Weekly Reflection

This week, we have learnt components, structures and functions of DNA, mRNA, tRNA and rRNA; rDNA technologies and their applications to the manufacturing of biotechnology products; the DNA technologies used in gene therapy; gene mutations and their effects; vectors and mechanisms by which gene therapy is harnessed; the basic structure of immunoglobulin and its fragments; the procedures for MAb production; and the procedures for the humanization of bacteria or cell culture derived MAb products.

Here are some key points for you to review what you have learnt this week. There is no need to answer them all. You could use these to check the gist of this week.

1. Briefly defined, genetic engineering is the process of using recombinant DNA (rDNA) technology to alter the genetic makeup of an organism. Elaborate on the broad definitions of genetic engineering by including selective breeding, cloning, and gene therapy.

2. Antisense technology is a tool that is used for the Inhibition of gene expression. Elaborate broadly on the applications of antisense technology in plant bioengineering, medicine development and human therapeutics.

3. Describe the three major steps in the PCR procedure. Summarize the medical, anthropological and scientific research application of PCR technique.

4. Bioinformatics is an interdisciplinary science that applies tools of computation and analysis to the capture and interpretation of biological data. Analysis of genome sequence data, particularly those from the human genome project, is one of the main achievements of bioinformatics to date. What is your experience with bioinformatics in regard to functional understanding of the human genome, the enhanced discovery of drug targets and individualized therapy?