Genetic transformation is a technique used to introduce new genes into organisms to produce desired proteins. This lab explored transformation in E. coli to express green fluorescent protein (GFP) when exposed to arabinose. Bacteria without the GFP plasmid only grew in media containing LB, while those with the plasmid grew in all media due to antibiotic resistance. The bacteria appeared white in LB and ampicillin but turned green under UV light in LB, ampicillin and arabinose, showing arabinose activated GFP production.

1. Francisco J. Fuster<br />March 11, 2011<br />pGlo Transformation:<br /> In this lab we explored the technique of genetic transformation in organisms to express desired genes. This is very helpful because it is being applied to many common problems like diseases. It is used to make an organism produce proteins that may help with its survival. For example, in Alaska there is a certain species of fish that produces a protein that helps them survive in cold weather, this gene was located and inserted into a plants genome so it can be grown in cold environments. This is a wonderful technique, but it is mostly applied to organisms that are a unicellular level because, for this protein to proliferate, it must be present in all the cells of the organism. The process of transformation involves the integration of a plasmid, which includes certain regulators that control the genetic expression of the protein. We will cultivate E.coli in three different petri dishes. One control, which contains LB, one with LB and ampicillin, and the last with LB ampicillin and arabinose; the sugar that turns the gene on and off for the production of the GFP gene. My results included the expected, bacteria without the plasmid grew only in the LB dish because the other two contained the antibiotic ampicillin. On the other hand those bacteria that incorporated the plasmid grew on all the dishes because the gene included in the plasmid; bla, gave resistance to the bacteria to the antiobiotic. However on the dish that contained LB and ampicillin, the bacteria was white, and on the dish that contained LB, ampicillin and arabinose turned green when exposed to UV light. This showed that the sugar arabinose turned on the gene for the GFP production. <br />