• Question: what do you mean play with DNA, what do you do with it?

    Asked by talani to Rachel on 13 Nov 2013.
    • Photo: Rachel Dakin

      Rachel Dakin answered on 13 Nov 2013:

      Hi Talani,
      Sadly DNA isn’t like an animal so ‘play with DNA’ was maybe a bad way of wording what I do!
      What I meant is that I change sequences of DNA. I do this so I can alter my virus. This might mean that I copy bits of DNA – we do this using a technique called PCR (polymerase chain reaction). I can also cut DNA into smaller bits using restriction enzymes – these are like biological scissors they scan the DNA and when they see the sequence they recognise they cut the DNA. If I’ve cut bits of DNA I can also join them back together with a different enzymes.
      Imagine I have two viruses and half of each one is useful in infecting blood vessels. I can cut their DNA then stick the good bits back together making a much better virus.

      I hope this answers your question – if not let me know!

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