Biotechnology

Free Response

Describe the process of Southern blotting.

Hint:

Southern blotting is the transfer of DNA that has been enzymatically cut into fragments and run on an agarose gel onto a nylon membrane. The DNA fragments that are on the nylon membrane can be denatured to make them single-stranded, and then probed with small DNA fragments that are radioactively or fluorescently labeled, to detect the presence of specific sequences. An example of the use of Southern blotting would be in analyzing the presence, absence, or variation of a disease gene in genomic DNA from a group of patients.

A researcher wants to study cancer cells from a patient with breast cancer. Is cloning the cancer cells an option?

Hint:

Cellular cloning of the breast cancer cells will establish a cell line, which can be used for further analysis

How would a scientist introduce a gene for herbicide resistance into a plant?

Hint:

By identifying an herbicide resistance gene and cloning it into a plant expression vector system, like the Ti plasmid system from Agrobacterium tumefaciens. The scientist would then introduce it into the plant cells by transformation, and select cells that have taken up and integrated the herbicide-resistance gene into the genome.

If you had a chance to get your genome sequenced, what are some questions you might be able to have answered about yourself?

Hint:

What diseases am I prone to and what precautions should I take? Am I a carrier for any disease-causing genes that may be passed on to children?