Level of life
DNA
The molecule that stores the genetic instructions of all cellular life: two strands wound into a double helix and held together by base pairs.
Recombinant DNA
DNA joined from different sources, the starting point of genetic engineering and of medicines such as recombinant insulin.Source: NHGRISource: Cohen et al., 1973Source: Johnson, 1983
Also called genetic engineering, plasmid.
Technology or method
How Recombinant DNA connects
Recombinant DNA uses
Organism or group
Bacteria
Small single-celled organisms without a nucleus, found almost everywhere on Earth. Most bacteria in the human body are harmless, and some are helpful.
Recombinant DNA raises questions of
Ethics and safety
Biosafety
Risk-based practices and containment that protect people and the environment when working with biological agents.
Recombinant DNA is used by
Technology or method
Synthetic biology
Designing and building new biological parts, circuits and systems.
Emerging researchOpen in Biotech Lab
Studied in
Your progress
Sources & further reading
The explanations on this page are our own summaries of these sources. Follow a link to read the original; if anything here disagrees with it, the original wins. How we choose and check sources.
Recombinant DNA Technology (opens the original in a new tab)
National Human Genome Research Institute. Talking Glossary of Genomic and Genetic Terms. National Human Genome Research Institute, NIH.
ReferenceGovernment sourceEducationalConstruction of biologically functional bacterial plasmids in vitro (opens the original in a new tab)
Cohen SN, Chang AC, Boyer HW, et al. (1973). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 70:3240-3244.
Recombinant plasmids that replicate in bacteria.
Historical paperPrimary researchHuman insulin from recombinant DNA technology (opens the original in a new tab)
Johnson IS (1983). Science 219:632-637.
Peer-reviewedReview