[Hplusroadmap] Fwd: Re: Bio Heath Kit

[Bryan Bishop]

----------  Forwarded Message  ----------

Subject: Re: Bio Heath Kit
Date: Tuesday 08 April 2008
From: Kim <Kim.deMora at gmail.com>
To: DIYbio <diybio at googlegroups.com>


Hey guys,

  Using fluorescence can be difficult.  If you are working with yeast,
the expression levels can be low enough that you need a fluorescence
microscope to see whats going on.  Maybe that would be an interesting
project:  How to modify a cheap microscope to see fluorescence.
Failing that, RFP expression in E. coli is visible to the naked eye if
you are using a strong enough promoter.  Another reporter would be to
use the Lac operon to produce a drop in pH in the growth medium (for
liquid cultures).  This method only needs a relatively inexpensive pH
meter or even disposable litmus paper strips, although it would be
difficult to get more than a yes/no answer without being clever.

Something that is very important to any kind of microbiology work is
the ability to keep everything sterile.  Ideally this is done using an
autoclave, but for sterilizing petri dishes/anything metal, you could
feasibly use 70% ethanol and a flame.

  You also need the ability to select which cells have the DNA that
you want in them and which don't.  This is usually done using drug
resistance plasmids in E. coli, but beta-gal selection might be a more
feasible and cheap option for do-it-yourself work.  Cheers,

Kim
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