Biochemistry & Metabolomics

Gene Expression and Genetic Engineering

Gene expression is the procedure by which genetic commands are used to synthesize gene products. These products are usually proteins, which go on to perform essential functions as enzymes, hormones and receptors. Therefore, the thousands of genes expressed in a particular cell determine what that cell can do. Moreover, each step in the flow of information from DNA to RNA to protein provides the cell with a potential control point for self-regulating its purposes by regulating the amount and type of proteins it manufactures.

Genetic engineering denotes to the direct manipulation of DNA to alter an organism’s features in a particular way. Genetic engineering is the process of manually adding new DNA to an organism. The goal is to improve one or more new traits that are not already found in that organism. Genetic engineering is now a routine research tool with model organisms. Many organisms have been genetically modified for applications in agriculture, industrial biotechnology, and medicine.