Conclusion

The PGlow lab that we did in class served to help us learn about bacteria, viruses,
proper/sterile lab techniques, etc. In the pGLO lab, we were provided with four different dishes
of bacteria in which one glowed (dish D) and it was the glowing dish that contained the virus
which was causing the zombie outbreak. To stop the outbreak of the virus that was spreading,
it was essential that we determine what was making the bacteria glow. We predicted that it was
not the bacteria, but the food source (// or /) that was making the bacteria glow (virus).
The glow that was evident in the bacteria is one of the factors that determined whether
or not the bacteria was infected with the virus. To determine what was making the bacteria glow,
we spread each of the four bacteria samples (A,B,C,D) on both a single and double dash plate.
The type of plate in which the different samples were spread on served as the constants for the
experiment. We chose this plan for an experiment in the hope that the food source would be the
factor that activated the virus when in contact with the transformed plasmid, therefore
supporting our prediction. The plasmid (DNA) is made up of two genes; gene one being GFP
gene and gene two being an ampicillin resistant gene (BLA). GFP is a green fluorescent protein
which is a visual indicator for whether or not the bacteria contained the virus. Samples A and B
did not glow because there was no plasmid in the bacteria which is why they didn't glow. The
inactive gene in the plasmid and the food source is what turned on the glow. Food sources are
the no dash (regular LB), single dash (ampicillin and LB) and the double dash (ampicillin,
arabinose, and LB). Some bacteria glow in some situations while others dont because
arabinose is present, and glows, or is not present, and does not glow.
When the bacteria grows in the food source, gene two (the BLA, antibiotic resistant)
selects the infected bacteria and protects it with a slimy coat while all the other bacteria doesnt
grow.The ampicillin resistant gene increases the production of the BLA enzyme that stops the
ampicillin from attacking by forming a slimy coat around the bacteria. Arabinose turns on and off
the glow gene by attaching to the regulation protein. Some bacteria grow in situations while

others dont because only the selected bacteria is protected by the BLA. The unprotected
bacteria doesnt survive. The selected bacteria is the bacteria that took in the plasmid.

The GFP is a visual indicator and can be applied to many other scenarios when
searching for a certain aspect of a molecule. For example, when looking for a cancer cell, the
GFP will target the cancer cells and the glow with indicate what area or what cells are
cancerous. GFP can also be used for research in organism development because you can see
the movement of cells and how they interact with in an organism. Being able to see tumors or
disease- holding cells changes health care because it allows doctors to spot health problems
easily and make a more immediate cure possible due to the time saved finding the cells and the
direct area for diagnosis.
Work Cited
pGLO Bacterial." Biotechnology Explorer TM (n.d.): n. pag. Pro-Scope HR. Bodelin Technologies.
Web. 18 Oct. 2015.
http://www.cpet.ufl.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Updated-pGLO-Transformation-Manual.pdf
Pglo, Adapted From "biotechnology Explorer. GENETIC TRANSFORMATION OF BACTERIA WITH
THE GENE FOR GREEN FLUORESCENT PROTEIN (GFP) (n.d.): n. pag. Westminster College
SIM. Web. 18 Oct. 2015.
http://www.westminster.edu/about/community/sim/pdf/SpGLOTransformation.pdf
Mrs. Donley