Pgreen TRANSFORMATION

pGREEN TRANSFORMATION

Name: ______

Questions

1. In the laboratory procedure today, plasmids were added to some of the bacteria. What are plasmids? And how are they important to bacteria in nature?

2. In this lab, the plasmids that were used contained two important genes. One gene creates a protein that allows the bacteria in which they are in to be resistant to ampicillin. What does this mean?

The other gene on these plasmids creates a protein called green fluorescent protein or GFP. Surf to the class website, and watch the GFP movie andread the Molecule of the Month pdf file from the protein databank.

3. Where did scientists first discover the green fluorescent protein?

4. How has GFP been useful for studying biology?

5. How has GFP been modified by biologists?

6. So, based on your knowledge of the transformation experiments conducted by Griffith and later by Avery, et. al., In which Petri dish may you be able to witness only transformed bacteria cells? Explain your reasoning.