restriction enzymes

Cultural  

1. Chemicals used in the lab to cut up DNA at specific sites so that it may be sequenced. They function in nature as a form of bacterial self-protection that can cut up foreign DNA. The use of restriction enzymes is crucial in DNA fingerprinting.

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Example Sentences

What are the functions of the restriction enzymes and DNA ligase in recombination?

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Instead of reproducing DNA replication in a test tube and making different fragment lengths with special nucleotides, a DNA sample is chopped into pieces with special molecular scissors called restriction enzymes.

From Slate • Feb. 5, 2019

Once DNA has been cut by restriction enzymes, scientists can use gel electrophoresis to separate the fragments.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2018

No matter which technique is used, researchers need to be careful when choosing their restriction enzymes.

From Nature • Feb. 9, 2011

The scientists analyzed the samples by mixing them with restriction enzymes, proteins that cut strands of DNA at specific sites.

From Time Magazine Archive