Recombinant DNA Technology Improves Life

“What is now proved was once only imagined.” –William Blake

Introduction

In these difficult times around us, It’s wonderful to think of how humans have achieved so many things that were once unfathomable. Sure the human species have certainly been the creators of destructive things but one cannot ignore the fact that we, humans, have also found ways of ethical manipulation of our surroundings to produce something that would help the humankind immensely! One such thing is the infamous recombinant DNA technology aka rDNA technology.

Now one may ask what this so-called technology is all about. Well, to put in simple terms, Recombinant DNA technology is the joining together of DNA molecules from two different species. The recombinant/recombined DNA molecule is inserted into a host organism to produce new genetic combinations that are of value to science, medicine, agriculture, and industry (Griffiths). The principle is very simple and easy to understand but the processes that are involved to achieve the desired end product is not so simple. The technology for propagating and expressing recombinant genes was invented by Stanley Cohen and Herbert Boyer in 1973. It enabled the transformation of bacterial cells into living factories for the directed manufacture of select proteins. The technology was immediately recognized as a tool without parallel in genetics research, and was soon applied to practical ends in a wide variety of fields including medicine, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, chemicals, and energy. It has since transformed the world in which we live. The ability to manipulate the creation of DNA with technology has proven to be useful in various applications. Today, this particular technology has a plethora of applications ranging from food industry, pharmaceutical industry, medical research, agricultural industry, etc (Smith). The products include vaccines, proteins(enzymes, etc.) and protein therapies such as human insulin, interferon and human growth hormone. It is also used to produce clotting factors for treating haemophilia and in the development of gene therapy (“Recombinant DNA”).

Methodology:

1. The first step in rDNA technology is to isolate the desired DNA in its pure form i.e. free from other macromolecules.
2. Some enzymes called “restriction enzymes” act as molecular scissors that cut DNA at specific locations. These reactions are called ‘restriction enzyme digestions’.
3. These DNA strands are then amplified using PCR. PCR aka Polymerase chain reaction is a method of making multiple copies of a DNA sequence using the enzyme — DNA polymerase in vitro. It helps to amplify a single copy or a few copies of DNA into thousands to millions of copies.
4. The purified DNA and the vector of interest are cut with the same restriction enzyme that we used to cut the DNA. The process of joining these two pieces together using the enzyme ‘DNA ligase’ is ‘ligation’. These two pieces are DNA and another segment of DNA that act as a vector.
5. The recombinant DNA is then introduced into a recipient host cell mostly, a bacterial cell. This process is ‘Transformation’.
6. The transformation process generates a mixed population of transformed and non-trans- formed host cells. (Aryal)

Challenges and future scope:

Just like many other innovations and creations, rDNA wasn’t able to escape its fair share of criticisms. An often voiced criticism of the early recombinant DNA discussions was the failure to consider the ethical and legal implications of genetic engineering of plants, animals, and humans. Today, however, concern is focusing on ethical, legal, and environmental issues raised by the rapid pace of genetic advances and the increasing use of genetically modified animals and plants. Discussion of these issues is confounded by the clash of some religious and philosophical beliefs with scientific goals and practical opportunities (Berg and Singer 3). All these controversies aside, one cannot deny the fact that rDNA technology has been a successful and an advantageous discovery and improves our quality of life immensely. This little piece of ‘tech’ is a testament to how mankind can manipulate and exploit the surrounding natural resources to its own advantage. But is this manipulation and exploitation going to cause harm to us or harm to any other living being in the surroundings? Well, that is highly debatable and can be answered only with time!