Another quintessential example of both the synergy and serendipity of basic research is the origin of recombinant DNA technology, the prototypical technique of modern genetic engineering (sometimes called “genetic modification,” or GM). It resulted from a combination of findings in several esoteric, largely unrelated areas of basic research in the early 1970s.
另一个体现基础研究协同性和意外性的经典例子是DNA重组技术的起源。DNA重组技术是现代基因工程（有时也被称为“转基因”，简称GM）的鼻祖。它来自数个在20世纪70年代还十分深奥、基本不相关的基础研究领域的发现的组合。酶化学和核酸化学的研究产生了切割和重组DNA片段的技术。分馏程序的进步实现了对DNA和蛋白质的快速侦测、识别和分离。微生物生理学和遗传学知识的积累让人们可以将外来DNA注入细胞，让它们在新细胞中起作用。