Cloning vehicles

Cloning vehicles in biotechnology typically refer to the systems and mechanisms used to facilitate the cloning of DNA or cells for scientific research or therapeutic purposes. These vehicles, often called vectors, act as carriers to introduce genetic material into a host organism. The most common types of cloning vehicles are plasmids, viruses, and bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs), each serving a specific role depending on the scale and complexity of the cloning task.

1. Plasmids: Circular DNA molecules that naturally exist in bacteria, plasmids are widely used in gene cloning. They are modified to include the gene of interest and then inserted into bacterial cells, which replicate the plasmid, allowing for mass production of the cloned gene.

2. Viruses: Viral vectors are engineered viruses that can deliver genetic material into host cells. These vehicles are particularly useful for cloning in more complex organisms or for gene therapy purposes.

3. Bacterial Artificial Chromosomes (BACs): These cloning vehicles are used to clone larger DNA fragments, sometimes hundreds of kilobases long. BACs are highly stable and suitable for studying large genomes.

These cloning vehicles have broad applications in biotechnology, including producing genetically modified organisms (GMOs), gene therapy, and drug development.