Genetic engineering is the process of using recombinant DNA (rDNA) technology to alter the genetic makeup of an organism. Genetic engineering involves the direct manipulation of one or more genes. Most often, a gene from another species is added to an organism's genome to give it a desired phenotype. It involves 3 steps:
(1) The isolation of DNA fragments from a donor organism;
(2) The insertion of an isolated donor DNA fragment into a vector genome
(3) The growth of a recombinant vector in an appropriate host.
An example of genetic engineering is production of insulin. In plants, genetic engineering has been applied to improve the resilience, nutritional value and growth rate of crops, for example, potatoes, tomatoes and rice.
In animals it has been utilized to develop sheep that produce a therapeutic protein in their milk that can be used to treat cystic fibrosis, or worms that glow in the dark to permit scientists to become more familiar with diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
