Applications Transgenic science has opened the doors to a variety of new techniques and applications. Transgenic animals can be used to study: Disease and Treatment Many transgenic organisms are used as models to simulate a certain disease. By inserting, activating or deleting certain genes, scientists have the ability to mimic the symptoms of a disease in animals. This allows scientists to study the cause and possible treatments of a certain disease. By using transgenic animals, researchers can look at disease with more scrutiny and test out various treatments and drugs. Specific Gene Function and Regulation Transgenic mice are often generated to characterize the ability of a promoter* to direct tissue-specific gene expression, for example a promoter can be attached to a reporter gene*. They are also used to study the misexpression or overexpression of foreign genes at specific times and locations in the animals. The cis and trans factors* that regulate the cell are influenced by insertion and in transgenic mammals researchers are able to evaluate the importance of those factors in development, timing efficiency and distribution. All of these experiments can reveal important information regarding specific genes and reinforces transgenics important place in the field of genetics. | Harvest new Products through Molecular Farming Molecular farming is a term usually associated with genetically modified crops, but in this case applies to genetically engineered organisms. Biopharming is used to target specific proteins created in these animals and commercialize them into pharmaceutical products. One example of this is rabbits that are used to produce human interleukin-2, which is a protein involved in the immune response to infection is being researched in its ability to fight some cancers.
 Fig.8. Example of Transgenic Mouse  Fig.9. Transgenic technology can be used to create new drugs and medicines |
