Bacterial Conjugation Project An Abstract of 200 words or less that summarizes the goal/ hypothesis, methods, results, and implications/conclusions from this study In this lab we will be using the bacterium Eschericha coli as our research organism. When using bacteria and other microbes, it is very important that sterile technique is used to make sure that you are working with pure cultures of the research organism, and that the organisms remain confined to your culture containers. Take care to prevent contamination of the culture with other microbes that may be present in the air or on lab benches, people, or equipment. Avoid contacting the bacteria yourself. The organisms used in this lab are not pathogenic, but it is important to learn safe habits. The following precautions should be strictly followed in the interests of safety and good science. Solution Bacterial conjugation is a horizontal genen transfer process from a donor cell bearing one or more conjugative plasmids to a plasmid free recipient cell.Conjugative plasmids in most bacteria can even be transferred in distantly related microorganisms ,for this reason antibiotic resistance can spread among pathogenic bacteria. Conjugal plasmid transfer in both Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria requires close physical contact between mating cells and is usually encoded by plasid encoded proteins which provide tra genes.Conjugation was first discovered by Lederberg and Tatum in 1946. Conjugation involves special type of replication in which plasmid DNA molecule replicates during conjugation,with one copy remaing in the donor cell and the other being transferred to the recipient. Below is a small experiment to demonstrate conjugation The basic conjugative donor strain is E.coli S17-1 containing the tra gene in the chromosome. The recipient strain of E.coli should be resistant to naladixic acid.The overnight culture of donor and recipient strain are diluted 10 fold. After growing ovrnight at 37. C, colonies on the plates are counted. Abot 100 microlitre of donor cells are mixed with 100 microlitre of recipient cells. The mixture is subjected to shaking and the spread on LB agar containing naladixic acid and a selectable marker kanamycin or ampicillin.Plates are incubated at 37.C.3-5 colonies of transconjugants are selected to confirm plasmid carriage by agarose gel eectrophoresis..

1. Bacterial Conjugation Project
An Abstract of 200 words or less that summarizes the goal/ hypothesis, methods, results, and
implications/conclusions from this study
In this lab we will be using the bacterium Eschericha coli as our research organism. When using
bacteria and other microbes, it is very important that sterile technique is used to make sure that
you are working with pure cultures of the research organism, and that the organisms remain
confined to your culture containers. Take care to prevent contamination of the culture with other
microbes that may be present in the air or on lab benches, people, or equipment. Avoid
contacting the bacteria yourself. The organisms used in this lab are not pathogenic, but it is
important to learn safe habits. The following precautions should be strictly followed in the
interests of safety and good science.
Solution
Bacterial conjugation is a horizontal genen transfer process from a donor cell bearing one or
more conjugative plasmids to a plasmid free recipient cell.Conjugative plasmids in most bacteria
can even be transferred in distantly related microorganisms ,for this reason antibiotic resistance
can spread among pathogenic bacteria. Conjugal plasmid transfer in both Gram positive and
Gram negative bacteria requires close physical contact between mating cells and is usually
encoded by plasid encoded proteins which provide tra genes.Conjugation was first discovered by
Lederberg and Tatum in 1946.
Conjugation involves special type of replication in which plasmid DNA molecule replicates
during conjugation,with one copy remaing in the donor cell and the other being transferred to the
recipient.
Below is a small experiment to demonstrate conjugation
The basic conjugative donor strain is E.coli S17-1 containing the tra gene in the chromosome.
The recipient strain of E.coli should be resistant to naladixic acid.The overnight culture of donor
and recipient strain are diluted 10 fold. After growing ovrnight at 37. C, colonies on the plates
are counted. Abot 100 microlitre of donor cells are mixed with 100 microlitre of recipient cells.
The mixture is subjected to shaking and the spread on LB agar containing naladixic acid and a
selectable marker kanamycin or ampicillin.Plates are incubated at 37.C.3-5 colonies of
transconjugants are selected to confirm plasmid carriage by agarose gel eectrophoresis.