1. Are the objective and introduction written in an engaging way? Yes No     If 'No' please explain. characters left 2. Is the difficulty level accurate? Yes No     If 'No' please explain. characters left 3. Were the materials easily obtained? Yes No     If 'No' please explain. characters left 4. Was the procedure clear? Yes No      If 'No' please explain. characters left 5. Were all safety measures included? Yes No      If 'No' please explain. characters left 6. Did you obtain clear, unambiguous results? Yes No     If 'No' please explain. characters left 7. How much time did you spend on the project? Choose One... A day or less Several days About one week A couple weeks Several weeks to months 8. How much did the project cost? Choose One... Less than $20 $20 - $50 $50 - $100 $100 - $150 $150+ Optional:  Do you have any suggestions to improve this project? characters left Optional:  Attach a picture of your project (JPG, JPEG, GIF, PNG only) Optional:  Caption for picture characters left Thank you for your feedback! * Note: This is an abbreviated project idea, without notes to start your background research or a procedure for how to do the experiment. You can identify abbreviated project ideas by the asterisk at the end of the title. If you want a project idea with full instructions, please pick one without an asterisk. Abstract What is cloning and how is it used in the biotechnology industry? How are plasmids constructed for use in a bacterial expression system? You can investigate bacterial expression with the pGLO Bacterial Transformation Kit (Catalog #166-0003EDU) from the Bio-Rad Biotechnology Explorer Program (see the Science Buddies project, Bacterial Transformation Efficiency). With variations to this kit you can test the conditions for pGLO expression under different conditions. You can also combine with other kits to map the pGLO plasmid and purify the expressed pGLO protein using column chromatography. (Bio-Rad, 2006) Bibliography Bio-Rad, 2006. "Biotechnology Explorer Program," Bio-Rad Laboratories [accessed January 5, 2009] http://explorer.bio-rad.com Materials and Equipment Note: Bio-Rad Kits are sold directly to schools. To purchase, please have your school contact Bio-Rad at 800-424-6723 to verify account information and to place the order for you. Existing accounts will have orders processed within a day, and establishing an account will take approximately 48 hours. Variations For more science project ideas in this area of science, see Biotechnology Techniques Project Ideas. Last edit date: 2009-01-05 12:00:00

I Did This Project! Tell us about your experience with this science project. What was the most important thing you learned? characters left What problems did you encounter? (Enter "none" if you had none.) characters left Can you suggest any improvements or ideas? (Enter "no" if you have none.) characters left How do you rate this project? Poor OK Good Very Good Excellent Optional:  Attach a picture of your project (JPG, JPEG, GIF, PNG only) Optional:  Caption for picture characters left Thank you for your feedback! Related Links Science Fair Project Guide Project Summary Difficulty  8  –  10  Time required Average (about one week) to Long (a couple of weeks) Prerequisites Some laboratory experience is required: knowledge of sterile technique, working with bacterial cultures, and using automatic pipettes are all helpful. Material Availability Kit available for purchase online from www.bio-rad.com, catalog #166-0003EDU Cost Very High (over $150) Safety Adult supervision is required in the laboratory facility. Use sterile technique. Read the Microorganisms Safety Guide before starting any experiments. SRC approval may be necessary. Share this Project Idea! Donate to Science Buddies Sponsor Sponsored by generous grants from Bio-Rad and its Biotechnology Explorer program Inspiring minds want to know. Unravel the mysteries of biotech explorer.bio-rad.com

Career Focus

If you like this project, you might enjoy exploring related careers.

	Biological Technician What do the sequencing of the human genome, the annual production of millions of units of life-saving vaccines, and the creation of new drought-tolerant rice varieties have in common? They were all accomplished through the hard work of biological technicians. Scientists may come up with the overarching plans, but the day-to-day labor behind biotech advances is often the work of skilled biological technicians.			Biochemical Engineer A nice cool yogurt is the perfect snack. It comes in a variety of delicious flavors like peach, chocolate, and cherry and contains calcium, vitamins, and minerals that are good for you. Yogurt also contains live cultures that your body needs to maintain good health. How did all of those good things get into your yogurt? The answer is that a biochemical engineer helped to develop a recipe to make that yogurt a perfect snack for you. So many of the products that we use every day, from medicine and fertilizer to packaged foods, result from the hard work of a biochemical engineer. A biochemical engineer takes a recipe that has been formulated by a biologist or a chemist in the laboratory and develops it into a large-scale manufacturing process. Biochemical engineers design the manufacturing equipment that is required to convert raw materials into the products that you have at home, like cold tablets and packaged foods. If you are interested in applying your problem-solving skills to improving human lives, then you should definitely investigate this career.

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