Reference no: EM132863387
Lecture title: Biotechnology
Part I
1. GUIDING QUESTION: DNA-based technologies have been applied now for decades in agriculture, among many other fields. In particular, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have played a prominent role. However, humans have been modifying the DNA of crops and livestock since the advent of the agricultural revolution approximate 10,000-12,000 years ago. Of course, the means by which humans accomplish altering the gene pool, and hence phenotypes, of crops and livestock differs significantly. Whereas DNA-based technologies directly alter DNA through well-established techniques of molecular biology, selective breeding (a.k.a. artificial selection) involves allowing the breeding of only those individuals with favored phenotypes, and hence genotypes, in a current generation in order to enact genetic change indirectly. Traditional methods of genotype-phenotype alterations have been extremely effective and can generate agricultural phenotypes wholly unlike those of the wild species from which they originated. An excellent example of just this type of effect of selective breeding can be found in the production of corn from teosinte. What is teosinte? Is it highly edible like corn? Name at least three primary differences between teosinte and corn in terms of plant and kernel structure.
2. The general chemical structure of the DNA molecule is _________________________.
3. Similar laboratory techniques can be used to isolate and analyze DNA from organisms as different as ____________________ to _________________.
4. ______________ DNA can be cut into smaller fragments with certain _____________ and then amplified, creating billions of copies.
5. During what decade, and in what kinds of organisms (or biological entities), did DNA technology begin?
6. People have been manipulating the genetic material of other organisms for ______________ of years. This is known as
_______________, or ________________.
7. New technologies have increased the _____________ and ______________ of genetic manipulation. These new technologies allow ______________ DNA alteration in ways that ____________________________________.
8. What is recombinant DNA? What is DNA cloning (= gene cloning)?
9. Discuss (briefly) the basic process of recombinant DNA production and DNA cloning in which bacterial plasmid DNA is used.
10. What is gene therapy?
11. How is recombinant DNA technology linked to the production of some pharmaceuticals?
12. How is Agrobacterium tumefasciens(a bacterium) linked to the creation of genetically modified crops?
13. What is a genetically modified organism (GMO)? Name at least three GMOs discussed in classroom lecture.
14. What is a DNA microarray, and how can this technology be used to improve human health?
15. What is personalized medicine?
16. What is DNA fingerprinting? How many genetic loci are typically involved in DNA fingerprinting analysis when used for forensic purposes? What are the probabilities of obtaining a perfect match, by chance alone, when doing forensic DNA fingerprinting analysis? Is DNA fingerprinting analysis used to convict, or exonerate, or both?
17. Name at least two additional human applications of DNA fingerprinting (beyond forensics).
18. Discuss (briefly) how DNA technology informs biological studies of the history of life on Earth, the common ancestry of life, and the genetic diversity of life.
19. Did Neandertal humans (Homo neandertalensis) coexist on Earth with our human species (Homo sapiens)? How long have Neandertals been extinct?
20. The genome of humans historically from certain areas of Europe contains small amounts of Neandertal DNA, indicating interbreeding with Homo sapiens.
21. GUIDING QUESTION: Applications of DNA technologies are truly staggering, including basic research in labs and field stations around the world each and every day, paternity testing, forensics, as well as a plethora of agricultural innovations. In particular, DNA fingerprinting can be used in forensics to convict criminals but also to exonerate the innocent. This is a serious and solemn task and so represents an important legal/moral contribution of DNA technology. Briefly describe how the technique of DNA fingerprinting works, and more specifically how it can be used to mount evidence against a suspect or present evidence that a convict may in fact be innocent. In your answer, be sure to include the confidence with which DNA fingerprinting results implicate or exonerate individuals. For example, what is the likelihood (= probability) that a suspect's DNA might match DNA collected from a crime scene simply due to chance?
22. What is biotechnology? Is biotechnology used in pure science (basic research) or applied science, or both? Can basic research lead to findings that can be used to meet societal needs?
23. Although many biotech methods appear simple when presented in summary form here in class, biotechnology is often very difficult, and species-specific hurdles often are met.
24. What is gel electrophoresis? How does it work?
25. Before DNA technology can be used in forensics (and other applications), huge amounts of DNA must be obtained first. What technique is used for this purpose? Who invented this technique?
Describe (briefly) how this technique works. (Be sure to include a list of the basic equipment and supplies needed to perform this technique.)
26. The technique addressed in #4 above is used in a great diversity of applications. List at least two such applications.
27. Automated sequencing machines can quickly ___________________________________, making it possible to determine the sequence of _________________ relatively quickly. What is the goal of proteomics?
28. Most of the methods used by scientists to produce genetically modified organisms have come from nature and have been honed by _______________________.
29. A gene that is introduced into a GMO is called a ______________. Therefore, GMO individuals are known as _________________ organisms.
30. Scientists have been able to track __________________ using a light-producing protein known as _____________________, which is extracted from jellyfish.
31. List three ways in which new genes can be introduced into a cell.
32. Define "transgenic organism."
33. What important human protein can be produced via transgenic biotechnology involving E. coli? What important human protein can be produced via transgenic biotechnology involving goats?
34. Genetic engineering is often used to alter the genetic characteristics of the recipient organism, often focusing on a particular aspect of ___________________ or ___________________.
35. Genetic engineering is also used to produce large amounts of a gene product, usually one with _________________ or __________________ value.
