has the correct sequence.
What is protein purification?
Separating the protein of interest from other cellular proteins and components.
What is a His-tag?
A short histidine tag added to a protein to help purify it.
Why are affinity tags useful?
They make it easier to purify or detect recombinant proteins.
What are inclusion bodies?
Aggregates of misfolded recombinant protein inside bacterial cells.
Why can recombinant proteins form inclusion bodies?
The protein may be produced too quickly or may not fold correctly in bacteria.
Why can E. coli be unsuitable for some eukaryotic proteins?
It may not perform the correct post-translational modifications
What is a post-translational modification?
A chemical modification added to a protein after translation.
Why is glycosylation a problem in bacterial protein production?
Bacteria like E. coli usually cannot add human-like sugar groups to proteins.
Why can endotoxin contamination be a problem with E. coli products?
E. coli is Gram-negative and contains LPS
What is bioremediation?
Using organisms such as bacteria to remove
Why can bacteria be used for bioremediation?
Some bacteria can metabolise pollutants such as oil
What is an example of bacterial bioremediation?
Bacteria degrading hydrocarbons after oil spills.
What is metabolic engineering?
Altering metabolic pathways to make cells produce more of a desired compound.
Why is bacterial genome knowledge important for biotechnology?
Knowing gene functions helps scientists engineer metabolism and behaviour more predictably.
What is synthetic biology?
Engineering biological systems using designed genetic parts
What is a genetic circuit?
A designed set of genes and regulatory parts that produces a controlled biological response.
Why are bacteria useful in synthetic biology?
They are simple
What is a bioreactor?
A controlled vessel used to grow cells or microbes for production.
Why are bioreactors useful in bacterial biotechnology?
They control conditions such as temperature
What is fermentation in biotechnology?
Large-scale microbial growth used to produce cells
Why is scale-up important in biotechnology?
A process that works in a small flask must also work reliably at industrial volume.
What is insulin production an example of?
Recombinant protein production using genetically engineered microbes.
Why was recombinant insulin important?
It allowed human insulin to be produced reliably without extracting it from animals.
What are biosensors?
Engineered biological systems that detect a specific molecule or condition and produce a measurable signal.
How can bacteria be used as biosensors?
They can be engineered to produce fluorescence or another signal when they detect a target compound.
What is a major safety concern in bacterial biotechnology?
Preventing engineered bacteria or resistance genes from spreading into the environment.
What is biological containment?
Designing systems that limit survival or spread of engineered organisms outside controlled conditions.
What is horizontal gene transfer?
Movement of genes between organisms other than parent-to-offspring inheritance.
Why is horizontal gene transfer a concern in biotechnology?
Engineered genes or antibiotic resistance markers could potentially spread to other bacteria.
What is the main advantage of bacteria over animal cells for protein production?
Bacteria grow faster and are usually cheaper and easier to culture.
What is the main disadvantage of bacteria for producing human proteins?
They may not fold or modify complex human proteins correctly.