Name: how scientists edit dna for new traits
Uploaded: 2026-08-26T08:20:40.055Z
Duration: 1 min 34 s
Channel: JoVE

- La ingenier&#xED;a gen&#xE9;tica
es la modificaci&#xF3;n

del c&#xF3;digo gen&#xE9;tico,
el ADN de un organismo.

La secuencia nucleot&#xED;dica
de un gen puede cambiarse

usando t&#xE9;cnicas para editar
el gene como CRISPR/Cas9.

Se puede remover o eliminar
un gen, por completo,

o un se puede insertar un nuevo gen.

Por ejemplo, agregar
un gen de otra especie

para crear un organismo transg&#xE9;nico.

Como resultado, investigadores y m&#xE9;dicos

pueden alterar las prote&#xED;nas
producidas por un organismo.

Por ejemplo, en terapia gen&#xE9;tica

se le puede introducir
un gen a un paciente

para producir una prote&#xED;na que no tiene

y curar potencialmente la enfermedad.

Georges, Fawzy y Heather Ray. "Edición del genoma de los cultivos: una oportunidad renovada para la seguridad alimentaria". GM Crops & Food 8, no. 1 (2 de enero de 2017): 1–12. [<a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/21645698.2016.1270489" target="__blank">Fuente</a>]

Thurtle‐Schmidt, Deborah M. y Te‐Wen Lo. 2018. "Biología molecular a la vanguardia: una revisión sobre la edición de genes CRISPR/CAS9 para estudiantes universitarios". Educación en Bioquímica y Biología Molecular 46 (2): 195–205. [<a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/bmb.21108" target="__blank">Fuente</a>]

¿qué es la ingeniería genética?

What is Genetic Engineering?

