HUMAN PROTEINS FROM

Images courtesy of the Wellcome Library

GMBACTERIA
Injecting insulin is
an everyday event for
many people with
diabetes.

GENETIC ENGINEERING OF ORGANISMS

involves transferring genes from one species into another. Genetic engineering is currently being used
to make medicines, produce food and create mosquitoes whose offspring die before reproducing.

SPECIFICATION CONTENT

STIMULUS

be obtained from genetically engineered

bacteria to produce human insulin using the

bacteria, eg human insulin. New: students

DNA models or the animation

should be able to understand genetic

(www.abpischools.org.uk/page/modules/

engineering to include: the basic techniques

diabetes/diabetes6.cfm). Read the concept

used to produce human insulin (for the

cartoon together. Give students time to

treatment of diabetes) transfer of a human

discuss their answers in groups of 4. They may

insulin gene into a plasmid of a bacterial cell to

agree with more than one person on the page.

form a genetically modified bacterium which

QUESTIONS

Old: understand how human proteins can

can then be cultured in a fermenter to produce

human insulin; and the advantages of
producing human insulin (and other products)
by this method, exemplifying how and why

Demonstrate genetic engineering of

Allow some individual thinking time

following the concept cartoon discussion. Ask

decisions about science are made.

post it note. Working in the same groups as

STARTER

on an A4 page and place in the centre of the

Play the DNA model race (see overleaf).

Working in groups of 4, students are given ten
minutes to make the longest chain of model
DNA they can. Organise the bases (jelly tots)
and sugar and phosphate groups
(marshmallows) on plates at the front of the
room.

www.ulster.ac.uk/scienceinsociety/

Insulin

students to write a question for enquiry on a

before, share questions and select one to write
circle. To select the question for enquiry, ask

EVALUATION
Exit tickets: students fill in and hand in at

everyone to close their eyes and vote for only

the door on their way out.

one question. The questions are tackled in

NEXT STEPS

order from most to least votes.

ENQUIRY

Give each student the Agros product

advertisement and ask them to design and

Make the target that the class set last time

visible in the centre of the circle.

[1 ]

prepare the instruction sheet to accompany

the toy, using what they know about genetic

Resource for Teachers

THEMODELDNA

DNAISSWEET

R A C E
Your task is to make the longest chain of model DNA in the class in 10
minutes. Pink marshmallows represent phosphate groups, white
marshmallows represent deoxyribose (sugar) groups. Four colours of jelly tot
sweets represent bases: yellow is adenine (A), orange is thymine (T), green is
guanine (G) and purple is cytosine (C). Toothpicks and string represent
bonds. When building your DNA, remember that:
- the backbone is made of a repeating pattern of a deoxyribose group
attached to a phosphate group;
- bases are attached to the deoxyribose groups;
- adenine always pairs with thymine;
- guanine always pairs with cytosine; and
- DNA found in cells is a clockwise spiral helix (if you put your right hand
in front of you with the thumb pointing up, your fingers are the direction of
the sugar-phosophate backbone.)
To think about:
What are the limitations of this model?
What are the strengths of this model?
How could you improve this model?
Can you use this model to explain the triplet code for making proteins?
Can you use this model to show how genetic engineering is done?

The DNA
double helix
made from
sweets.

www.ulster.ac.uk/scienceinsociety/

[2 ]

Resource for Teachers

M O D E L l I N G

G E N E T I C
ENGINEERING
Strands of students sweet DNA may be used to model genetic engineering. Create two long chains of DNA
using all groups models from the model DNA race.
Connect the ends of one strand so that it represents a bacterial plasmid.
The remaining long chain will represent a strand of human DNA.
The human gene for producing insulin is required. Using a pair of scissors labelled restriction enzyme, cut out a
section of DNA from the human chain to represent the gene for insulin.
Cut into the plasmid, insert the human insulin gene, and close the plasmid again. Explain that this is inserted into
a bacteria cell (where time and creativity allow, a model bacteria cell can be made), where the code tells the bacteria
how to make insulin. The genetically engineered bacteria are allowed to grow in fermentation vessels. They are then
harvested and the cells broken to release insulin. This is then purified and packaged for human use.
Highlight weaknesses in the model, e.g. the lengths of DNA short in comparison to the number of base pairs
found on a human chromosome/ bacterial plasmid and does not show the mechanism of insulin production.

The future of
insulin production:
GM safflower?

www.ulster.ac.uk/scienceinsociety/

[3 ]

Resource for Teachers

MAKING HUMAN PROTEINS FROM GENETICALLY MODIFIED BACTERIA

Who do you agree with?

