The breaking and rejoining of DNA molecules is at the heart of so many cell biological processes, including adaptive immunity, the common emergence of new viral variants (such as the flu), the fundamental life cycle of other viruses (such as retroviruses), the prevention of aneuploidy in reproductive cells, the production of chromosomal rearrangements in cancer cells, and the repair of damaged DNA. Used as a tool by molecular biologists, recombinant DNA has led to tremendous insight into cell function, development, and disease. Recombinant DNA methodology is growing in its capacity to precisely change the genes carried by organisms, which has important implications for both the food industry and medicine. In this half-semester course, we will examine primary literature that touches on how recombination between DNA sequences is utilized within cells and as a research tool by humans to promote new genetic outcomes. |