1. Genetic Transformation

2. What is transformation?  When a cell takes up and expresses a new piece of genetic material—DNA— in order to change the organism’s traits  A gene is a piece of DNA which provides the instructions for making (coding for) a particular protein DNA ProteinTrait

3. History of Transformation  1928 – Fredrick Griffth first described transformation  Pneumococcus bacteria (pneumonia) and mice  1944 – Oswald Avery, Colin MacLeod, Maclyn McCarty identified the “transforming principle” as DNA

4. History of Transformation  1952 – Alfred Hershey and Martha Chase provided final proof that DNA was the molecule of heredity  1970 – Morton Mandel and Akiko Higa developed a protocol for transforming E. coli bacteria

5. What is transformation used for?  Agricultural  Genes coding for traits such as frost, pest or drought resistance can be genetically transformed into plants

6. What is transformation used for?  Environmental  Bacteria can be genetically transformed with genes enabling them to digest oil spills or remove pollutants from the environment

7. What is transformation used for?  Medical  Production of human proteins to treat genetic diseases ProteinDisease/Disorder Human insulinDiabetes mellitus Human Growth HormoneDeficiency in children ErythropoietinAnemia DNase ICystic fibrosis Human antibody blockerAsthma

8. What are we doing?  We will transform bacteria (E. coli), giving it the ability to make green fluorescent proteins

9. Green Fluorescent Protein  Used in science as a visual marker…  Biological processes (protein production)  Localization and regulation of gene expression  Cell movement  Cell fate during development  Formation of different organs  Marker to identify transgenic organisms

10. How does it work? *plasmids* Bacterial chromosomal DNA Cell membrane

11. Making Plasmids Gene Plasmid + =

12. pGLO Plasmid GFP araC To make green fluorescent proteins To survive with Ampicillin (antibiotic)