Genetic engineering
hideGenetic engineering, recombinant DNA technology, genetic modification/manipulation (GM) and gene splicing are terms that apply to the direct manipulation of an organism's genes. Genetic engineering is different from traditional breeding, where the organism's genes are manipulated indirectly. Genetic engineering uses the techniques of molecular cloning and transformation to alter the structure and characteristics of genes directly. Genetic engineering techniques have found some successes in numerous applications. Some examples are in improving crop technology, the manufacture of synthetic human insulin through the use of modified bacteria, the manufacture of erythropoietin in hamster ovary cells, and the production of new types of experimental mice such as the oncomouse (cancer mouse) for research.
The term "genetic engineering" was coined in Jack Williamson's science fiction novel Dragon's Island, published in 1951, two years before James Watson and Francis Crick showed that DNA could be the medium of transmission of genetic information.
For more information about Genetic engineering, read the full article at
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News tagged with genetic engineering
Tiny injector to speed development of new, safer, cheaper drugs
Chemistry / Analytical Chemistry
Nov 04, 2009 |
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It's no bigger than a stamp packet but it has the potential to allow rapid development of a new generation of drugs and genetic engineering organisms, and to better control in-vitro fertilization.
Researchers prolong the half-life of biopharmaceutical proteins
Sep 18, 2009 |
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Many biopharmaceuticals comprise small proteins that are quickly eliminated from the body. Scientists at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen (Germany) combine such small proteins with a kind of molecular ...
Would Pain-Free Animals Make a More Humane Hamburger?
Sep 03, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- With advancements in genetic engineering, researchers say that it may soon be possible to breed farm animals that don't feel pain. The suggestion has sparked controversy on whether denying ...
Genetically engineered bacteria are sweet success against IBD
Aug 20, 2009 |
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For the first time, scientists have used a genetically engineered "friendly" bacterium to deliver a therapy.
Researchers rapidly turn bacteria into biotech factories
Jul 26, 2009 |
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High-throughput sequencing has turned biologists into voracious genome readers, enabling them to scan millions of DNA letters, or bases, per hour. When revising a genome, however, they struggle, suffering from serious writer's ...
Virus-resistant grapevines
Jul 02, 2009 |
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Viruses can cost winegrowers an entire harvest. If they infest the grapevines, even pesticides are often no use. What's more, these chemicals are harmful to the environment. Researchers are growing plants ...
ACLU -- Myriad Genetics lawsuit will become landmark case
May 14, 2009 |
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The American Civil Liberties Union action in filing a lawsuit yesterday against Myriad Genetics is going to lead to one of the most important legal battles in the history of biotechnology, asserts Genetic Engineering & Bi ...
New tag could enable more detailed structural studies of mammalian proteins
May 07, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- To say our genes are resourceful is a gross understatement. Through ingenious combinations of a paltry 20 amino acids, the basic building blocks of life, genes engineer all of the tissues and organs that ...
GEN highlights emerging biotechnology clusters
May 05, 2009 |
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Although Boston, San Francisco, San Diego, and Cambridge (U.K.) are always near the top of most biotechnology cluster lists, other areas around the world are starting to pop up on the life science radar screen, reports Genetic ...
Corn, soy yields gain little from genetic engineering: study
Apr 14, 2009 |
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The use of genetically engineered corn and soybeans in the United States for more than a decade has had little impact on crop yields despite claims that they could ease looming food shortages, a study released ...
Using Superheroes to Teach Physics: College Courses in Sci-Fi
Mar 31, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- One of the more perplexing questions facing science these days is this one: How do we get more young people interested in science? Leading the way are a number of college courses -- that can ...
Stem cell breakthrough: Monitoring the on switch that turns stem cells into muscle
Mar 30, 2009 |
4.6 / 5 (5) |
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In a genetic engineering breakthrough that could help everyone from bed-ridden patients to elite athletes, a team of American researchers—including 2007 Nobel Prize winner Mario R. Capecchi—have created a "switch" that allows ...
Chemists engineer plants to produce new compounds
Jan 19, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- In work that could expand the frontiers of genetic engineering, MIT chemists have, for the first time, genetically altered a plant to produce entirely new compounds, some of which could be ...
