Tranform Bacteria with Your Phenotype Expression Kit

With this remarkably versatile gene expression, science fair projects kit, you can immerse yourself in the fascinating world of genetic engineering by performing bacterial transformation. This kit will enable students to transform E. coli JM 101 bacteria using a pUB8 plasmid inserted into the microorganisms.

E. coli bacteria are naturally unable to produce the substance beta-galactosidase that they need to break down lactose. These organisms are also extremely sensitive to the antibiotic ampicilin. By the end of the procedure, the bacteria will be able to both break down lactose and resist the antibiotic - all made possible by the plasmid inserted into them!

Two of the labs possible with this phenotype expression kit take 45 minutes each. In one, the DNA transformation is performed. In the other, the altered cells are grown on special agar plates - some containing ampicilin and others also containing x-gal, a histochemical substrate for B-galactosidase.

The transformed bacteria's gene expression will be quite striking. The transformed bacterial colonies on the ampicilin plate will appear white, whereas the colonies on the ampicilin and x-gal plate will appear blue. The fascinating results of genetic engineering will emerge right before your eyes!

This phenotype expression kit will enable you to conduct five labs, which can be most efficiently done in groups of six students. This kit makes for fantastic biology science fair projects. The kit also includes a teacher's guide, instructions, time requirements, study questions, a data table for analysis, and student study and analysis copymasters with background information. To perform the experiments described in the kit, you will need a microcentrifuge, an incubator, and live materials such as plasmid DNA, the reagent set, and the E. coli bacteria themselves.

You can find a free science fair project for this kit. Take a look at the report that was also made possible by a great DNA electrophoresis kit.