Question

What is an advantage of using transgenic bacteria to produce human proteins?

Answer 1

Transgenic bacteria have the advantage of producing large quantities of therapeutic proteins like insulin effectively, cost-effectively, and consistently, reducing allergic reactions associated with animal-derived insulin.

Step-by-step explanation:

One significant advantage of using transgenic bacteria to produce human proteins is the capacity to manufacture large quantities of therapeutic proteins needed to treat various medical conditions. For example, by using transformation, scientists can insert DNA coding for human proteins like insulin into bacteria like E. coli, which then produce the protein. This method is not only more cost-effective than obtaining the proteins from animal sources but also reduces the risk of allergic reactions and ensures consistency and purity of the pharmaceutical product.

Particularly, the production of human insulin in E. coli revolutionized diabetes treatment, moving away from pig insulin that could cause allergic reactions due to slight differences in protein structure. Furthermore, transgenic bacteria can potentially express many different proteins, making them incredibly versatile for biotechnological applications, from antibiotics to human growth hormone (HGH) treatments.

Answer 2

Transgenic bacteria produce human proteins in a greater amount.

Bacteria are simple organisms with fast reproduction. The bacterial population can double its size every 20 minutes. So, they are very suitable for growing in the culture and for genetic modifications. Nowadays, it is easy to modify bacterial genome to produce desired proteins, such as insulin, human growth hormone, etc. Thanks to its quick reproduction, desired proteins are produced in greater amount for a short period of time.