Discovery of the DNA structure
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VegLVn_1oCE
DNA Structure and Function
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLGGid17Wno
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Monday, October 28, 2013
Microbes Used in Biotech
Techniques
·
Microbes are tools used in many basic
biotechnology procedures. For example, when scientists want to clone or make
copies of genes, they will typically introduce the genes into lab strains of E.
coli. Likewise, if they wish to produce large amounts of an isolated protein
for analysis or medical treatment, they will introduce the gene for that
protein into bacteria. Some bacteria even serve as vectors for introducing a
gene of interest into plants. For example, when genetically engineering crops,
biotech scientists often use Agrobacterium tumefaciens to insert genes into the
plant cells' genomes. Viruses are simpler than bacteria but tremendously useful
as well. Scientists use viruses when they want to introduce a gene into an
animal cell. Moreover, viruses potentially offer a way to conduct gene therapy
or replace a defective copy of a patient's gene with a functional one.
Potential
·
Microbes are more than just handy tools for the
biotech industry. They also serve as platforms for better technology. The field
of red biotechnology seeks to develop new drugs to treat disease. Some of these
drugs are proteins that are produced by bacteria. The field of white
biotechnology seeks new sources for industrial materials. For example,
specially tailored microbes are used to help produce valuable chemicals. The
field of green biotechnology works to improve crops, sometimes by inserting
genes taken from microbes (as in the case of Bt cotton). Finally, black
biotechnology works to invent new sources of fuel--many of which involve
microbes. Specially designed bacteria or genetically altered algae, for
example, are possible sources of fuel that could help to replace oil in the
future.
Common Bacteria in Biotech
·
Escherichia coli (E. coli) is the best-known and
most useful microbe in the field of biotechnology. While many people connect
the name E. coli with food poisoning, it is important to remember that E. coli
is a normal inhabitant of the human intestine. Although certain strains of E.
coli are pathogenic and cause illness, most strains do not. Moreover, the
strains generally used in laboratories have already been altered or selected
for desirable characteristics. Another famous bacterium that is often used in
biotechnology is Agrobacterium tumefaciens--a bacterium that in nature causes a
disease called crown gall. The same attribute that makes this bacterium a
disease of plants--its ability to insert its genetic material into the cells of
its host plant--makes it useful to biotechnology researchers.
Common Algae and Viruses in Biotech
·
Although researchers in the field of black
biotechnology are working with many different strains of algae, Chlamydomonas
reinhardtii is perhaps the most popular algae in biotech and biology labs today.
Because it is relatively simple to culture, it is useful in a wide variety of
experiments. Popular viruses in biotechnology and biomedical research include
retroviruses like HIV, which incorporate their genetic material into their host
cells' genomes; adenoviruses, which cause respiratory tract infections but may
also be useful as gene therapy vectors; and phages (viruses that infect
bacteria), which are useful in a variety of molecular biology techniques.
Credits to the owner**
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)