asfa biotechnology, week 18: biotech in the desert of the real

So, I’m at a “Yo Gaba Gaba”-themed birthday party on Saturday, and I stricke up a conversation with a neighbor of the host. He’s my age, has a similar phenotype to our very own Mr. Marble and we get to chatting about work. Turns out he’s essentially in biotechnology. In fact, he used to work for Invitrogen, the company that supplies the primers we used for our D1S80 P.C.R. lab. Well, he worked for them when they were Invotrogen-BRL. Then they were BRL-Gibco. Then they were Gibco-Life Technologies. Now they’re just Life Technologies. But not the Life Technologies that was once BRL. Confused?

Well, the only reason I wasn’t confused is because I had heard the story before…only I heard it from the guy who started the original Life Technolgies that was absorbed by Gibco before they were BRL-Gibco. That story is a great story, and one I’ll have to tell y’all if we have time.

So, how does this relate to you? I thought we could end the year by investigating different biotechnology companies, getting a feel for their product lines and designing a pitch for one of their projects. We’ve talked a lot about how biotechnology is profit driven. We’ve learned many of the molecular biology concepts and laboratory techniques that underpin these companies. Now it’s time to see how these concepts and techniques are applied. This should be a fun and interesting project.

Monday (5.17.10): Reardon out for National Board Assessment. Students will work on their GMO investigator write ups.

Tuesday (5.18.10): Biotech company overview 1. Pick your company of interest.

Wednesday (5.19.10): Biotech company overview 2: Pick a product to pitch to the class.

Thursday (5.20.10): Friday Focus Schedule. Biotech company overview 3: quick pitch to Reardon to see if you’re on the right track.

Friday (5.21.10): Biotech company overview 4: pitch biotech company and/or product to the entire class.

asfa biotechnology, week 16, Genetically Modified (GM) Foods

I will reiterate what I said in class earlier today, I believe GM foods are a natural extension of agriculture. Rather than get bogged down in the “pros” and “cons” before get to the science, I think we should look at how genetically modified foods are engineered, and we should look at readily available foods in our food system and see if they’re genetically modified. We’ll deal with all those tangled Science, Technology and Society (STS) problems, let’s call it the “squishy” stuff next week.

Monday (5/3/10): Genetically Modified (GM) Foods, How it’s done.

Tuesday (5/4/10): Extracting and Isolating DNA from GM Foods

Wednesday (5/5/10): Cinco de Mayo. Set up PCRs of DNA from GM Foods (we’re looking for plant genes and genes that indicate Genetic Modification)

Thursday (5/6/10): Begin researching the pros and the cons of GM foods

Friday (5/7/10): Electrophoresis of GM Foods PCR products, take pictures

asfa biotech, week 15: Sickle Cell Anemia

We’ll apply our understanding of the Central Dogma of Molecular Biology to investigate the molecular basis of Sickle Cell Anemia.

I want you to consider three big ideas this week. One, if Red Blood Cells (RBCs) don’t have a nucleus, but Sickle Cell Anemia is a genetic disease, then where is the mutation that codes for the mutated hemoglobin found in the RBCs? Two, what is happening in the RBCs of an individual who is a carrier for Sickle Cell Anemia? Three, why do bacteria synthesize restriction enzymes?

Monday (4/26/10): Progress Reports, clean up lab

Tuesday (4/27/10): Set Up Restriction Digests. Cast gels if time permits

Wednesday (4/28/10): Run Digested Sickle Cell DNAs in 1/5% Agarose gel.

Thursday (4/29/10): Analyze Sickle Cell DNA electrophoresis, receive write up

Friday (4/30/10): Continue Sickle Cell Lab write up. Due Monday, 5/3/10.

asfa biotech, week 14: from gene to protein

Okay, we’ve got a pretty good understanding the central dogma of molecular biology, genes code for proteins. This week we have two objectives. One, I want you all to have a better understanding of how genes are transcribed and translated. We’ll do a modeling activity and talk about the players (mRNA, tRNA and ribosomes). Two, we’ll apply the knowledge gained from the transformation lab to better understand the methods behind genetically modified foods (GMOs), and we’ll look for GM markers is foods we eat every day. Get ready to learn more about how to feed the world.

