Progress in any scientific discipline is dependent on the availability of techniques and methods that extend the range and sophistication of experiments which may be performed. Over the last 30 years or so this has been demonstrated in a spectacular way by the emergence of genetic engineering. This field has grown rapidly to the point where, in many laboratories around the world, it is now routine practice to isolate a specific DNA fragment from the genome of an organism, determine its base sequence, and assess its function. The technology is also now used in many other applications, including pharmaceutical analysis of samples, paternity disputes, medical diagnosis, genomic and the biotechnology industry.
