Recombinant DNA

Recombinant DNA is a DNA molecule assembled from genetic material originating in different sources. It is made by joining DNA sequences, often through laboratory techniques, to create a new combination.

DNA ligase: An enzyme that seals breaks in DNA by forming phosphodiester bonds. It joins compatible DNA ends to make a continuous recombinant molecule.
DNA: A molecule that stores hereditary information in most organisms. Recombinant DNA is built from the same nucleotide polymer as natural DNA.
Recombinant protein: A protein produced from genetic instructions assembled or introduced using recombinant DNA methods. A cloned gene can direct host cells to manufacture its encoded protein.
Paul Berg: An American biochemist who pioneered recombinant DNA research and received the 1980 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Berg's laboratory assembled DNA from different biological sources in landmark early experiments.
Genetic engineering: The deliberate alteration of an organism's genetic material using biotechnology. Recombinant DNA became a foundational tool for genetic engineering.
Plasmid: A DNA molecule that replicates independently of a cell's chromosomes, commonly found in bacteria. Plasmids often carry inserted DNA into host cells and replicate it there.
Nucleotide: A molecular building block of DNA and RNA, comprising a sugar, phosphate group, and nitrogenous base. Joining DNA sources rearranges sequences of nucleotides into one molecule.
Recombinant insulin: Insulin produced by genetically engineered cells carrying DNA that encodes human insulin. It became a major therapeutic product made using recombinant DNA technology.
Stanley Cohen: An American geneticist who developed methods for cloning genes in bacterial plasmids. His work with Herbert Boyer demonstrated plasmid-based propagation of recombinant DNA.
Biotechnology: The use of organisms, cells, or biological molecules to develop products and processes. Recombinant DNA enabled biotechnology industries to produce engineered medicines and enzymes.

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