DNA technologies have a steadily increasing impact on many aspects of our lives. Applications in medical fields are most prominent: prenatal and neonatal screening; diagnosis of heredity disorders; patient-specific treatment of diseases; and, hopefully in the near future, curing diseases caused by non-functional genes or cells. Large scale production of life-saving proteins is an equally important benefit of genetic engineering. Also, crops can be protected against pests by predator-specific treatments. And of course, DNA analyses have proved to be invaluable in forensic investigations.

This is the sixth module in the Beating the Biology Book series. It explains the essentials of DNA technologies and their applications in 14 interactive chapters plus an index:

• DNA technologies change things
• Scenario
• Getting DNA for experimentation
• Cutting DNA into pieces
• Separating DNA fragments
• Amplifying DNA
• Deciphering the message of DNA
• DNA cloning
• DNA profiling
• Patient-specific treatments
• Prenatal diagnosis and newborn screening
• Genetic engineering
• Gene therapy and stem cells
• Overview of techiques

The techniques and examples addressed in this module are supported by report and assignment forms. It is highly recommended that students use them while working on the virtual experiments. The reports help to structure essential steps and note results of the experiments. Assignments are meant to help reflect on the significance of the experiments and their applications.

This interactive education tool was designed for secondary schools, colleges and undergraduate university teaching. The user-friendly nature of the programme makes it ideal for group teaching or self-study. It can be used as a stand-alone resource or to complement text books.

Additional Links

Visit Beating the Biology Book Website for more information about the series and free demonstrations of currently available modules.

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