Recombinant DNA Technology in Modern Biotechnology

The Universal Genetic Code in Biotechnology

The genetic code is highly relevant to developments in biotechnology, as it allows for the production of a human protein in another organism's cell. This is possible because all cells synthesize their proteins using the same universal genetic code.

Enzymes: The Biocatalysts of Life

Enzymes are proteins that control the chemical reactions occurring in living organisms. They are also called biocatalysts because they accelerate these chemical reactions. Without them, these processes would be too slow or would not occur under the conditions required by cells. Each enzyme is highly specific and is typically involved in only one particular reaction. This specificity depends on its unique structure, which is determined by the sequence of its amino acids. Since enzymes are proteins, their structure is determined by genes. Consequently, genes control the entire set of chemical reactions that occur in cells. Enzymes have numerous industrial applications, and their large-scale production is a major challenge for biotechnology.

Core Concepts in Genetic Technology

Biotechnology

This is the set of genetic and biochemical technologies that allow for the modification of organisms, biological systems, or processes to obtain useful products.

Genetic Engineering

This field focuses on the direct modification of an organism's genes. The most commonly used technologies are recombinant DNA technology, cell cloning techniques, and cell and tissue culture techniques.

Recombinant DNA Technology

These are laboratory techniques that allow for the isolation, combination, copying, and sequencing of DNA fragments. They also enable the combination of DNA from different species into a single DNA molecule. Scientists use these techniques to transfer genes between cells. For example, a human gene for a specific protein can be inserted into a yeast or bacterium. These organisms grow much faster, allowing for the production of huge amounts of a protein that is naturally found in very small quantities.

Key Terminology in Modern Genetics

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)

These are organisms obtained through genetic engineering, meaning their genome has been modified.

Transgenic Organisms

A transgenic organism is one into which one or more genes from another species have been introduced.

Recombinant DNA

Recombinant DNA is a DNA molecule that contains fragments of DNA from different origins.

Producing Proteins with Recombinant DNA

The process for obtaining products of interest using DNA involves the following steps:

1. Identify the DNA fragment where the gene of interest is located.
2. The DNA fragment containing the gene of interest is obtained from a donor cell and introduced into a host or recipient cell. Bacteria or yeast cells are commonly used as hosts because they are easy to grow and divide very quickly.
3. The host cell now contains recombinant DNA.
4. This transgenic bacterium will divide, making successive copies of its genome and, consequently, of the introduced DNA. This process is called gene cloning or DNA cloning.
5. The bacteria containing the gene of interest are grown in large fermenters under favorable conditions. They divide rapidly and secrete the desired protein (e.g., insulin) into the culture medium, from which it can be easily purified.