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Applications of Recombinant DNA Technology
- Molecular Analysis of Diseases
- DNA research has helped in understanding the molecular basis of diseases like sickle cell anaemia, thalassemias, etc.
- Production of Proteins in Abundance
- Using recombinant DNA technique several proteins have been produced in abundance for curing the diseases.
- These are insulin, growth hormone, interferons, vaccines, erythroprotein and blood clotting factors.
- Laboratory Diagnostic Application
- rDNA technology makes the diagnosis of many diseases (e.g. , AIDS) simple and quick.
- Gene Therapy
- The genetic diseases like sickle cell anaemia can be cured through gene therapy.
- Prenatal Diagnosis of Diseases
- DNA collected from the amniotic fluid surround ing the foetus can be used for predicting the genetic diseases.
- Application to Forensic Medicine
- rDNA tecnology has greatly helped to identify criminals by DNA fingerprinting and settle the disputes of parenthood of children
- Agricultural Application
- rDNA technology is used for developing transgenic plants which resist drought and diseases and increase their productivity.
- It improves quality of food
- Industrial Application
- Enzymes synthesized by rDNA technology are used to produce sugars , cheese and detergents
- Application to Animals
- used for developing test tube babies to overcome infertility and production of transgenic animals
- Evolution
- rDNA technique is of great use in joining several missing links in the evolution
- This is done by amplifying the DNA of extinct animals.
Biosafety Issues
- Measures taken to prevent any risk to plants, animals and microbes from transgenic organisms is known as biosafety.
- It was feared that genetically engineered microorganisms ( GEMS ) may disturb the ecosystem and its processes, in which they might be released.
- They may rapidly multiply and outcompete the native microbes.
- They may also transfer genes related to virulence or pathogenesis into bacterial population and, thereby increase their virulence.
- Similarly, genetically modified plants could pose biological and ecological risk.
- Discussions on possible hazard of cloning recombinant DNA molecules began in the early 1970s.
- The main concerns were examined by a committee of National Academy of Sciences ( USA ) in 1974.
- The National Institute of Health ( NIH ), USA established the Recombinant Advisory Committee ( RAC ) in 1974.
- In February 1975, a historic international meeting was convened at Asilomar, California.
- The first NIH guidelines were prepared in 1975, they were more strict than the recom mendations of the Asilomar Conference by 1981 ; most cloning experiments in E. coli , K - 12 . certain strains of Bacillus subtilis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae were considered exempt from other requirements of NIH guidelines.
- A major revision of the guidelines was done in 1982 ; containment levels were lowered and experiments that were previously prohibited were changed and approved by NIH .
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