36. List at least three traits that GMO crop plants have acquired through genetic engineering.
37. Currently, GMO foods do not have to be ______________ in the United States. Crops certified as
"organic" are ______________.
38. What disease was observed in Hawaiian papayas in the 1990s? What percentage of the papaya crop today has been genetically modified to enable resistance to this disease?
39. List the primary genetically based improvement exhibited by the following commercially important GMOs: golden rice, FlavrSavr tomatoes, Bt corn, and Aqua Advantage salmon.
40. Define reproductive cloning. What type of mammal was the first to be successfully cloned? In what decade did this occur? What technique was used to achieve this experimental milestone? Describe (briefly) how this technique is performed? (In your description, be sure to include the number of adult mammals that are required to implement this technique.)
41. What is a stem cell? How does an embryonic stem cell differ from an adult stem cell?
42. Mitotic division of stem cells generates two _______________daughter cells. Daughter cells can take one of two paths. Describe these two paths.
43. What is therapeutic cloning? Therapeutic cloning requires that embryonic stem cells be generated for ____________________.
44. What is regenerative medicine? Name one human disease for which regenerative medicine holds potential for great improvement in treatment.
45. Embryonic stem cells are obtained from the ____________________ of a human blastocyst early in development.
46. Promising recent breakthroughs in stem cell research have shown success in generating cells with greater differentiation potential (approaching that of _______________________) from non-embryonic cells. This provides one possible __________________ to controversy surrounding the use of human embryos.
Lecture title: Gene therapy
47. GUIDING QUESTION: A few years ago, a Chinese scientist secretly used CRISPR-Cas9 biotechnology to alter the genome of human embryos. In this case, the two embryos were identical twin girls. After these embryos developed into fetuses and were born successfully, this situation became public knowledge. Scientists across the world rejected this scientist's decision to complete such work on moral grounds, and the Chinese government even jailed the scientist. This rejection was largely because the technology is both so new and so powerful. For example, unintended genetic targets possibly could be altered and unforeseen effects of the intended genetic changes are possible as well. The scientist who conducted this work claimed that he was aiming to protect the children from contracting HIV (because their father was HIV-positive); he enacted a precise genetic change that resulted in an immune cell surface receptor that prevents HIV entry into the cell. However, such changes in cell surface receptors may cause immune system disease later in life, or still other as-yet unknown problems. In a short paragraph, explain your personal position on this issue. That is, do you feel precise genetic editing as occurred in this case is acceptable and should be allowed? If so, why? And be specific. If not, should such procedures ever be allowed? What additional information do biologists need to uncover for you to feel confident in this application of precision genetic editing?
48. What is the primary goal of gene therapy?
49. Discuss (briefly) the gene therapy success story featuring Ashanthi DeSilva in 1990.
50. Discuss (briefly) the setback that occurred in 1999-2002 when gene therapy was used to attempt to cure X-SCID.
51. Discuss (briefly) the setback that occurred in 1999 to a 19-year-old gene therapy patient.
52. Is gene therapy used to cure or treat genetic diseases in humans (so far)?
53. What is a germline? Why is germline gene therapy NOT allowed in developed countries?
54. What is RNA interference (RNAi)?
55. What is the natural biological function of RNAi? How can RNAi be used as a gene therapy tool?
56. Name two human viral infections that can be treated (potentially) with RNAi. Name two genetically based illnesses that can be treated (potentially) with RNAi.
57. What is the primary challenge currently for gene therapy?
58. What does the acronym CRISPR stand for? What does Cas9 stand for?
59. How is CRISPR/Cas9 an example of "precision genetic editing?"
60. What is the original naturally occurring biological source of CRISPR/Cas9, and what is its natural biological function?
61. Explain (briefly) how CRISPR/Cas9 biotechnology is similar to a guided missile.
62. Discuss (briefly) the basic mechanism of action of CRISPR/Cas9 biotechnology
63. List three drawbacks or areas in need of improvement before increased application of CRISPR/Cas9 biotechnology in human gene therapy can occur.
64. What is volitional selection, and how does it differ from other types of selection, such as natural selection and artificial selection?
65. Distinguish between somatic cell genetic editing and germ cell genetic editing?
66. Who is Jennifer Doudna?
Lecture title: Bioethics
67. GUIDING QUESTION: DNA technologies exist that may make it possible to perform so-called "Jurassic Park" experiments. This area of research is known as de-extinction. This possibility does not apply to dinosaurs because they have been extinct for more than 66 million years and sufficient DNA can not be recovered. However, it may be possible in more recently extinct species, such as wooly mammoths, the Australian thylacine, or the passenger pigeon. There are many considerations when weighing whether to give a green light to such endeavors. For example: (a) is it ethical to bring back a species in a world in which its natural environment is long gone or radically changed? Or (b) do we, as humans, have an obligation to bring back those species in which it is clear that humans caused their initial extinction? In a short paragraph, provide your position on issues (a) and (b) above, and provide at least one important consideration of your own that is relevant to the de-extinction discussion.
Note that there are no study guide questions for this topic (other than the one Guiding Question) because, although it directly involves biological subject matter, it also commonly goes far beyond the reach of biological science. You are encouraged to critically consider some of the bioethical issues surrounding the biotechnology procedures we have discussed in class.