Molecular cloning

Molecular cloning is a set of methods for making copies of a specific DNA sequence, usually by inserting it into a vector and propagating it in host cells.

Restriction cloning: A molecular cloning method that joins DNA fragments cut with compatible restriction enzymes. Restriction enzymes create compatible ends that let an insert join a vector.
DNA cloning vector: A DNA molecule engineered to carry foreign DNA into a host and support its replication or maintenance. The vector supplies the sequence and functions needed to propagate a cloned insert.
Polymerase chain reaction: A laboratory method that amplifies a chosen DNA region through repeated cycles of copying. PCR can amplify DNA directly without propagating it in a host vector.
Expression vector: A vector designed to direct production of RNA or protein from an inserted sequence. Cloned genes can be expressed to produce and study their products.
Paul Berg: An American biochemist whose work helped establish recombinant DNA technology. His 1972 construction of recombinant DNA demonstrated joining sequences from different sources.
DNA ligase: An enzyme that seals breaks in the DNA sugar-phosphate backbone. It covalently joins insert and vector DNA after their ends are aligned.
Selectable marker: A genetic feature that lets cells carrying it survive or be identified under a chosen condition. Markers distinguish cells that acquired a vector from those that did not.
Gibson assembly: A method that joins overlapping DNA fragments in one isothermal enzymatic reaction. It assembles fragments through overlaps rather than restriction-site compatibility.
Complementary DNA: DNA synthesized from an RNA template, often representing expressed genes without introns. Cloning complementary DNA captures transcripts for expression or gene analysis.
Stanley Cohen: An American biochemist who developed methods for cloning DNA in bacteria. His plasmid experiments helped show that recombinant DNA could replicate in bacterial cells.

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