Unit 6 Reflection

This unit was about the technologies in biology and their different applications in everyday life. Specifically, biotechnology is the study of how living things are changed to benefit mankind. The four applications of biotechnology are, industrial, environmental, agricultural, medical, and diagnostic research. Even though biotechnology benefits humans, many questions have been raised regarding this new version of biology breaking morals. We also learned about recombinant genes, and how they are used to mass produce and create bacteria with a desired protein extracted. This process involves extracting a gene using a restriction enzymes, inserting it into a plasmid, and mass producing the plasmid in order to create and extract the protein that is created from the gene. The three main technologies used in biotech are Polymerase Chain Reactions (PCR), Gel Electrophoresis, and DNA Sequencing. The process of PCR is to denature strands of DNA with heat, add a primer to specific DNA sequences, and to use DNA polymerase to read the DNA and mass produce it, creating multiple copies for analysis. Gel electrophoresis is when DNA is placed into a gel and ran through with a an electrical current, which separates the DNA by size and allows for them to be more easily analyzed. DNA sequencing is used to determine the exact sequence of a gene and uses DNA polymerase and dyes to allow a computer to read it and analyze it. This was a information packed unit and I had a hard time understanding some of the concepts until we did the labs, which gave us hands on experience and allowed us to truly see how the technologies are used and their applications in real life, though in a smaller scale. 

We did many labs this unit that made the information stick in my mind and I have written lengthy lab write ups on them but now I will give a quick recap. The recombinant DNA lab modeled inserting the insulin gene into a plasmid that was resistant to tetracycline, and only the bacteria with the plasmid would survive. In the pGLO lab, we added a plasmid which contained GFP (Glowing Fluorescent Protein) to E.coli. We also did a candy electrophoresis lab in which we used electrophoresis to separate dyes from candy. 

I was really intrigued by GATTACA and the articles we read on biotech and I am interested to see if humans will take science that far and a little scared for it as well! As for my new year's goals, I have tried to keep with my vodcasts and assignments though I did slip up once with a virtual lab because I had to restart 3 times and I was so flustered by the site that I just gave up. But my personal goal is slowly getting there, I can dance for a long time without feeling tired and I am slowly gaining flexibility. 

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 carpet carpet - pGLO LB/amp 0 none none + pGLO LB/amp 130 pale yellow/grey grey + pGLO LB/amp/ara 35 light yellow neon green glow

2.	What two new traits do your transformed bacteria have?
	First of all the transformed bacteria grew in colony size by a lot because we only used one colony to begin with. While some grew, other bacteria without the pGLO plasmid were killed and some colonies glowed because of the addition of Ampicillin with the pGLO.
3.	Estimate how many bacteria were in the 100 uL of bacteria that you spread on each plate. Explain your logic.
	There were 35 bacteria on the +pGLO LB/amp/ara plate because 35 colonies were created, same with 130 bacteria on the +pGLO LB/amp plate because each colony grows from a bacteria.
4.	What is the role of arabinose in the plates?
	Arabinose causes the bacteria to glow.
5.	List and briefly explain three current uses for GFP (green fluorescent protein) in research or applied science.
	Detect Cancer: In animals, every cell that contains actin will glow green but the cells with cancer will glow red Transcription Reporter: placing GFP into a promoter will help track that organism’s gene expression Cell marker: GFP is used to see which cells have taken up a plasmid
6.	Give an example of another application of genetic engineering.

Another example of genetic engineering is plants that can fight pollution. Trees developed by scientists and the University of Washington can absorb polluted water through their roots and clean it before water is used and released in other forms.

Candy Lab

1. Some of our samples produced different color bands than the reference dyes. Some of the shades of the blue and the yellow were slightly different shades than the reference dyes. This could be because some of the candies have other ingredients in their coloring other than just the reference dyes, possibly some natural dyes.

2. Betanin (beetroot red) would probably migrate in a similar way to Blue 1. This is due to the fact that they are larger fragments, and the larger ones move more slowly through the gel than smaller molecules. Citrus red 2 would move in a similar way to Red 40 because they are of similar length.

3. Dog food manufactures might use artificial colors in dog food because it makes the food more appealing to the consumer, or the owner who is purchasing the dog food. Even though the food without the artificial dyes would taste the same, it looks less visually appealing and may dissuade owners from buying it.

5. The size of the fragment of the dye controls how far the dyes migrate away from their well. Also, the positive electrical current attracts the polar fragments and urges them to migrate through the gel.

6.  The positive electric current helps attract the dyes and move them through the gel.

7. The molecules of similar size will travel in groups and the larger molecules will not move as far through the gel as the smaller molecules. Therefore, the results will show which fragments are the smallest and the largest.

8. The molecules that weigh 600 daltons will be the farthest away from their starting point, the 1000 dalton molecules will be the next farthest away, then the 2000 dalton molecules, then the 5000 dalton molecules.

Recombinant DNA Lab

During the Recombinant DNA lab, we modeled recombinant DNA technology to show how bacteria can be used to mass produce a protein product. We were given paper strips that represented cell DNA once we attached them into a long string. We also created a plasmid, which is circular DNA that is found in bacteria, by attaching a strip to itself. Plasmids are naturally resistant to a certain antibiotic; in our case, the plasmid was naturally resistant to the antibiotic kanamycin. 

During transformation, restriction enzymes cut DNA in a staggered fashion (above and below) whenever they recognize a specific sequence. After cutting out the specific gene, it will be placed into the plasmid by bonding their sticky ends(ends of cut gene that will attach to the plasmid). The plasmid also has the same sequence, which is cut out and replenished by the cell DNA. In our lab, we used the enzyme Eco RI because there were two matches on the cell DNA, close to the gene, and another match on the plasmid. The plasmid is cut in only one place because if an enzyme was to cut in two places, part of the plasmid would be removed before the gene was inserted. After all this, the enzyme ligase is added, which reattaches the sticky ends. At this point, a recombinant plasmid has been created.


Now, you would put the bacteria in a petri dish along with a naturally resistant antibiotic. In our case, this was kanamycin. We couldn't use  tetracycline or ampicillin because the plasmid wasn't resistant to those. This would test whether any uninvited cells have taken in the plasmid because only the cells with the plasmid would survive. When the bacteria containing the plasmid reproduce, they will begin to produce the gene product.

This process is vital in our everyday lives for mass producing a protein product that will be useful to us, such as insulin for diabetics. Recombinant DNA technologies could also be used to delay food expiration by making it last longer, as well as resistance to pesticides. 

New Years Goals

Biology goal: 

I will take extra time to understand the materials in vodcasts when they are assigned instead of cramming right before the test. 

Plan:

Instead of watching the vodcast with my main goal to be finishing the notes, I will watch the vodcast with my main intention being to absorb the material.

Personal goal: 

I will be more flexible and have more stamina while dancing.

Plan:

I am doing this for my solo dance performance, which is happening in 2017. I want to improve my flexibility by stretching, my stamina by running or dancing a lot everyday.