The Use of Recombinant DNA

Recombinant DNA, or rDNA, is DNA that has been artificially altered in a laboratory. The purpose of recombinant DNA is to get an organism to express a trait that it did not have before the addition of the new DNA. This can be accomplished in several ways, but typically involves splicing a genetic sequence into a plasmid, which is then absorbed by a bacterium. The use of recombinant DNA has become somewhat commonplace in recent decades.

Insulin

• One use of recombinant DNA is the mass production of human insulin by microorganisms to be used by diabetics.

Crops

• One of the most common applications is in agriculture. Crops are frequently given additional genes to make them more resistant to pests or low-water intake.

Environmental Cleanup

• Recombinant DNA has also been applied to the cause of environmental cleanup. Bacteria have been altered to be capable of digesting oil spills.

Research

• The use of recombinant DNA also allows researchers to create large numbers of identical genes, which makes standardization of results more easily attainable.

Controversy

• When first introduced, the rDNA controversy centered on the potential human and environmental impact that might occur. The controversy has shifted in recent years to legal and ethical grounds.