<h4>Descripci&#xF3;n general</h4> La ingenier&#xED;a gen&#xE9;tica es el proceso de modificar el ADN de un organismo para introducir rasgos nuevos y deseables. Muchos organismos, desde bacterias hasta plantas y animales, han sido modificados gen&#xE9;ticamente con fines acad&#xE9;micos, m&#xE9;dicos, agr&#xED;colas e industriales. Si bien la ingenier&#xED;a gen&#xE9;tica tiene beneficios definidos, existen preocupaciones &#xE9;ticas en torno a la modificaci&#xF3;n de los seres humanos y nuestro suministro de alimentos. <h4>Los cient&#xED;ficos pueden modificar deliberadamente el genoma de un organismo</h4> La ingenier&#xED;a gen&#xE9;tica es posible porque el c&#xF3;digo gen&#xE9;tico,la forma en que el ADN codifica la informaci&#xF3;n, y la estructura del ADN son universales entre todas las formas de vida. Como resultado, el c&#xF3;digo gen&#xE9;tico de un organismo puede modificarse de varias maneras. La secuencia de nucle&#xF3;tidos puede editarse selectivamente utilizando t&#xE9;cnicas como el sistema CRISPR/Cas9. Conocido como las &#x22;tijeras moleculares&#x22;, el sistema CRISPR/Cas9 es una respuesta inmune procari&#xF3;tica innata que ha sido elegida para editar informaci&#xF3;n gen&#xE9;tica. Un gen tambi&#xE9;n puede eliminarse de un organismo para crear un &#x22;knockout&#x22; o introducirse para crear un &#x22;knockin&#x22; mediante un proceso llamado selecci&#xF3;n gen&#xE9;tica. Este m&#xE9;todo se basa en la recombinaci&#xF3;n hom&#xF3;loga,intercambio gen&#xE9;tico entre mol&#xE9;culas de ADN que comparten una regi&#xF3;n extendida con secuencias similares, para modificar un gen end&#xF3;geno. Los cient&#xED;ficos tambi&#xE9;n pueden insertar un gen de un organismo en el genoma de otro, dando como resultado un organismo transg&#xE9;nico. Generalmente, el ADN combinado de diferentes fuentes se denomina ADN recombinante. El organismo que recibe ese ADN se considera un organismo gen&#xE9;ticamente modificado u OGM. <h4>La ingenier&#xED;a gen&#xE9;tica impacta la salud y el bienestar humanos</h4> La edici&#xF3;n del genoma ha tenido un impacto significativo en la investigaci&#xF3;n cient&#xED;fica, la agricultura, la industria y la medicina. La investigaci&#xF3;n en biolog&#xED;a molecular a menudo inserta transgenes,genes extra&#xF1;os, en bacterias y virus para estudiar la funci&#xF3;n y expresi&#xF3;n de los genes. Las bacterias fueron los primeros organismos gen&#xE9;ticamente modificados. Los cient&#xED;ficos introdujeron el gen de la insulina humana para producir insulina sint&#xE9;tica que utilizan las personas con diabetes. Una t&#xE9;cnica llamada terapia g&#xE9;nica permite insertar un nuevo gen en una persona para que la prote&#xED;na que codifica pueda expresarse dentro de sus c&#xE9;lulas. La terapia g&#xE9;nica proporciona una cura o tratamiento para algunas enfermedades gen&#xE9;ticas graves y, de otro modo, intratables. Los cient&#xED;ficos modificaron el virus para entregar nuevos genes a las c&#xE9;lulas hu&#xE9;sped. Estos virus personalizados pueden infectar c&#xE9;lulas enfermas e insertar una copia correcta de un gen defectuoso, tratando trastornos humanos como la inmunodeficiencia combinada grave (SCID). Aunque muchos tratamientos de terapia g&#xE9;nica utilizan virus modificados, el sistema CRISPR/Cas9 se ha convertido en una t&#xE9;cnica cada vez m&#xE1;s popular. El sistema CRISPR/Cas9 corta el ADN utilizando una gu&#xED;a,secuencias de ARN conocidas como CRISPR, para dirigir las &#x201C;tijeras moleculares,&#x201D; una enzima llamada Cas9, a sitios espec&#xED;ficos del genoma. Los cient&#xED;ficos utilizan esta herramienta molecular para agregar, eliminar o alterar material gen&#xE9;tico. CRISPR/Cas9 se ha utilizado en modelos de rat&#xF3;n para corregir errores en genes responsables de la distrofia muscular de Duchenne, la hepatitis B, las cataratas y las enfermedades cardiovasculares. Si bien la ingenier&#xED;a gen&#xE9;tica puede generar nuevos tratamientos para enfermedades, tambi&#xE9;n puede utilizarse para otros fines pr&#xE1;cticos. Se han desarrollado cabras transg&#xE9;nicas que producen seda de ara&#xF1;a en su leche para uso industrial. En la agricultura, algunas plantas han sido modificadas gen&#xE9;ticamente para mejorar caracter&#xED;sticas como el contenido nutricional y la resistencia a las plagas. Es probable que los avances recientes y futuros en ingenier&#xED;a gen&#xE9;tica sigan impactando tanto la salud como el bienestar humano. <h4>Preocupaciones &#xE9;ticas relativas a la ingenier&#xED;a gen&#xE9;tica</h4> La ingenier&#xED;a gen&#xE9;tica tiene un gran potencial, pero &#xBF;d&#xF3;nde trazamos el l&#xED;mite? Los cient&#xED;ficos y la sociedad deben responder a esta pregunta. La edici&#xF3;n del genoma humano, especialmente en c&#xE9;lulas de la l&#xED;nea germinal, es una preocupaci&#xF3;n &#xE9;tica importante. La mayor&#xED;a de las terapias gen&#xE9;ticas modifican las c&#xE9;lulas som&#xE1;ticas, por lo que los cambios gen&#xE9;ticos s&#xF3;lo afectan al individuo. Sin embargo, los cambios en la l&#xED;nea germinal de una persona tambi&#xE9;n los hereda su descendencia. En 2018, un cient&#xED;fico conmocion&#xF3; al mundo cuando supuestamente cre&#xF3; los primeros beb&#xE9;s gen&#xE9;ticamente modificados con CRISPR. Intent&#xF3; hacer que las gemelas fueran resistentes al VIH introduciendo una mutaci&#xF3;n de la l&#xED;nea germinal no estudiada. Sus acciones provocaron indignaci&#xF3;n y preocupaci&#xF3;n mientras los cient&#xED;ficos y el p&#xFA;blico se enfrentaban a lo que esto significaba para la humanidad. A&#xFA;n no est&#xE1; claro c&#xF3;mo afectar&#xE1; esto a la salud de las ni&#xF1;as, a su futura descendencia o a la poblaci&#xF3;n. Otra preocupaci&#xF3;n es el uso de material gen&#xE9;tico extra&#xF1;o para mejorar el suministro de alimentos. Las plantas son la fuente de alimento gen&#xE9;ticamente modificado m&#xE1;s com&#xFA;n, y 28 pa&#xED;ses cultivan casi 450 millones de acres de cultivos transg&#xE9;nicos en todo el mundo. Si bien existe un enorme potencial para asegurar el suministro de alimentos para una poblaci&#xF3;n mundial en crecimiento, se necesitan estudios cient&#xED;ficamente s&#xF3;lidos y a largo plazo para abordar las preocupaciones de los cr&#xED;ticos de los OGM.

