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- Title
How molecular techniques are developed from natural systems.
- Authors
Ronai, Isobel
- Abstract
A striking characteristic of the molecular techniques of genetics is that they are derived from natural occurring systems. RNA interference, for example, utilizes a mechanism that evolved in eukaryotes to destroy foreign nucleic acid. Other case studies I highlight are restriction enzymes, DNA sequencing, polymerase chain reaction, gene targeting, fluorescent proteins (such as, green fluorescent protein), induced pluripotent stem cells, and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-CRISPR associated 9. The natural systems’ strategy for technique development means that biologists utilize the activity of a mechanism’s effector (protein or RNA) and exploit biological specificity (protein or nucleic acid can cause precise reactions). I also argue that the developmental trajectory of novel molecular techniques, such as RNA interference, has 4 characteristic phases. The first phase is discovery of a biological phenomenon. The second phase is identification of the biological mechanism’s trigger(s): the effector and biological specificity. The third phase is the application of the trigger(s) as a technique. The final phase is the maturation and refinement of the technique. Developing new molecular techniques from nature is crucial for future genetic research.
- Subjects
MOLECULAR diagnosis; GENETICS; SEQUENCE analysis; PHENOMENOLOGICAL biology; RNA; GENE expression; STEM cells; NATURE; POLYMERASE chain reaction; SENSITIVITY &; specificity (Statistics)
- Publication
Genetics, 2023, Vol 224, Issue 3, p1
- ISSN
0016-6731
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1093/genetics/iyad067