Horizontal Gene Transfer

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is a term for the transfer of genetic material between organisms in a manner other than parent to offspring (known as vertical gene transfer). Bacteria commonly use methods of HGT, including transformation, transduction, and conjugation, to exchange genes with each other. Such genes can code for a variety of proteins, with diverse functions. Some of these functions are beneficial to humans, such as bacterial transformation with genes coding for human insulin and growth hormone. Other functions are detrimental to humans, such as when bacteria use HGT to acquire genes that give the resistance to medically important antibiotics. In this module, students will be introduced to the three common methods of HGT used by bacteria and watch virtual labs where bacteria are “transformed” to gain the ability to glow under UV light and where environmental bacteria and human symbionts are screened for the resistance to antibiotics.