Technologies Using Recombinant DNA: A Brief Message

Recombinant DNA (rDNA) is DNA that has been created using genetic recombination techniques used in laboratories (like molecular cloning) to combine genetic material from various sources, resulting in sequences that would not typically be seen in biological creatures. DNA molecules from all creatures share the same molecular structure, making recombinant DNA conceivable. They have the same general structure; the only difference is in the nucleotide sequence. The manufacture of both live and killed vaccines with increased responsiveness and excellent specificity is made possible with the use of rDNA technology. The use of recombinant DNA technology allows researchers to pinpoint the specific viral or microbial pathogen protein that, by itself, can trigger the development of antibodies with the ability to reduce infectiousness and so potentially defend the host against the disease. Such proteins are helpful for locating the gene that codes for the protein.

A combination of biology and technology is known as biotechnology. Due to the subject’s multidisciplinary nature, size, and extreme diversity, it is challenging to define precisely.

In essence, it is the regulated application of biological elements, such as cellular parts or microbes, for the benefit of humans. Using biochemistry, microbiology, and engineering sciences together allows for the greatest possible usage of microorganisms and cultivated tissues/cells. Man has persisted in trying to enhance microbes’ inherent powers, give them the ability to carry out innovative activities, and construct them for very useful purposes, such as the welfare of humans. Although the phenomenon of fermentation was not fully understood, people used microorganisms in the past to produce cheese, brew alcohol, and make bread. The range of biotechnological applications is now more advanced. Transgenic (plants/animals) can be created by manipulating living creatures and transferring genetic material. The majority of modern biotechnology uses are found in the fields of agriculture and medicine. New and better foods can be produced thanks to modern technology. Recent technological advancements have enabled the development of insect-resistant crops. It has led to the creation of improved antibiotics, and vaccinations for numerous illnesses like cancer, AIDS, hereditary diseases like Huntington’s chorea, etc. in the realm of medicine. Moreover, biotechnology is used in the fields of mining, energy production, and pollution management (biofuel production). Toxic waste from industrial effluents and oil spills is cleaned up using genetically modified plants and microorganisms. 

The invention of recombinant DNA technology or genetic engineering altered the amazing advancement and tremendous understanding of biological processes at both the molecular and cellular level during the previous two decades. This branch of research is largely related to contemporary biotechnology, which is the use of living things to create better and more valuable goods for human consumption.

Peter Lobban, a graduate student of Prof. Dale Kaiser of the Biochemistry Department at Stanford University Medical School, came up with the concept of recombinant DNA first. The first reports demonstrating the effective synthesis and intracellular replication of recombinant DNA appeared in 1972 and 1973. Stanley N. Cohen and Herbert W. Boyer were listed as the inventors on a US patent application for recombinant DNA submitted by Stanford University in 1974. This patent was granted in 1980. Human insulin was created by Genentech and licensed by Eli Lilly and Company as the first recombinant DNA-based medication. Recombinant DNA (rDNA) is DNA that has been created using genetic recombination techniques used in laboratories (like molecular cloning) to combine genetic material from various sources, resulting in sequences that would not typically be seen in biological creatures. Because all DNA molecules have the same chemical structure, recombinant DNA is conceivable. 

The use of recombinant DNA

In gene therapy, vectors
A virus that has been created utilizing recombinant DNA technology is known as a recombinant virus. This could be used to create vectors for gene therapy or viral vaccinations.

Viruses
All viruses attach to their hosts and, as part of their replication cycle, insert their genetic material into the host cell. Consequently, eliminating the viral DNA and employing the virus as a delivery system for the therapeutic DNA has been acknowledged as a feasible technique for gene therapy. Several viruses, including retrovirus, adenovirus, lentivirus, herpes simplex virus, vaccinia virus, pox virus, and adeno-associated virus, have been utilized in human gene therapy.

Gene Therapy
It has significant effects on the treatment of cancer, perhaps AIDS, and hereditary and acquired disorders. It is divided into two categories:

Germline gene therapy
By inserting functional genes, sperm or eggs can be altered. As a result, the modification is heritable and will be transmitted to succeeding generations. Although this option is not currently being evaluated for use in treating genetic problems in humans due to a variety of ethical concerns, it is theoretically very effective in doing so.

Somatic gene therapy
The gene is solely inserted in somatic cells; it is not passed down through the germline. The following two categories further divide somatic gene therapy: The transformed cell has both the defective and the normal (introduced) copies of the gene in the first case where the functional gene is injected in addition to the defective gene endogenously. The term for this is augmentation therapy. The second method is targeted gene transfer, which replaces an endogenous gene with a functional gene inserted by homologous recombination.

Recombinant Antibodies
A major advance in antibody technology has been made in the fields of functional antibody expression in bacteria and methods for choosing genes from a library based on the phenotype of the encoded polypeptide. To choose E. coli host cells that produce desired antibody fragments, phage display in conjunction with antibody gene libraries is frequently utilized in modern times. Such gene libraries are often created by genetic engineering or from natural sources, such as the spleen of an immunized animal or plasma cells from human donors. By using cassette mutagenesis or other comparable techniques, the latter has been utilized to construct naive libraries based on one or more antibody VH and VL gene segments. These databases are frequently impartial and can be applied to any antigen.