Lecture 7:

Tools in Genetic Engineering

• Genetic
engineering:
modification of the
characteristics of an
organism by manipulating its
genetic material.
• i.e. DNA

• This organisms are called

Genetically Modified transgenic organism; since genes are
transferred from one organism to another.
Organism (GMO)
 Flavr Savr

• Inhibits synthesis of
Polygalacturonase(P
G) enzyme that breaks
the pectin(tomato cell
wall)
Antisense Technology
 Glow in the dark animals
resistance to pests and to herbicides
Some genetic engineering techniques are as follows:
1. Artificial selection
A. selective breeding
B. hybridization
C. inbreeding

2. Cloning
3. Gene splicing/Recombinant DNA technology
4. Gel electrophoresis: analyzing DNA
1. Artificial selection: breeders choose which organism to
mate to produce offspring with desired traits.

CONS: They cannot control what genes are passed.

Three types of artificial selection:

A. selective breeding
B. hybridization
C. inbreeding
A. Selective breeding: when animals with desired characteristics
are mated to produce offspring with those desired traits.
• Example: Champion race horses, cows with tender meat, large
juicy oranges on a tree.
• Dachshund were once bred to hunt badgers and other burrowing
animals.
• They must be small to fit into the animals hole in the ground.
• Examples of
selective
breeding:

• Angus cows are bred to increase

muscle mass so that we get more
meat,

• Egg-Laying Hen-produces more

eggs than the average hen
• B. Hybridizations: two individuals with unlike
characteristics are crossed to produce the best in both
organisms.
• Example: Burbank potato.
• Crossing a disease resistant plant with one that had a
large food producing capacity.
Other Examples of hybridization:
1. Liger: lion and tiger mix
2. Grape + apple= grapple. The fruit tastes
like grapes and looks like apple.
C. Inbreeding breeding of organism that genetically similar to
maintain desired traits.
• Risk: since both have the same genes, the chance that a baby will
get a genetic disorder is high.

Inbreeding decreases variations.

 2. Cloning:

creating an organism that is an exact

genetic copy of another.

• i.e. identical twins

• Clone: group of cells or organisms
that are genetically identical as a result
of asexual reproduction
• They will have the same exact DNA
as the parent.
What is gene splicing/DNA recombinant
technology?( 2 pts)
 Dolly:
• Dolly was the first
mammal cloned.
• She had the same exact
DNA as her mother and
had no father.
• Cloning is a form of
asexual reproduction.
• Only one genetic parent.
• Egg cells are haploid
• Haploid: half the
chromosomes, 23 in humans

• Body cells are diploid:

• Diploid: two sets of
chromosomes, one from
mom and one set from dad
46 in humans.
How could you clone a human?
How could you clone a
human?
• Step 1: An egg is removed
from a female human
• Eggs are haploid: 23 23
chromosomes.
EGG CELL
• The nucleus of the egg is
removed and is thrown
away.
• Step 2: A body cell is
removed from another
person.
• The nucleus of the body
cell is removed
• Body cells are diploid: 46 46
chromosomes.
Body Cell
• Step 3:
• The nucleus of the diploid body cell
is put into the egg.
• This egg no longer needs to be
fertilized since it has all 46
chromosomes.

46

EGG CELL
• Step 4: The egg is then charged with
electricity to start mitosis.

• Step 5: Its then put into a surrogate

mother so it can grow.

• Its going to be genetically identical to the

parent of the body cell.
• But it will be a baby.

• Plants and animals can be cloned.

Benefits of cloning:
1. Make exact copies of
organisms with strong
traits.
2. Increase food supply
3. Medical purposes: clone Saber Tooth Tiger extinct

organs for transplants.

