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Recombinant DNA Technology

Recombinant DNA technology is a type of procedure that is used to cut the DNA of a donor organism into several pieces with the use of restriction enzymes. One of the fragments of DNA is then inserted into the DNA of the host. Quite commonly a bacterial or virus plasmid is employed in inserting the donor DNA. A plasmid is a circular DNA fragment that can be opened using the same restriction enzymes as the DNA fragment of the donor. A plasmid that contains the DNA from the donor is referred to as a vector. This recombinant vector can then be used transform or change bacterial or virus cells. These bacterial cells are then played and colonies are grown from it. This process is done in order to produce the specific protein that is coded for the gene. By cultivating large amounts of the genetically engineered bacteria it becomes possible to produce and harvests large quantities of the particular protein.

The technique used for recombinant DNA was first discovered by Stanley Cohen and Herbert Boyer in 1973, specifically in their November 1973 publication of “Construction of Biologically Functional Bacterial Plasmids in vitro”. Recombinant DNA technology has been made possible with the discovery of restriction endonucleases.

Web Resources On Recombinant DNA Technology

Recombinant DNA and Gene Cloning
What is gene technology?

Book Resources On Recombinant DNA Technology

Enzymology Primer for Recombinant DNA Technology by Hyone-Myong Eun
Recombinant DNA Technology by Guyden et al.

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