Genetic Engineering

Genetic Engineering

Genetic engineering is a set of methods that make it possible to isolate individual genes from the DNA of one organism and insert them into the DNA of another organism. The goal of genetic engineering is to change the genetic code of living organisms with desired properties.

Basic methods of genetic engineering:

1. Restriction is the cutting of a DNA molecule using enzymes (restriction enzymes). Allows you to select the desired DNA fragment containing a gene.

2. Ligation is the joining of DNA fragments from different sources using the enzyme ligase.

3. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a method of repeatedly copying a specific DNA fragment.

4. Sequencing - determining the nucleotide sequence of a gene.

5. Cloning is the production of genetically identical copies of an organism containing the desired gene.

Genetic engineering is actively used in medicine to obtain drugs, in agriculture to create disease-resistant plants and animals, in industry for the production of biofuels and other purposes. However, there are ethical concerns about the possible unpredictable consequences of interfering with the genome of living organisms.