GBF
abbreviation ofGesellschaft für Biotechnologische Forschung
(German) Acronym for the German Research Centre for Biotechnology.
In 2006, the GBF was renamed as Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI).gene
definitionA gene is…
Stretch of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) or ribonucleic acid (RNA) that constitutes a single hereditary informational unit. Normally, genes contain the blueprint for an organism's physical characteristics that e.g. determine what the organism will look like. The blueprint is encoded in a chemical four-letter code. In a strictly regulated way, this code is translated into a protein via the intermediate step RNA.
genetically engineered organism
definitionA genetically engineered organism is…
Organism whose hereditary material was intentionally altered.
gene therapy
definitionGene therapy is…
Introducing and integrating genes into the cells of an organism in order to compensate for genetic defects. Genetic defects describe missing genes or genes that have mutated and thus lost their function. In most cases, genetic defects are hereditary. Gene therapy as medical treatment is still in a developmental stage. As such, it is conceivable that a functional therapeutic gene might replace a mutated one.