Present and future applications of new biotechnology to problems of radiation damage and repair.

Recombinant DNA technology is having a profound impact on the way radiation responses are being studied today, and the impact should be even greater in the future. Five basic tools of the new technology are described in this article: restriction endonucleases, hybridization, DNA cloning, DNA sequencing, and specialized uses of cloning vectors. Examples of the present uses of these tools for the elucidation and modification of radiation responses are given, along with some likely future directions.