Industrial revolution through Genetic Engineering

 Genetic engineering:

Genetic engineering is also called gene manipulation, in this technique we can alter the genetic material of an organism with the desired traits, this technique may also used to treat inherited disorders in newborn babies. Not only this , this technology is very useful for the production of medicines on a large scale.

 

Basic tool:

One of the basic tools of genetic engineering is Recombinant DNA technology. In this technique , we isolate the piece of DNA ,splice and insert the genetic material.

Examples: 

• Human growth hormone
• Insulin

 

Genetically modified products:

Genetically modified products which are currently available in the market are:

• Vaccines
• Antivenoms
• Bacteria derived toxins
• Immunoglobulins
• Monoclonal antibodies
• Allergens
• Blood products and clotting factors
• Hormones such as insulin, growth hormone
• Enzymes
• Heparins

Method of Genetic Engineering:

In this technology, we first isolate a DNA fragment with the help of restriction enzyme, then incorporate this DNA into vector may be plasmid, viruses and yeast cells and then make multiple copies of desired gene. 

1. Isolation of DNA fragments
2. Insertion of isolated fragment into vector genome
3. Growth of recombinant vector

 

Recombinant DNA:

This is called recombinant in the sense because DNA obtained from two different organisms with  the help of restriction enzyme ( also called molecular scissors), then these two fragments joined with the help of ligase enzyme.

 

Complimentary DNA:

This cDNA obtained from mRNA with the help of reverse transcriptase & DNA polymerase enzymes.

 

Production of Human Growth Hormone on industrial scale:

HGH introduction:

HGH is a single polypeptide chain of 191 amino acids having two disulfide bonds, one between Cys-53 and Cys-165 forming large loop in the molecule and the other between Cys-182 and Cys-189 forming a small loop near C-terminus.

 

• Gene of HGH has been inserted into plasmid PBr 322 in E.coli by recombinant DNA technology.
• Hormone then purified from bacteria.
• This hormone is beneficial for the treatment of hypo pituitary dwarfism.
• Melatonin rich foods increases the HGH production by 157%.
• Raspberries helps in boosting of HGH hormone.

By: Ghazala Jawaid