A reporter gene can be used to monitor the transformation of host cell by foreign DNA. They act as a selectable marker to determine whether the host cell has taken up the foreign DNA or the foreign gene gets expressed in the cell. The researchers place the reporter gene and the foreign gene in the same DNA construct. Then, its combined DNA construct is inserted in the cell. Here, the reporter gene is used as a selectable marker to find out the successful uptake of genes of interests(foreign genes). An example of reporter gene includes lac Z gene, which encodes a green fluorescent protein in a jelly fish.
Biotechnology is a vast field of biology that involves the creation, production, and modification of useful products for human welfare using both the technology and the execution of living organisms and their components. An agricultural engineer, Karoly Ereky, coined the word "biotechnology" in 1919, achieving him the title of "Father of Biotechnology."
Among many, the two core techniques that entitled the birth of modern biotechnology are :