you can gain a good knowledge about importance of microorganisms in genetic engineering and their application.

1. IMPORTANCE OF
MICROBES IN GENETIC
ENGINEERING
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2. Introduction
• Genetic engineering is the deliberate manipulation of
DNA, using techniques in the laboratory to alter
genes in organisms
• It may also mean extracting DNA from another
organism’s genome and combining it with the DNA
of that individual
• A gene is much too small to be inserted with some
kind of microsurgery
• Therefore some carrier ("vector") is required which
takes the gene into the recipient cell and somehow
gets it inserted into the DNA of the recipient. 2

3. Reason microbes are using for genetic
engineering
• Bacteria is unicellular
• Bacteria has plasmids and these plasmids has
marking genes
• Reproduce asexually
• They have rapid multiplication ability
• Their surface/volume ratio is high so that their
metabolism is high than other organism
• Some of bacteria are resistant to antibiotics. It is
helpful for genetic engineering
• So that microbes are can be use as “vectors” 3

4. Desirable properties of a Vector
• It should be small.
• Its DNA sequence should be known.
• It should grow to high copy number in the host cell.
• It should contain a selectable marker that allows
easy selection of transformed host cell.
• It should replicate autonomously
• Should be easy to isolate & purify
• Should contain one unique restriction enzymes.
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5. Types of microbes using for genetic
engineering
• Mostly bacteria and virus are using for genetic
engineering as “vectors”
• Viruses are tiny, nonliving particles that must have a
host cell to replicate and flourish.
• Ability to attach to and invade specific cells, and
incorporate the DNA (and/or RNA) they are carrying
into the host cell, where it combines with the host
cell's DNA.
Eg:- Retrovirus SV40 Viral Vector EBV(
Epstein- Barr Virus), BPV( Bovine Papilloma Virus) 5

6. • We can use bacteria as vectors when we recombine
DNA with plant cell
Eg:- Agrobacterium
E.coli
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Bacterial cell
Plasmid

7. Steps that microbes are involving for
genetic engineering
• Genetic engineering has mainly 6 steps.
1. Isolation
2. Cutting
3. Ligation and Inserting
4. Transformation
5. Expression
• Microbes are involving for inserting &
transformation steps
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9. Summary
• Genetic engineering is Artificially copying a piece of
DNA from one organism and joining this copy of
DNA into the DNA of another organism
• It allows genes from one organism to be inserted into
a cell of a different organism of a different species.
• For this mechanism some carrier ("vector") is
required which takes the gene into the recipient cell
• So that microbes are play major role in GE as
“vectors”
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10. THANK YOU
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