ACTIVIT Y 1

Visit the Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man

Site (OMIM) @ https://www.omim.org
Type diabetes in the search box and then click
“Submit Search”. What did you find?
Try typing 114480 in the search box. What
happened this time? Alternatively, search for a
gene you might be interested in and see what
you can find in OMIM. If the results of your
OMIM search are too technical, visit the “Genes
and Disease” section of the NCBI site then
search for diabetes.
 ACTIVIT Y 2
Imagine that the following very short sequence
of nucleotides, GGATCCGGCCGGAATT CGTA,
represents one strand of an important gene
that was just mailed to you for your research
project. Before you can continue your research,
you must find out which REs, if any, cut this
piece of DNA.
Go to Webcutter site
(rna.lundberg.gu.se/cutter2/). Scroll down the
page until you see a textbox with the title”Paste
the DNA sequence into the box below”. Type the
sequence of your DNA piece into this box.
 ACTIVIT Y 2
Scroll down the page, leaving all parameters at
their default settings until you see “Please indicate
which enzymes to include in the analysis”. Click on
“Only the following enzymes” and then use the
drop-down-menu and select BamHI. Scroll to the
bottom of the page and click the “Analyze
sequence” button. What did you fin? Is your
sequence cut by BamHI? Analyze the sequence for
other cutting sites to answer the following
questions. Is this sequence cut by EcoRI? How
about SmaI? What happens if you do a search and
scan for cutting sites with all enzymes in the
database?
 ACTIVIT Y 3

Go to
www.biology.arizona.edu/molecular_bio/pro
blem_sets/Recombinant_DNA_Technology/r
ecombinant_dna.html.
Test your knowledge of recombinant DNA
technology by working on the questions at
this site.
 ACTIVIT Y 4

Visit www.
pearsonhighered.com/biotechnology.
Test your knowledge of recombinant DNA
technology by working on the questions at
this site.
 ALTERNATIVE SPLICING

a phenomenon by which a given gene can

produce more than one protein

www.google.com.ph
 DNA FINGERPRINTING
DNA Fingerprint – a unique array of DNA
sequences

short tandem repeats – are many copies of the

same 2- to 10-base pair sequences, positioned
one after the next along the length of a
chromosome
DNA FINGERPRINTING
 DNA FINGERPRINTING

reveals differences in the number of

tandem repeats among individuals

PCR is used to copy a region of

chromosome known to have tandem
repeats of 4 to 5 nucleotides

genetic differences between individuals

can be detected by gel electrophoresis
DNA FINGERPRINTING
PCR IN FORENSIC SCIENCE
PCR IN FORENSIC SCIENCE
 DNA FINGERPRINTING

 used to identify the remains of many individuals

who died in the WTC on Sep 11, 2001
 confirmed that human bones exhumed from a
shallow pit in Siberia belonged to five individuals
of the Russian imperial family
 to study population dispersal in humans and
animals
 short tandem repeats on the Y chromosome can be
used to determine genetic relationships among
male relatives and descendants
 trace individual’s ethnic heritage
 GENETIC ENGINEERING

a laboratory process by which deliberate

changes are introduced into an individual’s
genome

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)

- a gene maybe transferred to the genome of
another species (or even another genus) to
produce a transgenic organism
- or a gene may be altered and reinserted
into an individual of same species
GENETICALLY MODIFIED MICROORGANISM

most common are bacteria and yeast

e.g. E. coli have been modified to produce a

fluorescent protein from jellyfish

 to produce medically important proteins

 produce proteins used in food

manufacturing
 DESIGNER PLANTS

use of Ti plasmid as a vector to transfer

foreign or modified genes into plants

modified Agrobacterium tumefaciens are

used to deliver genes into soybeans,
squash and potatoes

by way of electric or chemical shocks, or by

blasting them with DNA-coated pellets
 DESIGNER PLANTS

modified plants that carry genes that

impart resistance to plant diseases
improved yields
use smaller amounts of toxic pesticides
(Bacillus thuringiensis)
drought-resistant and insect-resistant crops
(corn, beans, sugarcane, cassava, cowpeas,
banana, and wheat)
USDA APHIS – regulates the introduction of
GMOs into the environment
 DESIGNER PLANTS

 corn, sorghum, cotton, soy, canola, alfalfa

are glyphosate-resistant
transgenes can escape into the
environment

www.google.com.ph
 BIOTECH BARNYARDS

 Cross-breeding

 mice – first genetically modified animals

- discovered the function of many

human genes
- models of many human diseases
 make proteins that have medical and
industrial application
 BIOTECH BARNYARDS

 transgenic goats produce proteins used

to treat cystic fibrosis, heart attacks,
blood clotting and nerve gas exposure
 milk containing lysozyme may protect
infants and children from acute diarrheal
disease; spider silk genes for fashionable
fabrics, bulletproof vests, sports equipment
and biodegradable medical supplies
 heart-healthy milk
 BIOTECH BARNYARDS

 rabbits make human interleukin-2

 low-fat pigs, low-phosphate manure
 extra-large sheep
cows that are resistant to mad cow
disease
 KNOCKOUT CELLS AND ORGAN
FACTORIES

 pigs are potential source of organs for

transplantation

 Xenotransplantation – transferring an
organ from one species into another
 GENETICALLY MODIFIED HUMANS

 Gene therapy – is the transfer of

recombinant DNA into an individual’s
body cells, with the intent to correct a
genetic defect or treat a disease.

 Rhys Evans - born with severe immune

disorder (SCID-X1); affected gene is
IL2RG
 GENETICALLY MODIFIED HUMANS

 Getting Worse
- No one can predict where a virus-injected
gene will insert into chromosomes.
- if it interrupts a gene that is part of the
controls over cell division, then cancer
might be the outcome
 GENETICALLY MODIFIED HUMANS

 Getting Worse
- Jesse Gelsinger had a rare genetic
deficiency of a liver enzyme that helps the
body rid itself of ammonia
 GENETICALLY MODIFIED HUMANS

 Getting Perfect
Eugenics – the idea of selecting the most
desirable human traits

Would it be acceptable to engineer the

genome of an individual in order to modify
a particular trait?
 GENETICALLY MODIFIED HUMANS

 Getting Perfect
in US survey:
40% - it is fine to use gene therapy to
make smarter and cuter babies
in Britain poll:
18% - to keep a child from being
aggressive
10% - to keep a child from growing up to
be a homosexual
 SOCIAL AND ETHICAL ISSUES

 The concern is that gene therapy puts us on a slippery slope

that may result in irreversible damage to ourselves and to the
biosphere.

What do we stand to lose if serious risks are not taken?

Do we have the right to impose the consequences of taking

such risks on those who would choose not to take them?