Unit 6 Reflection

In this unit, we learned about Biotechnology. It includes the introduction of biotechnology, bioethics, recombinant DNA, gel electrophoresis, technology of Biotech, and pGLO. In the introduction of biotechnology, we learned that biotechnology is the study and manipulation of living things that benefit mankind. It is a large field that focuses on the understanding of DNA. We learned about the history of biotechnology as it starts from 4000 BC when Egyptians used yeast to bake leavened bread and to make wine to developing ways and splice DNA, which introduced recombinant DNA. Biotechnology is used currently. There are four types of biotech. It includes industrial and environmental, agriculture, medical and pharmaceutical, and diagnostic research. Industrial and environmental includes fermentation of food, beverages, plastics and biofuels. Agricultural includes breeding of plants and animals. Medical and pharmaceutical includes medicine from plants, fungi, animal vaccines and gene therapy. Diagnostic research includes DNA, and comparing and contrasting them.
In bioethics, we learned about the types of them. It includes morals, values, ethics and bioethics. Morals is having a justifiable position, which involves whether something is right or wrong.
Values are what we see as an important thing, and determined by personality and experiences.
Ethics is the study of morals and values influencing our decisions and bioethics is the study of decision making and applies to moral decisions because of the advances in biology. For recombinant DNA, we learned that it's the process of inserting DNA of one organism into the DNA of another organism. This results in a transgenic organism or GMO. We learned about the tools needed for recombinant DNA. The tools are a gene of interest, restriction enzyme, a plamid, and ligase. A gene of interest is when the bacteria needs to know the location and sequence of a gene. The restriction enzyme is an enzyme that cut DNA when it reads a specific sequence and a plasmid is a circular DNA that is found in prokaryotes which contains replication genes that tells the plasmid to be copied. It contains genes that give antibiotic resistance. It is also small enough to go through pores in cell membranes. Ligase is an enzyme that reattaches base pairs. In recombinant DNA, there's is a process that transforms bacteria to produce lots of protein products. The first step is to isolate DNA, which find the gene of interest and organism to insert the gene into. The second step is to get a plasmid which knows what antibiotic it's naturally resistant to. The third step is to find a restriction enzyme that cuts the plasmid once which includes above and below the gene. The fourth step is to mix the digested DNA. The fifth step is to add ligase to attach sticky ends. The sixth step is to mix recombinant plasmid with bacteria. The seventh step is the plate the bacteria on agar with a mixed antibiotic (only if they have the plasmid). The eighth step is to grow the transformed bacteria and transfer it to a broth to make the bacteria express the gene. The ninth step is the extract and purify out the protein in the inserted gene produced.
In the technology of biotechnology, we learned that it includes Polymerase Chain Reaction, and Gel Electrophoresis. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is a procedure to amplify a specific DNA region. It yields millions of copies of DNA sequence and is the first step in preparing DNA for many experiments. The steps of PCR is denature is double stranded with heat, anneal, primers to single stranded DNA that is above/below region of interest, primer, small fragments of DNA that bind with a specific sequence, and extend primers with DNA polymerase which shows a new double stranded DNA. This cycle repeats a lot. PCR is uesd to detect diseases, and used for genetic engineering. Gel Electrophoresis is electricity used to separate DNA fragments based on size. We learned that small fragments travel faster than larger fragments. It's used in fields of forensics, molecular biology, genetics, biochemistry and more. We did a lab for Gel Electrophoresis where we used dyed candy to test colors and see which one traveled faster on the electopherogram. We swirled the dye with a special liquid that would help identify the bases. We then centrifuged it and put the dye in the wells. We waited for 10-15 minutes and checked on the gel.
We learned about pGLO. pGLO is a type of plasmid that it has a way to get bacteria to glow fluorescent glow under a light. We did a pGLO lab where we added Luria broth to one petri dish, Luria broth and ampicillin to one petri dish, luria broth and ampicillin to another and luria broth, ampicillin and arabinose sugar to another. The results we got was that the petri dish with luria broth, ampicillin and arabinose sugar got a lot of bacteria and the luria broth with ampilcillin got a little bit of bacteria.
In this Unit, my strengths are learning about pGLO and how it's made, Gel electrophoresis, and bioethics. I know the processes and terms of these by how we did the lab and the vodcast. My setbacks is Recombinant DNA and PCR. I do not have a clear understanding of these and I need to study these more.

pGLO Analysis Questions

1.