¿Qué es la ingeniería genética?

Overview

Genetic engineering is the process of modifying an organism&#x2019;s DNA to introduce new, desirable traits. Many organisms, from bacteria to ...

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how scientists edit dna for new traits

Genetic engineering changes an organism’s DNA to add useful traits. Scientists use it in bacteria, plants, animals, and even viruses for research, medicine, agriculture, and industry. It can bring major benefits, but it also raises ethical concerns about humans and the food supply.

This work is possible because DNA has the same basic structure and genetic code across life. That shared code lets scientists modify DNA in several ways. One method is CRISPR/Cas9, often called molecular scissors, which uses CRISPR guide RNA and the Cas9 enzyme to cut DNA at specific sites. Scientists can also remove a gene to make a knockout, add a gene to make a knockin, or use gene targeting and homologous recombination, which is the exchange of DNA between similar sequences, to change an existing gene.

Scientists can also move a gene from one organism into another. The result is a transgenic organism, and DNA from different sources is called recombinant DNA. When an organism receives that DNA, it is considered a genetically modified organism, or GMO.

Genome editing has had a major effect on research, medicine, farming, and industry. In molecular biology, scientists often insert transgenes, or foreign genes, into bacteria and viruses to study how genes work. Bacteria were the first organisms to be genetically engineered. Scientists also added the human insulin gene to make synthetic insulin for people with diabetes.

Genetic engineering is also used in gene therapy. In this approach, a new gene is inserted into a person so cells can make the protein it encodes. Some treatments use modified viruses to carry the new gene into host cells. These viruses can infect diseased cells and add a correct copy of a faulty gene, which has helped treat disorders such as Severe Combined Immunodeficiency, or SCID.

CRISPR/Cas9 has become an increasingly popular tool for this kind of work. It uses a guide RNA to direct Cas9 to a chosen spot in the genome. Scientists can use it to add, remove, or change genetic material. In mouse models, CRISPR/Cas9 has been used to correct gene errors linked to Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Hepatitis B, cataracts, and cardiovascular disease.

Genetic engineering is not limited to health care. Transgenic goats have been made to produce spider silk in their milk for industrial use. In agriculture, some plants have been modified to improve nutritional content and pest resistance. These examples show how genome editing can affect both human health and everyday products.

There are also serious ethical questions. Germline editing is especially controversial because changes in germline cells can be passed to offspring, while somatic cell changes affect only the individual. In 2018, a scientist shocked the world when he allegedly created the first CRISPR-modified babies and tried to make twin girls resistant to HIV with an untested germline mutation. The long-term effects on the children, their future offspring, and the population remain unclear.

