pGLO Lab

In this lab, we inserted modified DNA into E.Coli bacteria, which put the DNA into the plasmid, to make them resistant to the antibiotic ampicillin and glow green under UV light. Each plate started out with 100 micro liters of bacteria, which is about 90 bacteria per plate, because each one is about 2 micrometers long. The bacteria multiplied, resulting in many more. One of the plates contained arabinose, which attached to the promoter on the DNA and allowed the protein green fluorescent protein to be made. There are various uses of GFP. It can be used as an indicator for other transformed organisms by attaching it to the gene you are trying to insert into an organism. It is also used to study the growth of cancer in mice, as well as other diseases, such as blindness is dogs. GFP is also used to track fruit fly sperm to see how sex cells maximize their chances of fertility. There are many other ways to genetically modify organisms, such as making crops resistant to herbicides and parasites.

Plate	# of Colonies	Color: Room Light	Color: UV Light
-pGLO LB	carpeted	gray	gray
-pGLO LB/amp	0	nothing	nothing
+pGLO LB/amp	104	gray	gray
+pGLO LB/amp/ara	64 + partial carpet	gray	neon green

Upper Left: no pGLO gene with LB (helps bacteria grow).
Upper Right: no pGLO gene with ampicillin and LB.
Bottom Left: pGLO gene with ampicillin, LB, and arabinose sugar
Bottom Right: pGLO gene with ampicillin and LB

The transformed E. Coli glowing under a UV light.