Application of gene technology

1. Application of gene technology Transgenic organisms and gene therapy Unit 4, AOS 2 Marina Kalcina

2. What do you think of when you look at this picture?

3. By the end of today’s lesson you will know about one aspect of gene technology & be able to: • Describe the different ways transgenics are made • List examples of transgenic organisms • Explain how gene therapy works and list diseases for which it has been used • Debate issues surrounding the use of transgenic organisms and gene therapy Artist: Patricia Piccinini http://www.patriciapiccinini.net/

4. How are transgenic organisms made?Getting genes into animal cells A transgenic organism is one in which a foreign gene has been inserted into it’s genome to enable production of a specific protein. There are 4 main ways transgenics can be made in animals: • Microinjection • Electroporation • Fusion of vesicles • Gene gun

5. Microinjection A glass micropipette is used to puncture a hole in the cell and nuclear membranes and insert the genes. Allows only one cell to be treated at a time

6. Electroporation A short electric shock makes many cells permeable at the same time. This allows the DNA to enter the cell What does permeable mean? How is electroporation different to microinjection?

7. Fusion of vesicles Vesicle is created where desired DNA is enclosed in a membrane. Vesicle membranes fuse with cell membranes and DNA enters the cell. The vesicles can be made to fuse with many cells at a time.

8. Gene gun Gold or other metallic particles are coated with DNA of interest The DNA covered metallic particles are then fired into the nucleus of a cell using a gene gun

9. How have bacterial transgenics helped us? • http://www.biotechnologyonline.gov.au/biotechnologyonline/popups/int_splicing.html • Insulin is a hormone diabetics need to inject every day • Too complex to be made in the lab • Limited amounts used to be obtained from pancreas of animals being slaughtered for food • The human insulin producing gene was placed in a bacterial plasmid, bacteria reproduced and made few billion copies of itself • Insulin extracted from bacteria for medical use • The animation above allows students to explore this. • Ask students to make a flow chart after working through the animation

10. Some examples of transgenics • GFP animals from the start • Bacteria used for insulin and some vaccines • Sheep with a human gene which causes their milk to contain a blood-clotting protein which can then be extracted from milk to treat humans • Silk worms that produce human collagen • Many examples – get students to research more and present them?

11. Gene therapy Gene therapy is the technique of delivering normal and fully functional genes to individuals to compensate for a disease causing mutation. It has the potential to treat or cure people suffering from a range of genetic conditions. The functional gene has to be located, isolated and cloned in sufficient quantities and a suitable vector needs to be found to deliver the gene. The inserted gene needs to be able to persist and function normally within the target cells

12. Gene therapy procedure and examples • AIDS • Cystic fibrosis • Cancer • Parkinson’s • Alzheimer’s • Arthritis

13. Somatic cell vs. germ-line gene therapy Somatic cell gene therapy: • The process talked about so far • Alters the genotype of somatic cells • Extremely difficult to insert new genes into every cell or organ • The healthy gene cannot be passed onto offspring Germ-line gene therapy: • Transformation of eggs or sperm • The healthy genotype will be passed onto offspring • Extremely controversial • Not an accepted medical practice

14. Questions and activities to ask students to stimulate thinking in the higher order • What do you think would be some risks associated with gene therapy? • Write down some arguments ‘for’ and ‘against’ gene therapy. • Organise debates!Split the class in half. One half will argue for transgenic organisms, the other half will argue against them. • Debate: Is a tomato injected with an arctic fish gene to prevent it from frosting, still a tomato? Or, is the transgenic tomato still a suitable food for vegetarians?

15. Another activity: • Present the following scenario: • Any gene researcher conducting experiments in an institute needs to have approval from the biosafety and bioethics committee. Imagine aresearch team is applying for permission to develop a particular transgenic organism…. • Split the students into groups of 5 • Allocate the role of committee to 2or 3members of the group. • Allocate the role of research applicants to 2or 3 members of the group

16. Higher order thinking activity continued…. Some points students may want to discuss in their groups: • Once students have had time to talk about the points listed in the table, ask them to present their findings in a group role-play • Members of the audience (rest of the class) can help the committee decide whether to agree to the researchers’ proposal

17. References and resources: • ScienceAlertfacebook page • Science Quest 4 textbook, Lofts & Evergreen 2007 • Nelson Biology textbook, VCE units 3 & 4, Borger et al, 2006 • Spotlight Biology textbook, VCE units 3 & 4, Joanne Burke, 2007 • Biotechnology online for the animation:http://www.biotechnologyonline.gov.au/ biotechnologyonline/popups/int_splicing.html • Google images