Food is another major concern. Plants are the most common genetically modified food source, and many countries grow GM crops on large areas of farmland. Genetic engineering may help support a growing population, but long-term, scientifically sound studies are still needed to address concerns from GMO critics.

How Scientists Edit DNA for New Traits

what is genetic engineering?

Genetic engineering changes an organism’s DNA to add useful traits. Scientists use it in bacteria, plants, animals, and even viruses for research, medicine, agriculture, and industry. It can bring major benefits, but it also raises ethical concerns about humans and the food supply. This work is possible because DNA has the same basic structure and genetic code across life. That shared code lets scientists modify DNA in several ways. One method is CRISPR/Cas9, often called molecular scissors,...

dna isolation

Steps in DNA Extraction

DNA extraction is the process of removing and purifying DNA from cells. It is used in many biotechnology and research applications, including molecular cloning. The main goal is to free DNA from the cell and prepare it for later study or use. The first step is cell lysis, which means breaking cells open. Researchers may use a homogenizer, sonicator, or bead beater to physically lyse the cells. They also often add detergent to chemically disrupt the lipid-based cell membranes. This helps...

recombinant dna technology

Recombinant DNA in Cloning and GMOs

Recombinant DNA is made by joining DNA from different sources in the lab. Scientists often use it to clone genes and study them in cells that are easy to handle, such as bacteria. Organisms that carry recombinant DNA are called genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. This technology gives scientists new tools for research, medicine, and agriculture. To build recombinant DNA, researchers place a gene of interest into a vector, which is a DNA carrier that moves foreign DNA into a host cell. The...

PCR Cycle for DNA Amplification

PCR is a laboratory method for making many copies of a DNA segment. It can turn a small amount of DNA into millions or even billions of copies in just a few hours. The process uses a heat-resistant DNA polymerase inside a machine called a thermocycler. PCR was developed by Kary Mullis in 1983, and he received the 1993 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for it. The method is fast, relatively inexpensive, and precise. It has become useful for molecular cloning, gene mutagenesis, pathogen detection, gene...

complementary dna

From mRNA to cDNA for Gene Studies

Complementary DNA, or cDNA, is made from messenger RNA (mRNA) so scientists can study which genes are active in cells and tissues. Only genes that are transcribed into mRNA are expressed. By extracting mRNA from cells, researchers can compare gene expression across samples. cDNA is produced by reverse transcription. This process copies mRNA into DNA, which is useful because mRNA does not contain introns, or non-coding regions, and other regulatory sequences. As a result, cDNA can help...

antibiotic selection

Antibiotic Resistance in Cloning

Antibiotic resistance genes help scientists find bacteria that took up a plasmid with a gene of interest. In genetic engineering, this resistance is used as a marker, not just as a medical concern. The same process also connects to the growing problem of resistant bacteria in the real world. Antibiotics, such as penicillin, stop bacterial growth or kill bacteria. When bacteria naturally have, or are engineered to carry, an antibiotic resistance gene, the antibiotic no longer works on them.

transgenic organisms

Creating Transgenic Plants and Animals

Transgenic organisms are genetically engineered to carry a transgene, which is a gene from a different species, in their genome. The inserted gene may be a new gene for that organism or a different version of one it already has. Scientists usually make transgenes with recombinant DNA and DNA cloning methods. Researchers use transgenic bacteria, plants, and animals to answer biological questions and to build useful tools. To make a transgenic organism, they first choose a transgenesis method,...

in-vitro mutagenesis (gene knockouts)

Knockout Mice and Gene Replacement

Knockout mice help researchers study gene function by showing what happens when a gene is turned off. These engineered animals are also useful for modeling human diseases such as cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and diabetes. A specific gene can be targeted by using a targeting vector, which is a piece of engineered DNA that replaces the normal gene and inactivates it. The vector has matching DNA sequences on both ends. These homologous sequences let the vector swap in for the target gene through...