4. Bring back or Stop species
from going extinct.
Risks of cloning:
1. Decreases genetic
diversity
2. If one of your clones
gets a disease, they all get
it: same immune system.
3. Inefficient: high failure
rate: 90%+
4. Expensive
• Does cloning create organisms with
recombinant DNA? Why? (2 pts)
Difference between inbreeding and
hybridizations. (2pts)
What tool of genetic engineering
was used to produce this? (2 pts)
How could you clone a human?
(5 pts)
3. Gene splicing:

Also called
Recombinant
DNA technolog
DNA is cut out of
one organism and
put into another
organism
Benefits:
• Insulin is cheaper
• There are no side
effects because it is
human insulin.
• We once used pig
insulin but there are
side effects and it
more expensive.
How are genes cut for gene splicing?
• A bacterial plasmid is used.

• Plasmid: circular DNA in a bacteria cell.

• It is very simple and easy to manipulate.
• A restriction enzyme: enzyme that cuts the DNA at a
specific code.
• There are thousands of restriction enzymes.
• Each cuts DNA at a different sequence.

DNA Code:

• TTATGGCCATACGGCCTT
• AATACCGGTATGCCGGAA
1. Transgenic (GMO) animals: genes inserted into animals so
they produce what humans need.
• Why?: A way to improve the food supply:
A. Transgenic cows: gene inserted to increase milk production.
B. Spider goat: gene from spider inserted into
goat.
• Goats makes silk of the spider web in their
milk.
• Flexible, stronger than steel. Used in bullet
proof jackets.
C. Glow-in-the-dark
cats
• Scientist used a virus
to insert DNA from
jellyfish
• The gene made the cat
produce a fluorescent
protein in its fur.
2. Transgenic bacteria: gene inserted into
bacteria so they produce things humans need.
• For example: insulin and clotting factors in
blood are now made by bacteria.
3. Transgenic plants: plants are given genes so they meet human
needs.

A. Transgenic corn: given a gene so corn produces a natural

pesticide.
Now they don’t have to be sprayed with cancer causing pesticides.
• 25% of all corn is like this.
B. Venomous cabbage
• gene from a scorpion tails inserted into cabbage.
• Cabbage now produces that chemical.
• Why? Limit pesticide use while still preventing
insects from damaging crops.
• Corporations state the toxin is modified so it
isn’t harmful to humans.
• A virus is often used to deliver DNA.
• In the movie “I Am Legend,” A healthy gene was inserted
into a virus.
• The virus invaded the cancer cells and inserts the healthy
gene to cure cancer.
• Worked at first but the virus mutated and became deadly.
• This is being attempted in real life.
4. Gel electrophoresis: a technique used to
compare DNA from two or more
organisms.

Why compare DNA:

1. Find your baby’s daddy
2. Who committed a crime.
3. How closely species are related.
How is electrophoresis
done?
A. The DNA is cut into
fragments with a
restriction enzyme.
B. The cut DNA is then
put into the wells of a
machine filled with gel.
• The gel is spongy and the
DNA squeezes through
the pores.
C. The machine is plugged in and the fragments get separated based on
their size.
• The smaller fragments move further than the large.
 Separation of DNA based on
size of fragments.

• Electrophoresis results

Final result of electrophoresis

• Electricity provides the energy

• Why does DNA move?

• DNA has a negative charge.

• When the machine is plugged it, its moves towards the

positive pole created by the electricity
electrophoresis
Enzyme that cuts the DNA at a specific code.
(2 pts)
 What is the genetic engineering technique
used to produce the following? (2 pts)
a) Gene Splicing
b) Gel Electrophoresis • Show the genetic relationship
c) Cloning of species
d) Artificial Selection
 What is the genetic engineering technique
used to produce the following? (2 pts)
a) Gene Splicing
Flavr Savr
b) Gel Electrophoresis
c) Cloning
d) Artificial Selection
 What is the genetic engineering technique
used to produce the following? (2 pts)
a) Gene Splicing
b) Gel Electrophoresis
c) Cloning
d) Artificial Selection
 What is the genetic engineering technique
used to produce the following? (2 pts)
a) Gene Splicing
b) Gel Electrophoresis • Purebred dog
c) Cloning
d) Artificial Selection