Methods have been developed to purify DNA from organisms, such as  phenol-chloroform extraction and manipulate it in the laboratory, such as  restriction digests and the polymerase chain reaction. Modern biology and  biochemistry make intensive use of these techniques in recombinant DNA  technology. Recombinant DNA is a man-made DNA sequence that has been assembled  from other DNA sequences. They can be transformed into organisms in the form of  plasmids or in the appropriate format, by using a viral vector. The genetically  modified organisms produced can be used to produce products such as recombinant  proteins, used in medical research, or be grown in agriculture.