Unit 6 Reflection

This unit was about bioethics, biotech, and technologies of biotechnology. Biotechnology is the study and manipulation of living things in order to benefit mankind. Biology benefits mankind in many ways, including food, fermentation, and gene therapy.Morals and values make us decide what is the right thing to do. Recombinant DNA is inserting DNA into another DNA by cutting one strand. We also figured out the length of DNA from gel electrophoresis.
Recombinant DNA was interesting and I understood it.Technologies of biotechnology was a bit confusing at first, but I started understanding more over time. I liked the candy electrophoresis lab because there were many interesting things in it, like gel (Candy Electrophoresis Lab). We also did a Electrophoresis Virtual  lab (Electrophoresis Virtual Lab), pGLO lab (pGLO Lab), and Recombinant DNA Lab (Recombinant DNA Lab).  I want to learn more about how we can use biotech to help grow back body parts, or to create body parts.
My new years resolution was to not procrastinate as much, and write neater (New Years Resolution). I have slightly procrastinated less, and I wrote neater for a few vodcasts.

pGLO Lab

pGLO Observations , Data Recording & Analysis

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	Comments
- pGLO LB	carpet	cloudy cream	cloudy cream	looks a bit like sand
- pGLO LB/amp	-	-	-	Looks the same as before
+ pGLO LB/amp	264	Cream	Cream	A lot of small colonies
+ pGLO LB/amp/ara	50	Cream	Green	Bigger than +pGLO LB/amp

What two new traits do your transformed bacteria have?

The +pGLO LB/amp/ara would glow under UV light, and you could see the center of the colony more clearly.

Estimate how many bacteria were in the 100 uL of bacteria that you spread on each plate. Explain your logic.

Thousands of bacteria, because many more colonies formed from that.

What is the role of arabinose in the plates?

The arabinose helped the bacteria glow under UV light.

List and briefly explain three current uses for GFP (green fluorescent protein) in research or applied science.

GFP works with arabinose to make the bacteria glow under UV light, so you can see the cell.

GFP help biosensors work, which allow SOS-inducing activity of genotoxic compounds.

GFP is being used for gene cloning and construction.

Give an example of another application of genetic engineering.

Genetic engineering can help tomatoes grow faster, making more tomatoes.

Candy Electrophoresis Lab

1. Our  reference dyes were slightly bigger than our experimental dyes, and we had two yellow bands. Our experimental dyes also contained a brown color, which the reference dye didn't have,which was from a brown m&m.
2. The citrus red 2 would have migrated similarly to our yellow dye, because that one traveled the most, being the shortest. The citrus red 2 is composed of the least molecules. The Betanin would have traveled similar to our orange dye, which traveled the least because it was the longest.
3. Adding food coloring to dog food would make it look more nutritious and better for the dog. Dog owners wouldn't want to choose a colorless food that doesn't look good for their dog.
4. FD&C Dye: Red 40; Color: Red; Natural Alternative:  Boiled cranberries; Source of Natural Dye: Cranberries. 
Artificial food color might look more vibrant and fresher than natural food colors. 
5. The size of the band controlled the distance in how much the solution migrated. The longer the molecules were, the less it migrated. 
6. The electricity helps move the dyes through the gel. Also, the gel itself has holes and pores for the solution to move through. 
7. When electricity pushes the solution down the gel, bigger molecules take longer to move through the pores and holes, and smaller molecules move through them faster. The further down the gel the band is, the shorter the band is. 
8. 5000 daltons will be closest to the starting point. 2000 daltons will be second closest from the starting point, but maybe twice as far as 5000 daltons is. 1000 daltons would be even further away, and 600 daltons would be furthest away. 

Electrophoresis Virtual Lab

Gel Electrophoresis Virtual Lab Worksheet                                                         Name: Brandon Yuen

http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/labs/gel/

Make a prediction:

1. How do you think you could figure out the lengths of the strands in the tube of DNA?

Measure a small piece of it, and then multiply it by about the amount of DNA in the tube.

Go through the simulation:

2. What is the process called in which we measure the DNA microscopically?

Gel Electrophoresis

3. What is the “gel”?

Filter that sorts DNA strands. Like a sponge of Jello with many holes.

4. Write down the step of gel electrophoreses
1.  put DNA sample into holes on one end of gel

2.   add electrical current to make DNA move

3.  short strands move further away from starting point, long strands not as far

4. stain the groups of DNA so human eye can see it

5. What does the current do the DNA samples?

Makes the DNA move

6. What kinds of strand move quickly and further down the gel?

shorter strands

7. What kinds of strand move slower and lag behind?

longer stands

8. What about the strand that are the same length?

They would move together. 

9. What helps us see the DNA strand in the gel?

staining it

10. What are the ingredients to make a gel? Make your Gel!

powdered agarose, buffer, flask, microwave, gel  mold, gel comb

11. Load the Gel with the DNA!
12. After you load the DNA sample into the tray, what is the next step? turn on electricity and run the gel

13. How do you know current is running through the gel?

tiny air bubbles will appear

14. After the gel is done, what must you do to it before you can analyze your results?

stain the DNA with DNA staining solution

15. How long does this process take?

about half an hour

16. What type of light do you use to view the gel? Is it safe and what precautions would you might need to use?

ultraviolet light

protective glasses

                                                                                                                               

17. Take a screenshot of your gel and paste below.

If you do not know how to take a screen shot go to http://www.take-a-screenshot.org

18. Write your size estimates below:

1. Strand 1: 6000

2. Strand 2: 3500

3. Strand 3: 1500

                                       

                                                 

19. Could you list one reason why we would run a Gel electrophoresis on someone and explain your answer.

If someone wanted to find out the genes. Because gel electrophoresis lets scientists separate DNA fragments so they can study the strand and get the distance of the strands.

Relate and Review

Write at least 5 sentences summarizing the process of electrophoresis and relating to what you’ve learned before. 

Electrophoresis is the process in which people measure DNA. First, the gel is made, similar to a jello with many holes. Then, DNA samples are put into one end of the gel, and then electrical current is run through the gel to make the DNA molecules move. The longer strands will move slower, and be closer the the starting place. The shorter strands will move faster, and be further away from the starting place. To see the DNA, DNA staining solution is put on it, and then it can be viewed by normal eye with a ultraviolet light. Before, we learned about DNA, and how it's genes make who we are. Now, we know how to find the length of our DNA.

Recombinant DNA Lab

To see if bacteria have taken in my plasmid, I would use tetracycline and ampicillin, because that is what it isn't resistant to. I wouldn't use kanamycin, because it is resistant. Restriction enzymes are enzymes that cut DNA whenever it reads a specific sequence. We got eco RI, because it matches with the code of the cell DNA. The plasmid would be a long strip instead of a circle. This process can help cure many genetic diseases and save lives, and get rid of some bacteria. This process could create clones which could be spare organs and parts for humans.

New Year's Goals

I will try not to procrastinate as much by finishing homework and studying before doing other things, and make a set time to finish homework. I will try to make my vodcast notes neater so I can read them in the future, by trying to write neater and slower, and use colors and highlighters to help distinguish things.