MIC 210

BASIC MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

BY SITI NORAZURA JAMAL (MISS AZURA)

03 006/ 06- 4832132 norazura6775@ns.uitm.edu.my

Lecture 1

Introduction to

recombinant DNA

technology

Outline

• Biological molecules 1. DNA, RNA, protein - Structure, function,

interactions

Applications

1. Gene cloning

2. DNA hybridization

3. DNA amplification

4. DNA sequencing

Molecular Biology

• And Biotechnology is the way to • Non-polluting and renewable energy sources

• Bio-based fuel eg. ethanol and palm diesel

• Cheaper, nutritious and abundant food

• Genetically-modified crops

• Cures for cancer, miracle drugs

• Cloning/ organ regeneration

• Better and cheaper materials

• bioplastics, natural fibres

• A cleaner and more sustainable environment

• Bioremediation of toxic waste

• is the foundation of modern biotechnology

•Let’s take an example

• Diabetes and Insulin

• Diabetes • is a disease where the body cannot produce insulin

• Insulin is the hormone that controls the level of sugar in your blood

• Produced by the Islets of Langerhens cells in the pancreas

• There is no cure yet

• Patients have to receive daily injections of exogenous insulin

• Usually insulin extracted from animals • Expensive, immunological problems, halal?

•Insulin

• Is a protein

• Has to be injected – acid labile

• Supply is limited

• Life time dependency

The biotechnology solutions

• Recombinant insulin from bacteria • using bacteria to make insulin

• Oral / inhalable insulin • No need to inject

• Gene therapy • Can we repair defective Islet cells?

• Organ regeneration • Can we make a new pancreas?

Insulin Protein

Gene

Production of insulin in bacteria

Genetic engineering = Recombinant DNA =

•The technology to cut and paste DNA from different sources

•eg. combining DNA from human and bacteria