recombinant DNA

noun

, Genetics.

1. DNA in which one or more segments or genes have been inserted, either naturally or by laboratory manipulation, from a different molecule or from another part of the same molecule, resulting in a new genetic combination.

recombinant DNA

noun

1. DNA molecules that are extracted from different sources and chemically joined together; for example DNA comprising an animal gene may be recombined with DNA from a bacterium

recombinant DNA

/ rē-kŏm′bə-nənt /

1. A form of DNA produced by combining genetic material from two or more different sources by means of genetic engineering. Recombinant DNA can be used to change the genetic makeup of a cell, as in adding a gene to make a bacterial cell produce insulin.

Word History and Origins

Origin of recombinant DNA¹

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

The recombinant DNA letter led to a four-day meeting at the Asilomar Conference Grounds on the Monterey Peninsula, where 140 researchers gathered to draft safety guidelines for the new work.

From Los Angeles Times

The letter called for an international meeting of the scientific community to “deal with the potential biohazards of recombinant DNA molecules.”

From Washington Post

The process became popularly known as recombinant DNA.

From Los Angeles Times

In 1971, he was already a well-known researcher at Stanford University when he oversaw the artificial introduction of DNA from one virus into another, creating the first recombinant DNA, or rDNA.

From New York Times

"There is serious concern that some of these artificial recombinant DNA molecules could prove biologically hazardous," a panel of prominent scientists, chaired by Berg, wrote in Science in 1974.

From Salon