Transgenic organisms are organisms that have been injected with foreign DNA from another species. They are created through processes like DNA microinjection or retrovirus-mediated gene transfer. Many transgenic organisms are used in infectious disease research, including mice, bacteria, plants, fungi, malaria parasites, and mosquitoes. Transgenic organisms allow scientists to study diseases and potential treatments, like developing a malaria vaccine from transgenic goat's milk or using transgenic bacteria to fight diseases like Chagas or malaria. However, creating transgenic organisms also presents challenges like ensuring the foreign DNA is properly expressed without disrupting other genes.

1. Transgenic Organisms
In Infectious Disease Research

2. What are they?
• Transgenic organisms are
organisms that are injected with
foreign DNA from another
organism
How are they made?
• DNA Microinjection
• Retrovirus-mediated gene transfer:
• Embryonic stem cell-mediated gene
transfer

4. • Mouse
• Bacteria
• Plants
• Fungi
• Malaria parasites
• Mosquitoes
• Goats
Some Transgenic organisms
used in infectious disease research

5. Mouse studies
• Scientist milk animals for malaria vaccine
• We can now drink staphylococcal free
milk
• HFG provides protection from malaria
• Malaria infections increase HIV viral
load
• Mighty mouse

6. Bacteria
• Symbiotic bacteria fights
Chagas disease
• Symbiotic bacteria fights
malaria
• Life-shortening Wolbachia
can control infections

7. Plants
• Eat potatoes to be vaccinated
• Human lysosome gene increase
resistance of plants to bacteria
and fungal infections
• Human SAM genes helps plants
cope with stress
• Human antibodies expressed in
soya beans

8. Malaria, Mosquitoes and Plasmodium
• Drug screening with transgenic
malaria parasites
• Plasmodium falciparium
• Plasmodium berghei
• Using infection to kill infection
• Antimalarial genes expressed in
the gut of mosquitoes reduces
infections
• Goats helps in the fight against
malaria
• Goat milk clears e.coli infection

9. Problems
• Multiple insertions: too much protein.
• Insertion into an essential gene: lethality.
• Insertion into a gene leading to gene-silencing: no protein.
• Insertion in a different area can lead to differential gene
regulation
• Ethical issues

10. RECENT TRENDS