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Production of rBST
While specific information about the production of rBST is proprietary, the
technology is commonly used to produce other proteins such as human insulin.
In short, the gene for a protein of interest is cloned into a bacterial plasmid.
Bacteria, usually a non-virulent type of E. coli, undergo Transformation.
Bacteria that receive the plasmid will produce the protein product of the gene.
The protein can then be purified from bacterial extract. The bacteria are
technically genetically engineered, but the term is somewhat stretched in this
case. The bacteria are being used to produce a product, but they are not
fundamentally changed.
Cows that receive rBGH are not genetically engineered. rBGH is administered in
the same way as other treatments such as insulin that are used in humans.
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