Plasmid Pglo Transformation Lab Report

This pBlu lab had for purpose to present the changes of the strain of E. coli bacteria due to new genetic information being introduced into the cell. In this experiment we are freezing and heat shocking the E. Coli bacteria that is then forced to take the plasmid DNA. The E. coli then transforms the pBLu plasmid, which carries the genes coding for two identifiable phenotypes. After following the Carolina Biological steps our lab worked well and we able to see some colonies of bacteria on the plates. The x-gal plate showed a significant amount of bacteria to confirm that the pBlu plasmid took over the E. coli strain.

First, 50 uL of bacterial cells were made competent by being treated with 590 uL of CaCl2 in three different test tubes before transformation of the plasmids took place. In order to enhance the uptake of the plasmid DNA the instructor added the CaCl2 solution to the bacterial cells. The tubes were placed into a cold ice bath for about ten minutes after the CaCl2 solution was added into the test tubes of E. Coli.

This experiment was designed to test and observe the transformation efficacy of the pUC18 and lux plasmids in making E. coli resistant to ampicillin. Both plasmids code for ampicillin resistance, however, the lux plasmid codes for a bioluminescence gene that is expressed if properly introduced into the bacteria’s genome. The E. coli cultures were mixed with a calcium chloride solution and then heat shocked, allowing the plasmids to enter the bacteria and assimilate into the bacterial DNA. The plasmids and the bacteria were then mixed in different test tubes and then evenly spread onto petri dishes using a bacterial spreader, heating the spreader between each sample to make sure there is no cross contamination. Each of the dishes was labeled and then incubated for a period of 24 hours. The results were rather odd because every single one of the samples grew. Several errors could have occurred here, cross contamination or possibly an error in preparation as every single sample in the class grew, meaning all samples of the bacteria transformed and became ampicillin resistant.

The purpose of this experiment was to show the genetic transformation of E. coli bacteria with a plasmid that codes for Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) and contains a gene regulatory system that confers ampicillin resistance. A plasmid is a genetic structure in a cell that can replicate independently of chromosomes. In this lab, the Green Fluorescent Protein, which is typically found in the bioluminescent jellyfish Aequorea Victoria, was cloned, purified, and moved from one organism to another with the use of pGlo plasmids. It was hypothesized that if bacteria that were transformed with +pGlo plasmids are given the gene for GFP, then transformed cell colonies

The pGLO plasmid will transform the E. coli bacteria with a gene called GFP that codes for the Green Fluorescent Protein in the genetic code. GFP was discovered in the jellyfish, Aequorea victoria as a green fluorescent light emitted from the jellyfish. It was typically seen in the dark upon its activation and since then has been used in studies relating to genetic transformation. (Chalfie and Tu 1994) The majority of the studies test the many different factors that are required in the transformation of pGLO which will determine the functionality of GFP in the E.coli bacterium. The first experiment in transforming GFP and E. coli was completed in 1994 by Chalfie and was further refined the same year. The experiment proved the importance of using restriction enzymes, and DNA ligase in the process of transforming GFP to identify arabinose as the primary activator, and to identify the ampicillin

For this experiment, E. coli was best for genetic engineering because of their size, and their fast reproduction (Spilios, 2017). E. coli will be genetically transformed using an engineered plasmid. A plasmid is a circular piece of DNA which independently replicates and multiplies because it has its own origin of replication (Spilios, 2017). The pGLO is the plasmid used in this experiment. Plasmids are used as vectors and they contain manipulated genes such as genes coding for antibiotic resistance for drugs like ampicillin. This antibiotic resistance of such serves as the selectable marker in genetic transformation and for genetic transformation to proceed, the cell must reach competency which is the physiological state that is required for the vector plasmid to get into the cell for transformation (Spilios, 2017). While competency can be reached naturally in some organism, it must be reached artificially in E. coli through treatment with CaCl2 and exposing them to heat shock using incubation (Spilios, 2017).

Coli. The first standard E. Coli has no resistance plasmid while the second strain contains a resistance plasmid with genes protecting it from ampicillin. This standard E. Coli and pAMP (plasmid-Ampicillin) E. Coli were each streaked across plates containing the antibiotic and containing growth supportive Lurithea Broth. The purpose of this lab was to test their growth in each medium. Our hypothesis was that while the ampicillin resistant E. Coli would show growth in both LB and LB-AMP plate, the standard E. Coli would only grow in the LB plate for it contains no resistant plasmids against the

