TeacherTECH Science Series- Nobel Price Winning Science: DNA-RNA-Protein

High School Teachers are invited to attend an exciting new TeacherTECH workshop series focused on biotech. This workshop series will provide you with the building blocks to confidently introduce standards-based hands on laboratory activities into your lesson plans. These activities may be integrated into your classroom teaching as stand-alone activities or be strung together as a combined series of labs to create an entire biotechnology course. The series will build on to more advanced topics both in content and equipment requirements. This workshop is focused on pGLO Bacterial Transfromation and GFP Protein Purification:.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

4:30pm - 6:30pm

San Diego Supercomputer Center, Auditorium

University of California, San Diego

The instructor will also show you materials modifications to fit your class and budget.

Workshop Description:  Explore the mechanisms of gene expression and genetic selection. You will transform bacteria with a bioluminescent jellyfish gene that codes for Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP), then purify GFP from transformed bacteria using a key process in biomanufacturing, chromatography! DNA>RNA>Protein>Trait — Green Fluorescence! AP Bio Lab 6

Workshop Activities:  Genetic engineering is the process of manipulating the genetic material of an organism — often to include the DNA from a foreign organism. In this activity, students transform bacteria by introducing a gene from the bioluminescent jellyfish Aequorea victoria. When combined with the Green Fluorescent Protein Purification (GFP) kit, your students go through the process of creating a new product — from discovery in the laboratory to biomanufacturing to market. In biotechnology research and industry, transformation is the first step in producing genetically engineered "designer" proteins. Genetically engineered proteins have unlimited applications — from medicines to treat human diseases to powerful enzymes incorporated into nonpolluting laundry detergents — but they must be overexpressed, mass produced, and purified to be marketable.

The pGLO plasmid is constructed with the jellyfish gene that encodes Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP), an antibiotic-resistance gene that encodes β-lactamase protein and the AraC gene encoding a regulator protein that turns the GFP gene on and off. Bacteria transformed with pGLO are selected by ampicillin resistance, and, when induced to express GFP, the bugs glow fluorescent green under UV light! A colony of transformed bacteria are placed in liquid cultures overnight then lysed to release their cellular contents. GFP is purified from the bacterial contaminants using the hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) columns provided in this kit. Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) is extremely hydrophobic compared to bacterial proteins. This unique characteristic of GFP enables the purification of GFP from bacterial cell proteins using HIC columns. When placed in a buffer containing a high concentration of salt, the HIC matrix selectively binds hydrophobic GFP molecules while allowing the bacterial proteins to pass right through the column. Then, simply lowering the salt concentration of the buffer causes GFP to elute from the column in pure form.The unique fluorescent property of GFP allows real time monitoring of the extraction and purification processes,

Upcoming Biotech Workshops

Tuesday, March 9, 2010 - Proteins in Actions 1: ELISA

The highly specific nature of antibodies has been harnessed to develop tests for almost any biological molecule that elicits an immune response. See how ELISA assays provide rapid detection of disease-causing agents such as those found in HIV, anthrax, mad cow disease, or the bioengineered proteins found in GMO foods.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010 - Analysis of Proteins: Protein Quantification

How much protein is in your food? Apply Beer’s law to measure the protein concentration in foods: milk, sports drinks, soy products, etc. Use the Bradford assay to determine concentration qualitatively by eye, or quantitatively with a spectrophotometer. This lab integrates the physical, chemical, and biological properties of proteins.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010 -  DNA Analysis 1: DNA Electrophoresis

Use restriction enzyme digestion and DNA gel electrophoresis (popularly known as DNA Fingerprinting) to determine which of a number of suspects could have committed the crime - based on DNA evidence. Extend this kit with a plasmid mapping activity using the plasmid DNA restriction patterns from the experiment. AP Bio Lab 6.

Thursday, May 13, 2010 - DNA Analysis 2: Introduction to PCR

This hands-on workshop teaches the basics of DNA extraction, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and gel electrophoresis. Learn how trace amounts of DNA are used to identify genetic ancestry, identify inherited variations in your own genotype at the PV92 locus, or test common grocery store food products for the presence of GM foods. AP Bio Lab 8                      

Tuesday, May 25, 2010  - Proteins in Action 2

In this hands-on workshop we will generate protein profiles from distant and closely related species of fish using gel electrophoresis. Test the hypothesis that protein profiles are indicators of evolutionary relatedness and construct cladograms from your own gel results: DNA> RNA>Protein>Trait.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010 - Proteins in Action 3: NEW LAB AP Bio lab 2

Need Energy?  Reveal the power of enzyme kinetics by illustrating the theory through a real world application to biofuels.  Through guided inquiry activities your students will determine how temperature, pH, the concentration of substrate and the concentration of enzyme will effect an enzymatic reaction.   Throughout the world, biofuels are commonly used to power vehicles, heat homes, and provide fuel for cooking.  Can biofuels solve global warming?  Let your students decide if this is possible!

Please join us for an exciting and informative session of hands-on learning presented by Essy Levy, Curriculum and Training Specialist, Bio-Rad Laboratories. 

Registration is free. Refreshments will be served. Space is 
limited. Please contact Ange Mason at 858-534-5064 or amason@ucsd.edu to reserve your space.


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