pGLO Lab

pGLO Observations , Data Recording & Analysis

1.

Obtain your team plates.  Observe your set of  “+pGLO” plates under room light and with UV light.  Record numbers of colonies and color of colonies. Fill in the table below. Plate Number of Colonies Color of colonies under room light Color of colonies under   UV light - pGLO LB 0 Light Gray Dark Gray - pGLO LB/amp None None None + pGLO LB/amp 6 Light Gray Dark Gray + pGLO LB/amp/ara 7 White Green

2.	What two new traits do your transformed bacteria have?
	The transformed bacteria now glows (because of the GFP) and is resistant to ampicilin.
3.	Estimate how many bacteria were in the 100 uL of bacteria that you spread on each plate. Explain your logic.
	There are over a million bacteria in one colony. I predict that about ten colonies are in a hundred microliters (uL). Therefore, there would be about ten or eleven million bacteria in one hundred microliters.
4.	What is the role of arabinose in the plates?
	The arabinose provides a way to control the expression of the glowing fluorescent protein (GFP) gene. If it is present, the GFP will cause to the bacteria to glow. If it isn't, then that won't happen.
5.	List and briefly explain three current uses for GFP (green fluorescent protein) in research or applied science.
	- Fluorescence microscopy GFP is used with fluorescence microscopes, microscopes that use fluorescence to study properties of substances. GFP has advanced and redefined this field and will cause some substances studied to fluoresce. - Macro-photography Certain biological processes, like the spread of virus infections, can be followed using labeling. This labeling is done with GFP. Epifluourescent camera attachments are now used instead of UV light. - Transgenic Animals Some animals have been genetically engineered to glow using GFP. These animals can help scientists study certain things, like human diseases, and were also marketed as pets.
6.	Give an example of another application of genetic engineering.

Bacteria can modified to make certain proteins that can obtained and used. For

example, insulin and spider silk, which are difficult to get naturally, can be made

by genetically engineered bacteria.

Candy Electrophoresis Lab

In this lab we electrophoresed four reference dyes and four candies: red Mike and Ike's, purple Skittles, green M&Ms, and orange Reeses. The blue reference dye didn't match any of the candies' or references' length. Every dye had only one color band. Also, none of the dyes moved towards the cathode. The purple and red candy had a different dye color. The red and purple areas were also larger than those of the reference dyes. These dyes are probably just variations of the red reference dye. The dyes Citrus red 2 and Fast green FCF would migrate similarly to the dyes in this lab because they have similar structures to the reference dyes.

             

              

Dog food manufacturers may put artifical food colors in dog food to make it look more appealing to buy. Also, people will buy the food if it looks good and has color. Additionally, it could taste good for dogs. Foods I eat that would probably have artificial dyes are chips, candy (like M&Ms), macaroni and cheese, and soda (not too often). Artificial food colors can be preferable to companies rather than natural food dyes because it could be less expensive, taste better, and look appealing to eat. The length of the DNA fragment and the molecules in the dye control what distance the dye migrates. Electricity is the force that helps to move the dyes through the gel. Positive and negative charges at each end of the gel causes the molecules to separate by size. The smaller the DNA fragment, the longer/faster the fragment goes toward the positive charge (because DNA has a negative charge). The opposite happens for large fragments. DNA molecules of the lengths 600, 1000, 2000, 5000 daltons would separate like this: The 5000 wouldn't go far and would be closest to the cathode. The 600 would go the farthest distance. The 1000 would be second and the 2000 would be third, closer to the 5000-length molecule.

SMART Goals

     One goal that I have for this semester is to study better for tests. I will find a way to study that helps me remember the material I learn from each unit. I can try different studying methods, such as using Quizlet, answering questions from Relate and Reviews and Do Nows, taking the CFUs again, and re-watching parts of vodcasts. For each unit, I can try each or multiple techniques. By the end of the semester, I hope to study in a way that helps and benefits me, so that I can use this method or one like it for another class.
     Another goal that I will try to accomplish is participating more in classes. Participation is important, and it helps you to speak better and for longer amounts of time. I can start by raising my hand a few times. As the semester goes on, I want to share my answers or ideas more often, but not all the time. Also, I can be more involved when doing things in class like projects or labs. This could help me overall have a better experience in class and gain more knowledge.