DNA SCIENCES
Just in the past two decades, the
technological advances in molecular genetics has been astounding,
providing scientists with a wide range of tools to explore fundamental
biological sciences. The use of plasmids, automated PCR, and
restriction enzymes allow biologists to create an infinite number of
modular vectors that can be designed to explore specific molecular
processes. The genetic switch is one such construct that has been
of particular focus for biophysicists giving quantitative results that
can be used to study the stochastic nature of gene expression and
regulation. These engineered genes can be combined with
fluorescent labelling techniques and advanced microscopy that provide a
measure of gene expression down to the single cell level.
The goal of this project is to
provide biophysics students with hands-on experience with the DNA
science techniques often described in a majority of biological studies.
Specifically, we will extract the lacZ gene from wild-type E. Coli cells
and transform the cells with a pZE21 vector that is kanamycin-resistance
and GFP controlled by tetracyclin (ATC) so that we can measure and
compare induction. As a result of this project, students will be
familiar with techniques such as:
The project is split into three
weeks:
Week 1: Restriction Digest
and Electrophoresis
Week 2:
Extraction, Ligation and
Transformation
Week 3: Single
cell regulation of gene expression
