genetic engineering
noun
: the modification of an organism's genetic material that involves using applied techniques of genetics and biotechnology to alter or delete a DNA segment or to insert a new DNA segment from a different species in order to express (see express entry 1 sense 4) or suppress (see suppress sense 6) a targeted trait or traits : genetic modification
Breeders have used a variety of techniques—and are now beginning to use genetic engineering—to produce crops that grow faster, are less expensive to plant and have better defenses against insects, diseases and harsh weather.—
Keith Schneider
Keith SchneiderBesides developing its own purified form of insulin, it has harnessed the new techniques of genetic engineering to develop a means of producing human insulin in bacteria.—Science
Science
genetically engineered
adjective
genetically engineered soybean crops
genetic engineer
noun
plural genetic engineers
In test-tube procedures, genetic engineers had begun using chemical scissors known as restriction enzymes to snip particular chromosomes at designated points.
—Geoffrey Cowley
Geoffrey Cowley
Examples of genetic engineering in a Sentence
The crops were made resistant to disease by genetic engineering.
Recent Examples on the Web
Crop genetic engineering can be a very effective way to manage pests, but only a few crops like corn and soybeans made the transition to use of those methods before the anti-GMO movement effectively blocked that option from being able to the growers of almost all other crops.
—Steven Savage, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024
That changed when the team gave these mice an experimental cancer drug that could block the enzyme much the way genetic engineering had.
—Jon Hamilton, NPR, 2 Sep. 2024
For decades, scientists have tinkered with the DNA of plants, using genetic engineering and other biotechnologies to produce crops that taste better, resist pesticides, contain more nutrients and improve yields for farmers.
—Dino Grandoni, Washington Post, 1 Aug. 2024
On a whim, the researchers next used genetic engineering to increase PPE levels in Escherichia coli bacteria, replacing about a quarter of the bacteria’s phospholipids with PPE.
—Elizabeth Anne Brown, Scientific American, 27 June 2024
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Steven Savage, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024
That changed when the team gave these mice an experimental cancer drug that could block the enzyme much the way genetic engineering had.
—Jon Hamilton, NPR, 2 Sep. 2024
For decades, scientists have tinkered with the DNA of plants, using genetic engineering and other biotechnologies to produce crops that taste better, resist pesticides, contain more nutrients and improve yields for farmers.
—Dino Grandoni, Washington Post, 1 Aug. 2024
On a whim, the researchers next used genetic engineering to increase PPE levels in Escherichia coli bacteria, replacing about a quarter of the bacteria’s phospholipids with PPE.
—Elizabeth Anne Brown, Scientific American, 27 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for genetic engineering
Dictionary Entries Near genetic engineering
Cite this Entry
“Genetic engineering.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/genetic%20engineering. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
genetic engineering
noun
: the modification of an organism's genetic material that involves using applied techniques of genetics and biotechnology to alter or delete a DNA segment or to insert a new DNA segment from a different species in order to express (see express sense 3) or suppress (see suppress sense 3) a targeted trait or traits : genetic modification
Since genetic engineering offers the possibility of altering the amino acid sequence of the expressed protein by adding or substituting codons, it is possible to generate alternative sequences with tunable properties that can be used as promising biomaterials for medical applications.—Sílvia Gomes et al., Progress in Polymer Science
Sílvia Gomes et al., Progress in Polymer Science
genetically engineered
adjective
… vaccination with genetically engineered hypoallergenic allergen derivatives has the potential to reduce the pathological IgE response underlying allergic disease and, hence, may prevent the progression of disease.
—V. Niederberger et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
V. Niederberger et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
genetic engineer
noun
Recent experiments have been used to "edit" genomes of various plant, animal and other species, including humans, with unprecedented precision. … These experiments represent advances along a spectrum of technological abilities that genetic engineers have been working on since the advent of recombinant DNA techniques.
—Pamela L. Sankar and Mildred K. Cho, The American Journal of Bioethics
Pamela L. Sankar and Mildred K. Cho, The American Journal of Bioethics
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