GENETIC

ENGINEERING
Report by: Jess Palo

Genetic Engineering

Any process by which genetic material is

changed in such a way as to make possible
of the production of new substances or new
functions.

Chemical Structure of
Genes

Prior 1950s
Term gene was used to stand for the unit by
which some genetic characteristics passed to
generation.

1953
Englishc chemist Francis Crick & American
biologist James Watson created the DNA structure

Chemical Structure of
Genes

DNA
Are very long chains/units made up of a
combination of simple sugar and
phosphate group.
Attached to this chains are the nitrogen base ( A, T, C, G)
CHONP

Chemical Structure of Genes

Each DNA has a pattern

CODONS (amino acids)

Arranged into
particular
sequence
protein

Gene Splicing

Is the process in which fragments of DNA from

one or more different microorganism are
combined to form rDNA (recombinant DNA) and
are made to function within the cell of a host
organism.

2 highly significant techniques:

Gene transfer
transferring the gene from one source to another subject.

Gene therapy
Correcting defective gene that are responsible for disease
development.

Gene Splicing

Gene Splicing

Plasmid - A circular form of DNA often used as a vector in

genetic engineering.
Vector an organism/ chemical that is used to transport a
gene to the host cell.
Host cell the cell into where the new gene is transplanted

Enzymes used:

Endonucleases enzymes that cut DNA molecule at some given

location
Exonucleases enzyme that removes one nitrogen base unit at
a time
Ligases enzyme that join two DNA segments together

Gene Transfer
Although the concept of gene transfer is relatively
simple, its execution presents considerable technical
obstacles.

American biochemist Paul Berg (1926-), often referred to as the

father of genetic engineering.

He developed a method for joining the DNA from two different

organisms, a monkey virus known asSV40and a virus calledlambda
phage.

the American biochemists Stanley Cohen (1922-) at Stanford

University, and Herbert Boyer (1936-) at the University of
California and San Francisco,discovered an enzyme that greatly
increased the efficiency of the Berg procedure.

Gene Transfer

INSULIN
Produced by Genetech, first genetic engineering
company, founded by Robert Swanson and
Herbert Boyer.
Obtains a copy of insulin gene (can be from natural
source or manufactured)
Inserting the insulin gene into the vector (using the
gene splicing process)
The hybrid plasmid can now be inserted to the host
cell. ( this is the manufactured insulin that is injected
to diabetic patients)

Other rDNA products

Human growth hormone

For children whose growth is insufficient bc of genetic
problems

Interleukin-2
For treatment of cancer

Factor VIII
Needed by hemophiliacs for blood clotting

Erythropoietin
For treatment of anemia

Tumor necrosis factor

For treatment of tumors

Tissue plasminogen activator

Use to dissolve blood clots

Gene Therapy

4 approaches
A normal gene inserted to compensate for the
defective gene.
Abnormal gene replaced with a normal one
Abnormal gene repaired through selective reverse
mutation
Change the regulation of gene pairs.

Gene Therapy

Gene Therapy
A vector delivers the therapeutic gene into a
patients target cell
The target cells become infected with the viral
vector
The vectors genetic material is inserted into the
target cell
Functional proteins are created from the
therapeutic gene causing the cell to return to a
normal state.

Gene Therapy

The first gene therapy was performed on

September 14th 1990
Ashanti DeSilva was treated for SCID
Doctors removed her white blood cells, inserted
the missing gene into the WBC and then put them
back into her blood stream
It strengthened her immune system, but it only
worked for a few months

Advantages
Genetic Engineering could increase genetic
diversity, and produce more variant alleles which
could also be crossed over and implanted into
other species
Another of genetic engineering is that diseases
could be prevented by detecting people that are
genetically prone to certain hereditary diseases,
and preparing for the inevitable. As well as
preventing disease, with genetic engineering
infectious diseases can be treated by implanting
genes that code for antiviral proteins specific to
each antigen

Advantages
Animals and plants can be 'tailor made' to show
desirable characteristics. Genes could also be
manipulated in trees for example, to absorb more
CO2 and reduce the threat of global warming.

Disadvantages
Nature is an extremely complex inter-related
chain consisting of many species linked in the
food chain. Some scientists believe that
introducing genetically modified genes may have
an irreversible effect with consequences yet
unknown.
Genetic engineering borderlines on many moral
issues, particularly involving religion, which
questions whether man has the right to
manipulate the laws and course of nature.

Thanks
for
Listening