Gene cloning is the process in which a gene of interest is located and copied (cloned) out of DNA extracted from an organism,” according to the Education Center of the University of Nebraska. DNA analysis is any technique used to analyze genes and DNA. Scientists catalogue an organism’s DNA in gene libraries in order to pick up a particular genome from thousands of different genes within a DNA. DNA analysis is extensively used to determine paternity, maternity and other biological relationships among people.
HISTORY OF GENE CLONING
Hans Dreisch was the first person to create cloned animals, in the late 18th century. He wanted to prove that during cell division the genetic material is not lost. Dreisch experimented with sea urchins, which grow independently, away from their mothers, and have large embryos. A two-celled sea urchin was put into a beaker of sea water and shaken until the cells separated. Each cell grew separately and formed a sea urchin.
CLONING AT CELLULAR LEVEL
It is only recently that cloning has been done at the cellular level in the animal kingdom. In November 1951, a team of scientists working at Robert Briggs Lab cloned a frog embryo. Mammals were first cloned in 1986 by two teams working independently and using similar methods. One team, led by Neal First in the United States, cloned a cow's embryo. The other team was led by Steen Willadsen in England, and cloned a sheep’s embryo.
SHEEP CLONING
In 1986, Ian Wilmut at the Roslin Institute in Scotland was assigned a project to clone sheep. He had to create sheep that could produce certain chemicals in their milk. He altered adult cells and then cloned them. He managed to produce sheep with the altered gene throughout their bodies. The paperwork was done in 1987 and the research in 1990. Wilmut’s team learned that by starving cells, they could be forced to the GO phase, which is similar to cell hibernation. This helped to increase the survival rate of cloned cells. On July 5, 1996, a lamb cloned from a frozen mammary cell of an adult sheep was born and named Dolly.
METHODS OF CLONING
There are three main methods of cloning. One is to transfer the nucleus. In this way, an embryo is created by fusing an adult animal cell. Cloning is also done by the microinjection method. This technique makes use of the adult cell nucleus. The third method of cloning is artificial twinning, which is a method in which the embryo is split into two or more embryos.
DNA ANALYSIS
Alec Jeffery, an English geneticist, was among the scientists who discovered DNA analysis technique. All living things have unique genetic codes. By analyzing its genetic sequences, you can identify any type of organism. DNA analysis helps scientists record an individual specimen's personality. With its use, scientists can conduct research on the evolution of a species and provide insight into our future health. DNA analysis has helped immensely in forensic science.