ABSTRACT
The major advantage of gene technology over a classical genetic approach is that gene technology allows cloning, characterization and modification of genes, regulatory regions, or any other kind of DNA sequences. Cloned sequences can be transferred at will, to new hosts that are more suitable for a detailed study of their function and regulation. Cloning techniques are of increasing value in the genomic era, particularly when new genome-programs are initiated almost every month, leading to the accumulation of enormous amounts of DNA sequence data. Analysis of this huge mass of sequence data requires further molecular genetic studies aimed at the functional analyses of the tremendous amount of raw sequence information. For example, the human genome program has resulted in the identification of the primary structure of the whole genome of Homo sctpiens, but the function of more than 90% of the human genes are still unknown. An additional advantage of using gene technology is that it can be exploited in breeding programs, and the use of cloned genes allows for the most precise modification or transfer of a single trait, without affecting other properties of the breeding material.
