18 Facts About Recombinant DNA

Recombinant DNA molecules are DNA molecules formed by laboratory methods of genetic recombination (such as molecular cloning) that bring together genetic material from multiple sources, creating sequences that would not otherwise be found in the genome.

Recombinant DNA is the general name for a piece of DNA that has been created by combining at least two fragments from two different sources.

Recombinant DNA is possible because DNA molecules from all organisms share the same chemical structure, and differ only in the nucleotide sequence within that identical overall structure.

Recombinant DNA molecules are sometimes called chimeric DNA, because they can be made of material from two different species, like the mythical chimera.

R-Recombinant DNA technology uses palindromic sequences and leads to the production of sticky and blunt ends.

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Proteins that can result from the expression of recombinant DNA within living cells are termed recombinant proteins.

Formation of recombinant DNA requires a cloning vector, a DNA molecule that replicates within a living cell.

Vectors are generally derived from plasmids or viruses, and represent relatively small segments of DNA that contain necessary genetic signals for replication, as well as additional elements for convenience in inserting foreign DNA, identifying cells that contain recombinant DNA, and, where appropriate, expressing the foreign DNA.

The choice of vector for molecular cloning depends on the choice of host organism, the size of the Recombinant DNA to be cloned, and whether and how the foreign Recombinant DNA is to be expressed.

In some cases, recombinant DNA can have deleterious effects even if it is not expressed.

Recombinant DNA is widely used in biotechnology, medicine and research.

Today, recombinant proteins and other products that result from the use of DNA technology are found in essentially every western pharmacy, physician or veterinarian office, medical testing laboratory, and biological research laboratory.

Recombinant DNA is used to identify, map and sequence genes, and to determine their function.

Recombinant DNA proteins are widely used as reagents in laboratory experiments and to generate antibody probes for examining protein synthesis within cells and organisms.

Many additional practical applications of recombinant DNA are found in industry, food production, human and veterinary medicine, agriculture, and bioengineering.

Idea of recombinant DNA was first proposed by Peter Lobban, a graduate student of Prof.

The first licensed drug generated using recombinant DNA technology was human insulin, developed by Genentech and licensed by Eli Lilly and Company.

Scientists associated with the initial development of recombinant DNA methods recognized that the potential existed for organisms containing recombinant DNA to have undesirable or dangerous properties.