Bioreactor - Obtaining The Foreign Gene Product

Foreign gene products refer to proteins or metabolites produced by organisms after the introduction of a gene from a different species through recombinant DNA technology. These products have significant applications in medicine, agriculture, and research, genetically modified crops, and the development of vaccines. Recombinant DNA is an important topic in Biology and they carry a weightage of 2-3% in NEET and 4-5% in CBSE and other Paramedical Exams.

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This Story also Contains

1. What are Bioreactors?
2. Bioreactor Types
3. Steps in Obtaining Foreign Gene Products
4. Uses of the Obtained Foreign Genes
5. Tips, Tricks, and Strategies for Obtained Foreign Genes

What are Bioreactors?

The term "bioreactor" refers to the container used to conduct chemical reactions. It is a tool that assists in the mass production of culture. New biological products are created in the bioreactor with the assistance of various environmental cells, including plant, animal, and human cells. Some basics of Bioreactors are discussed below:

• The bioreactor is constructed of stainless steel and has a cylinder-like shape.

• The basic stirred-tank bioreactor and the sparged stirred-tank bioreactor are the two bioreactors most suited for producing foreign gene products.

• There are several different kinds of bioreactors, including continuous stirred tanks, fluidized beds, bubble columns, packed beds, photobioreactors, and airlift reactors.

Bioreactor Types

Different types of reactors are discussed below:

Steps in Obtaining Foreign Gene Products

The process of obtaining engine products is one of the very critical processes in the microbial biotechnology industry. This process uses the capability of the microorganism to produce the valuable proteins and metabolites which are essential for server processes. The steps are discussed below:

• Isolation of the desired genes.

• Location of the possible vector through which the desired gene will be carried out and inserted into the vector using ligase.

• The entire process takes place and there is the formation of recombinant DNA.

• After the introduction of recombinant DNA into the host such as a bacterial cell it resolved into the presence of foreign genes into the cell.

• After some time of adaptation of the recombinant DNA, there is protein and metabolic synthesis that takes place through recombinant cells.

• There is a large scale of cultivation done to obtain the desired product from the reactors

Uses of the Obtained Foreign Genes

Some basic uses are discussed below:

• The creation of secondary metabolites such as lovastatin, penicillin, and cyclosporin-A.

• Production of dairy products that undergo fermentation, such as cheese, buttermilk, yoghurt, etc.

• The process through which citric acid, lactic acid, acetic acid, and other organic acids are produced

• production of vital enzymes such as lipase, xylanase, and laccase

• In some cases, the creation of microbial cells rather than their end products takes place in bioreactors. This is seen in the creation of yeast, lactobacillus, single-cell proteins, etc.

• Mammalian cells are also cultured in bioreactors.

• Photobioreactors are used to grow algae and cyanobacteria for biofuels, bioplastics, nutraceuticals, and other products and treat wastewater.

Tips, Tricks, and Strategies for Obtained Foreign Genes

It takes effort to remember everything in a single go. We made the entire problem easy. Some of the tricks regarding obtained foreign genes/ recombinant genes are given below which you can use to memorise the important points.

Key Steps in Recombinant DNA Technology

"GIVERC": Gene Isolation, Vector Selection, Insertion, Transformation, Expression, Recovery

• G: Gene Isolation - Extracting the desired gene from the source organism.

• I: Insertion - Using ligase to insert the gene into a suitable vector.

• V: Vector Selection - Choosing an appropriate vector (plasmid, virus) that can replicate within the host.

• E: Expression - Introducing the recombinant DNA into the host cell and allowing the expression of the desired protein.

• R: Recovery - Isolating and purifying the desired protein or product from the host cells.

• C: Confirmation - Verifying that the foreign gene has been successfully integrated and expressed.

Types of Vectors

"PVB: Plasmids, Viruses, BACs"

• P: Plasmids - Circular DNA molecules commonly used in bacteria.

• V: Viruses - Can be engineered to carry foreign DNA and infect host cells.

• B: BACs (Bacterial Artificial Chromosomes) - Useful for cloning large fragments of DNA.

Important Enzymes in Recombinant DNA

"REPL: Restriction enzymes, Ligase, Polymerase"

• R: Restriction Enzymes - Cut DNA at specific sequences to isolate genes.

• E: Ligase - Joins the DNA fragments (insert and vector) together.

• P: Polymerase - Amplifies the DNA during the cloning process.

Applications of Recombinant DNA Technology

"MAPS: Medicine, Agriculture, Pharmaceuticals, Science"

• M: Medicine - Production of insulin, vaccines, and gene therapy.

• A: Agriculture - Development of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) for higher yield.

• P: Pharmaceuticals - Synthesis of hormones, antibodies, and enzymes.

• S: Science - Research tools for genetic studies and biotechnology.

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