4. What is genetic engineering? The significance and application of human genome project in medicine are briefly described.

gene engineering, also known as recombinant DNA technology, is to extract or synthesize the genetic materials (DNA fragments) of different organisms at the molecular level according to people's scientific research or production needs, cut and splice in vitro to form recombinant DNA, then recombine the recombinant DNA with the genetic materials of the carrier, and then introduce it into recipient cells without this DNA for replication and expression, so as to produce products that meet human needs or create organisms. According to the cloning and expression system of the target gene, it can be divided into prokaryotic genetic engineering, yeast genetic engineering, plant genetic engineering and animal genetic engineering.

significance and application of the human genome project in medicine:

1. contribution of HGP to the research of human disease genes

genes related to human diseases are vital information for the structural and functional integrity of the human genome. For monogenic diseases, the new ideas of "location cloning" and "positional candidate cloning" have led to the discovery of a large number of genes causing monogenic diseases such as Huntington's disease, hereditary colon cancer and breast cancer, which laid the foundation for gene diagnosis and gene therapy of these diseases. At present, polygenic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, tumors, diabetes, neuropsychiatric diseases (senile dementia, schizophrenia) and autoimmune diseases are the focus of disease gene research. Health-related research is an important part of HGP. In 1997, it was put forward one after another: "Tumor Genome Anatomy Plan" and "Environmental Genomics Plan".

2. Contribution of HGP to medicine

Gene diagnosis, gene therapy and treatment based on genome knowledge, disease prevention based on genome information, identification of susceptible genes, lifestyle of risk population and intervention of environmental factors.

3. Contribution of HGP to biotechnology

(1) Genetic engineering drugs: secreted proteins (polypeptide hormones, growth factors, chemokines, coagulation and anticoagulation factors, etc.) and their receptors.

(2) diagnostic and research reagent industry: gene and antibody kits, biochips for diagnosis and research, disease and drug screening models.

(3) Promoting cell, embryo and tissue engineering: embryonic and adult stem cells, cloning technology and organ reconstruction.

4. Contribution of HGP to pharmaceutical industry

Screening drug targets: combining combinatorial chemistry and natural compound separation technology, establishing Qualcomm's receptor and enzyme binding test; knowledge-based drug design: advanced structural analysis, prediction and simulation of gene and protein products-drug action "pocket".

Individualized drug therapy: pharmacogenomics.

5. Important influence of HGP on social economy

Biological industry and information industry are two economic pillars of a country; Social and economic benefits of discovering new functional genes; Genetically modified food; Genetically modified drugs (such as diet pills and height-increasing drugs)

6. The influence of HGP on the study of biological evolution < P > The evolutionary history of organisms is written in the "heavenly book" of each genome; Paramecium is a relative of human beings-1.3 billion years; Man evolved from a kind of monkey 3-4 million years ago. Humans "walked out of Africa" for the first time-2 million years of ancient apes; The human "Eve" came from Africa, 2, years ago-the second "out of Africa"?

7. The negative effects brought by HGP

Jurassic Park is not just a science fiction story; Racial selective genocidal biological weapons; Gene patent war; Predatory war of genetic resources; Genes and personal privacy.