Monday (4/19/10): From Gene to Protein (lecture)

Tuesday (4/20/10): From Gene to Protein (modeling activity)

Wednesday (4/21/10): The science behind GM foods and “highly reliable” foods

Thursday (4/22/10): DNA isolation from GM foods

Friday (4/23/10): Set up PCR of GM foods (if time permits)

asfa biotech, week 13: protein purification

This is going to be a pretty laid back week as we only have four days of lab, and one of them has been taken over by Billy Shakespeare. As I like to tell Ms. Abernathy, my British heros run closer to Darwin, Watson and Crick (and Watson was an American). Anywho…we’re going to take it light this week, meaning we’re going to light up with Green…Flourescent Protein. Our goal is to prurify the protein and see if we can draw a picture with it. Consider it our own secret paint, visible only in UV light.

Tuesday (4/13/10): CALCULATING TRANSFORMATION EFFICIENCY. Set up overnights (O/N) of pGLO transformants in LB amp broth and LB amp/ara brothDrawing with transformed bacteria on LB/amp/ara plates

Wednesday (4/14/10): Students that are here, spin down O/N cultures, add lysozyme and freeze overnight

Thursday (4/15/10): Separate protein from cell lysate and purify using HIC columns.

Friday (4/16/10): pGLO transformation and GFP purification story boards.

asfa biotech, week 12: transformation

Monday (4/5/10): prep for transformation, label tubes, pour plates

Tuesday (4/6/10): Every student will transform…E. coli

Wednesday (4/7/10): Examine Results of transformation; data collection

Thursday (4/8/10): Analysis/write up 1 of transformation experiments

Friday (4/9/10): Analysis/write up 2 of transformation experiments…finish over 3-day weekend.

biotechnology, week 11: Finish PCR, begin Transformation

It’s finally time to learn about a gene that codes for protein, green flourencent protein that is. Get ready for one of the coolest labs we’ll run all year.

Monday (3/29/10): Begin D1S80 PCR write up

Tuesday (3/30/10): Finish D1S80 PCR write up

Wedensday (3/31/10): Turn in write up (if o/n needed); begin discussing Central Dogma of molecular biology, introduce transformation

Thursday (4/1/10): Begin Lecture/Activity/demonstration: “Have Plasmids, Will Travel”

Friday (4/2/10): Finish Plasmid Activity/demonstration. If time, prep supplies for pGLO lab.

biotechnology, week 10: PCR of D1S80

Monday (3/22/10): Back ground on D1S80
Tuesday (3/23/10): Extract Cells, Isolate DNA
Wednesday (3/24/10): Set up PCR Reactions, cast 1.5% gels
Thursday (3/25/10): Run DNA, take pictures
Friday (3/26/10): Analyze Gels

We’ll start the write up on Monday, March 29

asfa biotech, week 9: PCR of PV92

It’s time to quit prepping, and amplify some DNA. Let’s go make some needles!

Monday (3/8/12): Extract Cheek Cells and Isolate DNA

Tuesday (3/9/12): Set up PCR Reactions, Cast gels

Wednesday (3/10/12): Run PV92 PCR products in 1.25 agarose gels, image on gel documentation system

Thursday (3/11/12): Analyze PV92 PCR products, determine genotypes of all students

Friday (3/12/12) No class, teacher work day

asfa biotech, week 8: Introduction to PCR

Monday (3/1/2010): Research proteins responsible for DNA replication

Tuesday (3/2/2010): Analyze electrophoresis of molecular dyes

Wednesday (3/3/2010): Finish work from tuesday, begin discussing PCR

Thursday (3/4/2010): Compare PCR with DNA replication in cells

Friday (3/5/2010): Cast gels, label tubes, and get ready for PCR.