Principles of Genetic Technology

2026 Syllabus Objectives

By the end of this topic, you should be able to:

  1. Define the term recombinant DNA
  2. Explain that genetic engineering is the deliberate manipulation of genetic material to modify specific characteristics of an organism and that this may involve transferring a gene into an organism so that the gene is expressed
  3. Explain that genes to be transferred into an organism may be: extracted from the DNA of a donor organism; synthesised from the mRNA of a donor organism; synthesised chemically from nucleotides
  4. Explain the roles of restriction endonucleases, DNA ligase, plasmids, DNA polymerase and reverse transcriptase in the transfer of a gene into an organism
  5. Explain why a promoter may have to be transferred into an organism as well as the desired gene
  6. Explain how gene expression may be confirmed by the use of marker genes coding for fluorescent products
  7. Explain that gene editing is a form of genetic engineering involving the insertion, deletion or replacement of DNA at specific sites in the genome
  8. Describe and explain the steps involved in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to clone and amplify DNA, including the role of Taq polymerase
  9. Describe and explain how gel electrophoresis is used to separate DNA fragments of different lengths
  10. Outline how microarrays are used in the analysis of genomes and in detecting mRNA in studies of gene expression
  11. Outline the benefits of using databases that provide information about nucleotide sequences of genes and genomes, and amino acid sequences of proteins and protein structures

1. What is Recombinant DNA and Genetic Engineering?

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Recombinant DNA

Recombinant DNA (rDNA) is DNA that has been formed by combining genetic material from two or more different sources. Think of it like mixing ingredients from different recipes to create something new.

For example, if we take a human insulin gene and insert it into a bacterial plasmid (a small circular piece of DNA found in bacteria), the resulting DNA molecule is recombinant DNA. It contains DNA from both a human and a bacterium joined together.

Genetic Engineering

Genetic engineering is the deliberate (intentional) manipulation of genetic material to modify specific characteristics of an organism. This process often involves transferring a gene from one organism into another organism so that the gene is expressed (switched on to make a protein).

The main goals of genetic engineering include:

  • Making organisms produce useful proteins (like human insulin in bacteria)
  • Giving organisms new characteristics (like making crops resistant to pests)
  • Treating genetic diseases

When a gene is transferred into an organism and becomes part of its DNA, that organism is called a transformed organism. The organism can then make the protein that the transferred gene codes for.

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