2.  Two new traits that our transformed bacteria had was Ampicilin and arabinose sugar

3. For the -pGLO LB and -pGLO LB/amp , there are no colonies because they did not get the plasmid.

For the +pGLO LB/amp, there are about 5 colonies because it got the plasmid. For the +pGLO LB/amp/ara, there are about 30 colonies because it has arabinose sugar which leads to getting more colonies and plasmids

4. To allow pGLO to grow more colonies of bacteria

5. GFP is used for tagging genes for clearing expression or limiting profiles, studying protein to protein interactions and visualizing promoter activity
6. An example of genetic engineering is cloning.

Candy Electrophoresis Lab

1. The dyes are dyes that match the reference ones. Our dye bands were the same size, the colors were the same than the reference bands. It had only one color band and the dyes moved in the right direction. 

2. Fast Green FCF, because it has more negative charge and is also a lighter color.

3. Manufacturers put food coloring in dog food to attract people who have a dog buy it.

4. FD&C Dye       Color                Natural Alternative                             Source of Natural Dye

    Red 40               Red         Anthocyanins, Carmine, Cochineal                Bugs, Candy

    Yellow 5           Yellow       Turmeric, Beta Carotine, Annatto            Chips, jams, Candy

    Blue 1                Blue       Grape juice concentrate, Grape skin extract  Indigo, Woad Plant

    Red 40 Lake      Red      Grape juice concentrate, Grape skin extract  Bugs, Aluminum Hydroxide,                                                                                                                      Candy

    Blue 2 Lake       Blue        Coal Tar, used to color denim jeans         Makeup Products, Pill Coatings

    Yellow 6 Lake   Yellow     Paprika, Beta Carotine, Annatto              Foods, Drugs, Cosmetics

5. The size of the Molecule and the electrical charge

6. Gel Electrophoresis

7. They are separated when the DNA is put into the wells of the Gel box. This happens when the power goes on. When it goes on, the molecules, which have a negative charge move towards the positive electrode because opposite charges attract. 

8. The molecules with less Daltons separate quickly with 600 Daltons. It will move deep in the Gel With 1000 Daltons, molecules will spread quickly, but will spread slower than 600 Daltons. It will move deep in the gel, but not as deep as 600 Daltons. With 2000 Daltons, It will spread slower than 1000 Daltons, but it will not move as deep as 1000 Daltons. With 5000 Daltons, It will spread very slow and will not move very deep in the gel.

Recombinant DNA Blog Summary

In this lab, we made a model of recombinant DNA using our understanding of recombinant DNA technology. Restriction enzymes are enzymes produced by bacteria that cut DNA whenever it reads a specific sequence. They work to create different sequences. We used Hin III because it was close to the insulin sequence. If we used an enzyme that cuts the plasmids in two places, more fragments to the DNA would be made. We made a kanamycin restriction enzyme because we could use it in a petri dish to take bacteria from the plasmid. Kanamycin can treat infections that are caused by bacteria. We would not use ampicillin as a antibiotic because it treats infections that occur in the urine.

 We made the plasmid ring and cell DNA strand and we used the enzymes to match it within the insulin of each strip. We then tested the enzymes using our rings and DNA strand. We cutted our plasmid in a staggered fashion to make the enzyme. This process is important to help inspect for bacteria in the plasmid for the DNA. This process can be used to make useful products that can avoid bacteria to come in the plasmid and cure cancers that can't be cured currently.

New Year's goals

1. My goal for this semester is to get better grades in all of my classes. I will achieve this by studying for tests and quizzes ahead of time and not studying it on the day before the test is given. For math, I will do more practice problems and word problems so I know the material better. For English, I will read some books to help improve my writing skills. For biology, I will read the textbook more often, watch the vodcasts, and make flashcards for terms and key ideas more often when preparing for the test.
2. My goal for biology is to continue to do well on lab conclusions. I will make sure I will get all of the requirements for a good lab conclusion and I will try to type faster to get it done in a quicker manner and have more time to check it then last semester when I finished at a slow manner and did not have a lot of time to check it.