Recombinant DNA Technology; an Effective Way of Producing Proteins

 

Recombinant DNA Technology is a method of genetically engineering an organism or its product by introducing and integrating genetic material from other species into the genome of an existing one. This alteration can be made to enhance an existing trait or produce a new one. It also can be used for the development of novel proteins or therapeutic compounds.

Recombinant genes are produced by the use of different laboratory techniques to put a small fragment of DNA into a cell or an organism, such as a bacteria, yeast, or fungus, where it will copy itself along with its own DNA. This allows scientists to study the structure, function, and expression of genes, as well as explore many questions related to the biology of a living organism.

Recombinant DNA Technology method has been extremely effective in producing important proteins, including insulin and growth hormone, for treating diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and hereditary disorders. It also has been used to introduce genes that make crops resistant to weeds and insects, which reduces the cost of pesticides by farmers and improves agricultural yields.

Several steps are involved in the recombinant DNA technology process, and each step has a specific purpose. First, the DNA of interest is isolated and then it is modified using enzymatic cleavage with restriction enzymes to obtain the desired DNA fragments. These fragments are then joined together using ligase activity to produce the desired gene.

The genetic material is then inserted into the vector which is a small replicating molecule that carries the desired DNA. There are different types of vectors used in recombinant DNA technology, such as plasmids, bacteriophages, and viruses.

Plasmids are the most common vectors in recombinant DNA technology. They contain an origin of replication, a selectable marker and cloning sites. The restriction enzymes will recognize these cloning sites and the recombinant DNAs are then inserted into them.

Bacteria and yeast are also commonly used in recombinant DNA technology. These organisms have simple genetic machinery, and thus are very suitable to carry out the recombinant DNA technology process. These organisms can be engineered to produce a particular protein, such as insulin, or a gene that produces an immune system response. They are also useful for creating microbial strains that can be used as factories to produce recombinant drugs.

Plants are also commonly used in recombinant genetic technology. They can be genetically engineered to produce certain proteins, such as insect-killing toxins that disrupt the gut function of insect larvae that are the main food source of crop pests. Recently in March 2022, VBI Vaccines Inc. introduced PreHevbrio, a recombinant vaccines for Hepatitis B, in the U.S. to prevent infection in adults.