DISCUSSION
Ethical Implications
15
Inaccurate results were concluded for the control plates, due to multiple sources of error. This includes: irregular or improper distribution of the LB broth, over-heating and not properly cooling the inoculation loop before picking up a bacteria colony, and damage of the agar that was present on the plate.
These sources of error are the cause of below average transformation efficiency calculations, as many more bacterial colonies could have been observed, had there been no human errors throughout the lab.
Irregular or improper distribution of the LB broth could have been the cause of the lack of bacterial growth on the control [+pGLO LB/amp] and [+pGLO LB/amp/ara] petri dishes.
Over-heating and not cooling the inoculation loop before picking up a bacteria colony could have also been the source for the lack of bacterial growth in the control petri dishes. The bacteria could have died before reaching the control [+pGLO LB/amp] and [+pGLO LB/amp/ara] petri dishes, while being transported on a hot inoculation loop.
Damage to the agar that was present on the plate is a third potential source of error within this lab. Damaged agar could have caused disruption of bacterial growth on the control [+pGLO LB/amp] and [+pGLO LB/amp/ara] petri dishes since the agar is a source of nutrition for the bacteria to grow. Since the nutrition was insufficient, a lack of bacterial growth was found in particular amongst these petri dishes.
Future lab activities regarding this one include taking next steps to alter variables to determine their importance and optimal values for GFP expression and bacterial transformation. To do this, values or methods in the control experiment could be altered. For example, the variation in this activity was to compare store-bought transformation solution with home-made transformation solution.
Concentraions and pH values of the transformation solution could be altered within a home-made soltion to determine the importance of certain values.
Rather than using heat shock to insert a plasmid into a bacterium, electroporation or biolistics could be used. This would aid in determining which method is more efficient.
Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) could be separated from the bacteria using gel column chromatography. By taking a sample from each +pGLO and -pGLO plate, it could be determined which bacteria uptook the plasmid. Even the +pGLO LB/amp would show proof of containing the GFP, but would not have glown green due to lack of arabinose on the plate.
However, genetic alteration is not limited to fluorescence and is open to much more.
What's everybody talking
about?
Scientists are altering living organisms...
Lab Extensions
do single-
celled organisms have less rights than humans?
What are
the human health risks?
Are GM foods safe?
What if a harmful bacteria spreads?
by
making unnatural genetic modifications?
Are scientists playing
GOD?