Question

Discuss a) Genomic and complementary DNA (cDNA) libraries and b) The testing of pharmaceutical drugs.

Answer 1

Genomic library: Genome is nothing but the whole DNA of a single organism isolated and cut into small pieces using restriction enzymes followed by cloning them into desired vectors like BAC, YAC etc (which can hold DNA size of >10kb and making into a small library where the entire genetic information of one perticular organism is stored.

cDNA (complementary DNA) library: A central dogma of molecular biology is GENETIC information flows from DNA-RNA- protein. For any normal function of cells DNA should convert its information into mRNA followed by translation of information interms of proteins.

Because RNA is not stable for long term we isolate mRNA and convert them into cDNA) using the bioinformatics tool design primers which can give more copies of cDNA by PCR and clone them into bacterial vectors to make a library.

All these informations are consolidated after analysis and stored in the form of dabatase which is helpfull for further research and trougleshooting.

Testing of pharmaceutical drugs:

This includes testing of drug componds against prepared library to know the effect of drug against DNA of the host. identification of mechanism of action, mode of drug intake inside the cell, efflux route, mechamism of resistence, interaction with other drugs etc.