To do a transformation one micro test tube was labeled +pGLO and the other was labeled –pGLO, using a transfer pipette 250 µL of transformation solution was added to each tube in the foam rack. The tubes were then placed on ice for three minutes. During these three minutes, a sterile loop was used to pick up a single colony of E. Coli from the starter plate by gently running the loop over the agar. This loop was then inserted into the +pGLO tube and the loop was spun until the entire colony dispersed. Using a different sterile loop, the same procedure was used for the –pGLO tube. After both tubes had their own colony of E. Coli, they were placed on ice for another three minutes. DNA plasmid was added to the +pGLO tube by taking a new sterile loop and immersing it into the stock tube creating a film across the loop then inserting

In 1928, Fred Griffith first discovered genetic transformation by infecting mice with unencapsulated and non-pathogenic pneumococci (Lacks 2003). This was the start that opened up the field of biotechnology. Genetic transformation is a process where foreign DNA crosses a membrane of another cell and then alters the genetic material (Encyclopædia Britannica 2015). Genetic transformation can occur in a few different ways: projectile bombardment, electroporation, and heat shock (Weedman 2015). Heat shock is defined by increasing the temperature of cells environment making the plasma membrane become more permeability allowing new DNA to transfer into the cell (Weedman 2015). The cell receiving the new DNA, also known as competent cells, can either amplify the DNA or clone the DNA (JoVE 2015). The most common type of DNA used to perform genetic transformations is plasmids: small, round DNA molecules that still contains two strands of DNA that has the ability

This experiment was performed to assess the efficacy of genetic transformations on bacteria via plasmid DNA coding for ampicillin resistance and green fluorescent protein. Genetic transformation was studied by taking transformed and untransformed Escherichia Coli (E. coli) and placing them on various media to observe gene expression via growth and color under UV light. The transformed E. coli were able to grow on ampicillin while the untransformed E. coli, which lacked the plasmid genes for ampicillin resistance, only grew on nutrient broth. In the presence of arabinose, the transformed E. coli glowed green. These results support the previous scientific understanding of bacterial competency, vectors, and gene expression and support gene transformations as an effective method to transfer the desirable DNA of one organism into another organism’s DNA. These results can be applied to real world issues such as medical treatments, food production, and environmental conservation.

The purpose of this study was to see whether E. Coli cells would engage in the pGLO plasmid and glow in the presence of four control environmental factors which are arabinose sugar, bacteria, the antibiotic ampicillin, LB nutrient broth and pGLO plasmid DNA. This was tested using four plates, all the plates had E. Coli cells and different environmental factors. The founding was that E. Coli will only fluoresce when bacteria, pGLO plasmid DNA, the antibiotic ampicillin, and LB nutrient broth are present. The result did not support the hypothesis because it stated that, E. coli cells that are exposed to the pGLO plasmid would engage in the plasmid and glow only if the arabinose sugar is present.

The transformation of E. coli using plasmid DNA was a success. The positive control plate had a near lawn of blue colonies growing on the plate. This indicated that the E. coli cells took up the plasmid and became ampicillin resistant. The blue colonies formed because the cells were able to produce β galactoisdase and in presence of X-gal the colonies turned blue. There were light blue colonies formed near the edge of the plate. This could due to the lower concentration of X-gal near the edge of the plate so those colonies were not really blue. In addition, there were too many colonies to count so we estimated the transformation efficiency of the positive control to be around 2000 units/μg. On the other hand, the negative is shown in figure

This experiment was completed to conduct bacterial transformation and introduce ampicillin resistant DNA plasmid to E. coli bacterial cells. Observations are made of the difference in cell growth due to various environments provided within agar

The LB/amp- plasmid petri dish had no growth because ampicillin was incorporated. Ampicillin is an antibiotic that kills potential growth for a bacteria. The LB-Plasmid petri dish eventually grew a lawn of bacteria, this dish only had Laurel broth which is food for bacteria, explaining the substantial growth. We observed circular colonies that only grew on a little corner of the dish. This awkward growth is probably due to the inaccurate spreading of the cells.The LB/amp+plasmid petri dish had growth as well because the ampicillin resistance gene was able to grow since the plasmid contained a gene allowing for antibiotic resistance. The LB+plasmid petri dish had growth because there was no antibiotic to inhibit

Some classes of plasmids encode the sex pilus necessary for their own transfer. Plasmid host-to-host transfer needs direct mechanical transfer by conjugation, or changes in incipient host gene expression allowing the intentional uptake of the genetic element by transformation. Microbial transformation with plasmid DNA is neither parasitic nor symbiotic in nature, because each implies the presence of an independent species living in a commensal or detrimental state with the host organism. Plasmids provide a mechanism for horizontal gene transfer within a population of microbes and typically provide a selective advantage under a given environmental state. Plasmids may carry genes that provide resistance to naturally occurring antibiotics in a