Making Recombinant Organisms

Alter genes of or add new genes to an organism to increase productivity, to expand metabolic repertoire, or to facilitate growth


* use endogenous genes - increase copy number, promoter manipulation or eradicate "problem genes"


* bolster endogenous metabolism - enhance secretion, folding chaperones, or precursor pools


* use exogenous genes
- from related species (e.g. change temperature optimum if use a hot spring bacterial source of gene)
- from unrelated species (adds new enzyme /metabolism)


1. Biotech Uses of Recombinant Organisms


* better production
- simply higher levels in normal tissue
- make animals into reactors, glands for continual production (milk, etc.)


* novel products - plant / virus vaccine (eat a recombinant potato instead of getting a shot)


* use altered metabolism to make new molecules
- "plastics" in plant
- new antibiotics in Streptomyces that cannot be degraded by pathogenic bacteria


* stimulate new symbiosis
- Rhyzobium bacteria / plant & N2 fixation (need less fertilizer)
- Bioremediation - bacterial communities that degrade pollutants to harmless compounds


* validate target molecules - various gene "knock-out" & "knock-in" techniques to alter organisms so that the animal/plant is a better model system of disease (genetically predisposed to disease) allowing the altered organisms to be used to test medicenes or theories.


2. Gene Delivery


* viral vectors


* Ti plasmid for plants


* bolistic: shoot DNA-coated particles with a "gun" into plants & fungus with tough cell walls


* chimeraplasty: precise genetic surgery


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