crispr

CRISPR-Cas9 Gene Editing in Action

CRISPR-Cas9 is a genome editing tool that lets scientists change DNA at a specific location. It can add, remove, or rearrange genetic material. Researchers study it because it may help treat genetic disorders such as hemophilia and sickle cell anemia. CRISPR stands for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, and Cas9 is a CRISPR-associated protein 9. The basic system includes a Cas9 endonuclease, which is an enzyme that cuts DNA, and a small RNA that guides Cas9 to the...

gene therapy

Gene Delivery for Serious Diseases

Gene therapy is a technique used to treat serious disease by adding a gene to a person’s cells. The added gene may be a healthy copy of a mutated gene. It may also be a different gene that inactivates or compensates for the disease-causing gene. One example is severe combined immunodeficiency, or SCID, caused by a mutation in the gene for adenosine deaminase. In that case, a working copy of the gene can be inserted so the patient’s cells make the enzyme again. This can cure the disease in some...

embryonic stem cells

How Embryonic Stem Cells Become Specialized

Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent cells that have not yet specialized. Pluripotent means they can give rise to many different cell types in the body. Because of this, they are useful in science and medicine for making cells needed in research or for replacing cells lost to damage or disease. These cells come from the inner cell mass of a blastocyst, which is an early embryo about 3 to 5 days after fertilization in humans. At this stage, the embryo has not yet implanted in the uterus. Human...

adult stem cells

Adult Stem Cells in the Small Intestine

Adult stem cells help maintain tissues by replacing old or damaged cells. These undifferentiated cells divide to make more stem cells or progenitor cells, which then become mature, specialized cells. Small groups of adult stem cells are found in many tissues, including the bone marrow, brain, skin, and gut. The small intestine shows this process clearly. Its lining, called the epithelium, is renewed continuously by adult stem cells. It is also the fastest replaced tissue in the human body,...

induced pluripotent stem cells

Reprogramming Mature Cells into Stem Cells

Reprogramming mature cells into stem cells lets scientists turn specialized cells back into an unspecialized state. These cells are called induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPSCs. Like embryonic stem cells, iPSCs are pluripotent, which means they can form all cell types. To make iPSCs, researchers start with mature cells such as skin fibroblasts or blood cells. The cells are grown in culture, and genes for several transcription factors are delivered with a viral vector. The cells then make...

reproductive cloning

Cloning Animals with SCNT

Reproductive cloning can produce a genetically identical copy of an entire organism. In adult animals, this is usually done with somatic cell nuclear transfer, or SCNT. Another way clones can form is by splitting an early embryo, which is similar to how identical twins arise naturally. In SCNT, an egg cell is taken from an animal and its nucleus is removed. This creates an enucleated egg. A somatic cell, which is any body cell that is not a sex cell, is then taken from the animal to be cloned.

genomics

Genomics and DNA Sequencing

Genomics studies the full set of genetic material in an organism. In humans, that genome includes the DNA carried in 23 pairs of chromosomes in the nucleus, along with mitochondrial DNA. Genomics looks at both coding DNA and non-coding DNA, which helps scientists study how living things are built and how they differ. This field is useful in many areas of biology and medicine. Scientists use genomics to build phylogenetic trees, improve crop productivity and sustainability, help with criminal...

key terms and concepts

Explore how scientists edit DNA using CRISPR, gene targeting, and transgenic methods. Learn real examples in medicine, farming, and ethics.

How Scientists Edit DNA for New Traits | JoVE K12

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JoVE Core Biología da vida a la biología a través de una serie con más de 300 lecciones de vídeo animadas, concisas y fáciles de entender, que explican conceptos clave de la biología, incluyendo también más de 150 vídeos de científicos en acción, que muestran experimentos reales realizados en laboratorios actuales de investigación.

How Scientists Edit DNA for New Traits

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