Research Methods Students Learn about Bacteria

The students transformed bacteria by inserting a plasmid containing a gene that would allow the bacteria to survive in an antibiotic-containing media. The plasmid also contained a gene coding for a green fluorescent protein which if successfully introduced into the bacteria would be transcribed and translated into a protein showing a fluorescent green color. After calculating the transformation efficiency of the bacteria, students grew cultures and extracted the plasmid DNA from the bacteria for quantification using gel electrophoresis.