Why?

This is a
great way to make
insulin. You can make
loads of insulin and save
lives. Plus it is human so
is less likely to cause
I dont think
allergic reactions.
insulin should be made
like this. It is sick to put
human genes in any living
thing - even
bacteria.
plasmid

restriction
enzymes cut the
bacterial plasmid

bacteria cell

human gene
inserted into
bacterial plasmid

genetically
engineered plasmid
inserted into
bacteria

!
!

human cell

enzymes cut out

desired gene
from DNA

I think the
gene for making insulin
should be directly inserted into
people with diabetes. If we
genetically engineer bacteria,
why not humans?

genetically
engineered
bacteria make
human insulin

I think
scientists should work
on making organs from stem
cells. A pancreas transplant.
would permanently solve
the problem.

www.ulster.ac.uk/scienceinsociety/

[4 ]

Resource for Teachers

EXITTICKET
What did you learn during this lesson?

What happened during the enquiry that

helped you to learn?

What do you need to find out now?

www.ulster.ac.uk/scienceinsociety/

[5 ]

Resource for Teachers

Genetic engineering
A glimpse into the future?
Design the information sheet to show how this protein builder kit works, based on your
knowledge of how insulin is produced. Some other proteins currently made this way are human
interferon (used to treat some cancers and hepatitis) and human growth hormone (used to treat
growth disorders in children).
Include and explain the following key words: gene, plasmid, DNA, bacteria, fermenter, restriction
enzymes, extraction, purification, human. Also include the advantages of producing proteins in
this way compared to alternative methods.

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PROTEIN

BUILDER

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Make your own human protein with our new science set!
Back in the 2010s, people dreamed of being able to make
their own proteins to treat diseases resulting from a
deficiency of a protein. No more!
Why be dependent on big pharmaceutical companies for
your medical needs when this kit enables you to make the
protein you require at home?
Contains

bacteria

restriction enzymes
fermenter

Not supplied
human cells

N O T Y E T A V A I L A B L E : P R E - O R D E R O N LY

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[6 ]

Resource for Teachers

the

n
o
i
t
a
m
r
o
f
in
GM ba
cter

Genetic modification (GM)

Genetic modification or engineering
enables a gene found in one species to be
transferred to another species. It produces a
unique set of genes in an organism. The

blood sugar levels may rise dangerously high.

In some cases, diabetics can control their
blood sugar by controlling their diet. In other
cases, they need to inject insulin.

ia

The future
Clinical trials are currently underway for
insulin produced by genetically modified
safflower plants. This is a way of producing

Sourcing insulin
Insulin was initially sourced from the
pancreas of animals (including pigs and cows)
slaughtered for meat. However, more insulin
was needed than could be produced in this
way, and also animal insulin is slightly different

insulin secretions in the

pancreas

plasmid DNA

to human insulin. It caused allergic reactions

in about 5% of people treated.

Using GM bacteria
In the 1980s, bacteria were first
genetically engineered and used as mini
applications of genetic engineering include

factories to make insulin. This insulin was

insulin more cheaply than with bacteria, but

injected into volunteers with diabetes.

some people are concerned with the release of

making organisms that can produce medicines

The diagram (below) shows how E. coli

for humans, e.g. bacteria that can make human

bacteria are used to make human insulin. To

insulin and goats that can produce human

produce the quantities required, the bacteria

modified using a virus to deliver the required

antithrombin (a protein that prevents blood

are grown in a nutrient bath in sealed

gene to target cells) may also be used in the

from clotting) in their milk.

fermentation vessels. This must be done in

future. It has shown signs of working in

Human insulin

very hygienic conditions.

research involving other animals.

GM safflower plants into the wild.

Gene therapy (when a persons genes are

Insulin is a hormone produced by the

pancreas. It tells your body when to move
plasmid

glucose from your blood into cells. Your liver

restriction
enzymes cut the
bacterial plasmid

bacteria cell

human gene
inserted into
bacterial plasmid

E. coli are genetically

engineered to make
insulin

cells convert excess glucose into glycogen. In

!
!

human cell

enzymes cut out

desired gene
from DNA
genetically
engineered
bacteria make
human insulin

people with type 1 diabetes, the pancreas

cant make enough insulin. This means that

www.ulster.ac.uk/scienceinsociety/

genetically
engineered plasmid
inserted into
bacteria

[7 ]

Resource for Teachers