1. Overview Amgen Biotech Labs In this set of labs, students will:
Lab 1.1: Learn how to use a pipette to dispense small volumes of solutions
Lab 1.2: Learn how to use the technique of gel electrophoresis to separate molecules based on their size
Lab 2: Learn how to use restriction enzymes to cut DNA at specific locations
Lab 3: Learn how to use DNA Ligase to join together DNA fragments
Lab 4: Learn how to use gel electrophoresis to check to verify successful creation of a plasmid with the desired genes
Lab 5: Learn how to transform competent cells with a plasmid containing a desired gene (that is, insert a desired gene into bacteria so you can grow it to produce the desired protein)
Lab 6: Isolate and purify the desired protein
Animations on DNA Sequencing, DNA Extraction, Cloning, Gel Electrophoresis, loading a gel, etc are
all available on the Amgen Biotech site:
Biotechnology Overview with a lot of good info:

2. Amgen Biotech Labs What is Genetic Engineering?
…the branch of biology that uses special procedures and techniques to change an organism’s DNA. One example is removing DNA from one organism and inserting it into another organism.
In this image, the gene for insulin has been remove from human DNA and inserted into a bacterial plasmid. The plasmid with the human insulin gene is then put into a bacterium which reproduces to make many copies. Each bacterial cell produces the human insulin protein which can be purified from the solution.

3. Amgen Biotech Labs
Insulin is the hormone responsible for regulating glucose levels in the blood
In this image, the gene for insulin has been remove from human DNA and inserted into a bacterial plasmid. The plasmid with the human insulin gene is then put into a bacterium which reproduces to make many copies. Each bacterial cell produces the human insulin protein which can be purified from the solution.
Diabetes Movie: (8:40 min)

4. Overview Amgen Biotech Labs In this set of labs, students will:
Lab 1.1: Learn how to use a pipette to dispense small volumes of solutions

5. Overview Amgen Biotech Labs In this set of labs, students will:
Lab 1.1: Learn how to use a pipette to dispense small volumes of solutions
Lab 1.2: Learn how to use the technique of gel electrophoresis to separate molecules based on their size
Negatively charged molecules (like DNA) are attracted to the positive electrode. Smaller fragments move through the porous gel faster than larger fragments.

6. Overview Amgen Biotech Labs In this set of labs, students will:
Lab 1.1: Learn how to use a pipette to dispense small volumes of solutions
Lab 1.2: Learn how to use the technique of gel electrophoresis to separate molecules based on their size

8. Overview Amgen Biotech Labs In this set of labs, students will:
Lab 2: Learn how to use restriction enzymes to cut DNA at specific locations.

9. Overview Amgen Biotech Labs In this set of labs, students will:
Lab 2: Learn how to use restriction enzymes to cut DNA at specific locations.

10. Overview Amgen Biotech Labs In this set of labs, students will:
Lab 2: Learn how to use restriction enzymes to cut DNA at specific locations

11. Overview Amgen Biotech Labs In this set of labs, students will:
Lab 2: Learn how to use restriction enzymes to cut DNA at specific locations. Cut two genetically engineered plasmids into DNA fragments that contain specific genes of interest: From the Plasmid pKAN-R
red fluorescent protein (rfp) – the protein we want to grow and isolate
promotor (pBAD) – site at which RNA polymerase binds to DNA to initiate transcription (an RNA copy of the genes are made which then moves to the ribosomes which use them to build the proteins)
From the plasmid pARA
ampicillin resistance gene (ampR) – enables us to selectively grow only bacteria that have the plasmids with the desired genes in them
arabinose activator gene (araC) – codes for a protein that blocks the promoter unless the sugar Arabinose is present to remove it (thus the genes are only able to be activated and their proteins made when arabinose is mixed in)
Restriction Enzymes being used to make the cut: BamH I and Hind III

12. Overview Amgen Biotech Labs In this set of labs, students will:
Lab 3: Learn how to use DNA Ligase to join together DNA fragments
Join together the DNA fragments produced in Lab 2, resulting in the production of different plasmids with various combinations of genes:

13. Overview Amgen Biotech Labs In this set of labs, students will:
Lab 3: Learn how to use DNA Ligase to join together DNA fragments
Join together the DNA fragments produced in Lab 2, resulting in the production of different plasmids with various combinations of genes:

14. Overview Amgen Biotech Labs In this set of labs, students will:
Lab 4: Learn how to use gel electrophoresis to check to verify successful creation of a plasmid with the desired genes

15. Overview Amgen Biotech Labs In this set of labs, students will:
Lab 4: Learn how to use gel electrophoresis to check to verify successful creation of a plasmid with the desired genes

16. Overview Amgen Biotech Labs In this set of labs, students will:
Lab 4: Learn how to use gel electrophoresis to check to verify successful creation of a plasmid with the desired genes

17. Overview Amgen Biotech Labs In this set of labs, students will:
Lab 5: Learn how to transform competent cells with a plasmid containing a desired gene
1) Insert plasmid with desired gene into E coli bacteria 2) Verify that it worked by growing the bacteria in the presence of ampicillin (which acts as an indicator for transformation) and arabinose (which is required to activate the rfp gene)

18. Overview Amgen Biotech Labs In this set of labs, students will:
Lab 5: Learn how to transform competent cells with a plasmid containing a desired gene
1) Insert plasmid with desired gene into E coli bacteria

19. Overview Amgen Biotech Labs In this set of labs, students will:
Lab 5: Learn how to transform competent cells with a plasmid containing a desired gene
2) Verify that it worked by growing the bacteria in the presence of ampicillin (which acts as an indicator for transformation) and arabinose (which is required to activate the rfp gene)

20. Overview Amgen Biotech Labs In this set of labs, students will:
Lab 5: Learn how to transform competent cells with a plasmid containing a desired gene
2) Verify that it worked by growing the bacteria in the presence of ampicillin (which acts as an indicator for transformation) and arabinose (which is required to activate the rfp gene)

21. Overview Amgen Biotech Labs In this set of labs, students will:
Lab 5: Learn how to transform competent cells with a plasmid containing a desired gene
2) Verify that it worked by growing the bacteria in the presence of ampicillin (which acts as an indicator for transformation) and arabinose (which is required to activate the rfp gene)