Download The genetic engineers toolkit

Vectors
Bacteria, viruses or liposomes into
which DNA can be inserted.
These can be used to grow genes,
harvest the proteins they code
for or deliver them into the
body.
They can use this to make
insulin and human growth
hormone etc.
Before they had to use animal
insulin or collect it from dead
bodies and it gave people
with diabetes side effects or
possible bad reactions
In vivo cloning
DNA probes
• DNA Probes are used to
identify where
individual genes are.
• Useful for gene
mapping
• Can tell people if they
have a gene for a
genetic disease
SNPs- single nucleotide polymerisation
• Identifying single base
pair variations in DNA.
• Can be used to screen
for diseases
• Create gene maps
A gene map
Gene Markers
• Gene Markers make it easier to identify
vectors that have taken up the
recombinant DNA.
• the common ones are CFP Green
fluorescent protein which is a gene found
in jellyfish which makes them glow
green.
• Antibiotic resistance.
Microarrays ( DNA chips)
these allow scientists to work out what
and how much genes are actively
being expressed in cells or tissues
Size:
Type:
• RNA is removed from the cells
• Reverse transcriptase is used to turn it in to single
stranded DNA.(cDNA) Each bit has a coloured tag
attached.
• A microarray containing different single stranded
DNA pieces (Probes)attached is prepared.
• They are mixed and the probes and cDNA base
pair. (Hybridisation)
• The colour indicates the level of gene activity
Gene knockdown and Gene knockout
Gene Knockout
A way of working
out the function of a
gene by creating a
non functioning one
in an organism so
you can see its
effects.
Gene knockdown
A way of making the
mRNA non
functional
DNA sequencing (sanger method)
Finding out the
base pair order of
a piece of DNA.
It relies on
creating DNA
strands that finish
at every base pair
then separating
them by
electrophoresis.
• A primer is added to a single DNA strand.
• Polymerase is added and copies a new
complement strand.
• The free nucleotides used contain 1% altered
bases which do not allow the strand to
continue.
• After electrophoresis the order can be
established
• DNA sequencing takes a long time.