Lab #7: GENETIC EXPERIMENTS using E. coli

(Reference manual: For specific techniques, reference will be made to pages in Pierce and Leboffe: ..Exercises for the Microbiology Laboratory (1999); Morton Publishing Co. (ISBN 0-89582-462-0))

INTRODUCTION

.....SEX is fundamentally the act of genetic recombination - the movement of DNA from one source into a living cell. ..Some authors say that they wouldn't be surprised if sex preceeded even the time that the first membrane-packaged cells came into existence. ..All that was needed was for two pieces of DNA or, perhaps, RNA to undergo recombination. .. Indeed, all genetic engineers do is a type of kinky sex in test-tubes.

.....Undoubtedly the most important sex that goes on in the world is that done within the microbial world. ..Microbes can move genes around rather freely between different species. .. Because of that, the term 'species' can only be loosely used when talking about bacteria. ..Most often you hear bacteriologists talking about different types of bacteria and never use the word 'species.'

.....While most of the animals and plants have made sex a necessary part of reproduction, in most other forms of life it is not because binary fission is their way of reproduction.

.....Now let us look at two types of sex within our good old friend, Escherichia coli. ..Genetic transfer using plasmids or the somatic chromosome.

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