Random Mutagenesis

Random Mutagenesis

Random mutagenesis is the easiest way to change the genome of an organism. In this process, a large collection of individuals of the organism is targeted with a mutagen, which is something that damages or changes DNA. The key is to use just enough of the mutagen to cause one change in DNA per unit of organism. The collection of organisms is then allowed to grow or multiply and screened for changes in a specific activity, also known as phenotype. The individual that shows a new phenotype is then isolated, replicated and analyzed to find out exactly where in the genome the change occurred. This technique is best studied using examples from the literature: