 | ||
 | | |
 | ||
| | |
 | ||
| | |
 | |||||
DOWNLOAD | |||||
| |||||
| | | | | |
TO THE READER |  | |||||
 | How to download these files Illuminating DNA is available as downloadable Adobe Acrobat (PDF) files. Details of how to obtain a free copy of the Adobe Acrobat Reader software are given here. | | ||||
Work with DNA is central to many, if not most, developments in modern biotechnology. There is growing public awareness of DNA technologies, their possible applications and wider implications. However, much of the essential debate about current genetics has generated more heat than light. Fortunately, the basic science upon which DNA technologies are founded features in nearly every school examination syllabus in biology or science. This booklet is intended primarily for post-16 students of biology and their teachers. The practical exercises described here provide an introduction to some of the classical techniques of molecular biology in a form suitable for the school laboratory. For reasons of safety and expense, some the work in this booklet is not particularly suited to open-ended practical investigations, but some ideas that may provide starting points for additional work of your own are given. More ideas are provided in other NCBE publications such as: The Lambda DNA Protocol; Investigating Plant DNA and The Transformer Protocol. The latter publication also provides an introduction to ethical, social and other issues raised by DNA technology. An adequate treatment of the wider issues raised by DNA technology (particularly those associated with human genetics, environmental concerns or food biotechnology) cannot be given in this slim booklet, nor can it take the place of the many excellent school textbooks covering basic biochemistry and molecular biology. It aims merely to provide sufficient information for you to understand the practical exercises. References to other materials are provided throughout the publication. | ||||||
 | ||||||
| | | | | | |
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS | ||
| | |
The production of this booklet was very kindly supported by Unilever plc. The contents are entirely the responsibility of the NCBE however. Unilever's only conditions in sponsoring this booklet were that we made the publication freely available via the Internet, and that we consulted our colleague, Dr Malcolm Thomas, in the Department of Education at the University of Aberystwyth. Malcolm made many helpful comments, for which we are grateful. Marjorie Smith of Dollar Academy was very supportive too, giving us tips for making this booklet more palatable to those in Scotland. The molecular structure data for several of the figures came from the Protein Data Bank and the Nucleic Acid Database; accession numbers are printed by the figures, and the full references are given here. Any errors in this booklet are the author's, of course. | ||
| | |
Copyright © National Centre for Biotechnology Education, 2006 | www.ncbe.reading.ac.uk | ||
| | |