But before the explosion in recombinant DNA could begin, scientists would have to learn not only how to transfer DNA, but also how to isolate and modify individual genes.

Restriction enzymes are one of the most important tools in the recombinant DNA technology toolbox. But how were these enzymes discovered? And what makes them so useful?

A Sticky Situation: Recombinant DNA Technology Janet Mertz’s work with simian virus 40 DNA during her graduate years was pivotal for developing DNA recombination as we now know it.

Biotech companies use recombinant DNA to insert genes coding for useful products into bacteria and other organisms, turning them into tiny factories for making things from medicine to industrial ...

Some enzymes we use come from ordinary organisms and some are made by "extremophiles-" microbes adapted to live in unusually harsh environments.

In the context of the NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules, recombinant DNA molecules are defined as either: molecules that are constructed outside living cells by joining ...