Teaching Module: Bacterial Transformation Lab
Kristen Kopf, RET Fellow Summer 2010
ABSTRACT
Students will learn about gene therapy by completing a bacterial transformation lab where
they change the physical appearance of bacteria from white to blue. This will be
accomplished by changing the DNA of the bacteria. Prior to the lab, students will complete
a webquest where they explain how gene therapy is accomplished and the uses for and
limitations of gene therapy. In the lab the students will focus on reading and following a
procedure, and identifying a control.
OBJECTIVES
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Describe what is meant by the term “transformed organism.”
Describe how we can change an organism’s traits.
Explain the uses for and limitations of gene therapy
Explain the purpose of the laboratory steps for gene therapy
Read and follow a lab procedure
Identify a control in an experiment
METHODOLOGY OR EXPERIMENTAL SETUP
Students will complete the following in order to gain understanding…
 Gene Therapy Webquest
o After completion and discussion of the webquest, have students write a short
letter to a neighbor summarizing the uses for and limitations of gene therapy.
This will be used as a formative assessment prior to the test.
 Unit Overview Picture
o Present the unit summary to students and walk them through the lab steps
necessary to complete gene therapy. Stress to them that we will not be
completing all of these steps in our lab.
o For practice, cut up the stages and have students place them in order.
 Bacterial Transformation PowerPoint
o Have students take Cornell style notes as you progress through the
PowerPoint. For more information on Cornell notes, see the following:
http://coe.jmu.edu/LearningToolbox/cornellnotes.html
 Bacterial Transformation Lab Introduction
o Students will complete pages 1-5 where they pretend to be an applicant for
“Genes R Us.” They need to fill out the interview form, making sure to explain
the background terms necessary to understand the transformation lab.
o If you have higher-level students, have them complete the lab attached to this
introduction. It has more control plates than the following lab.
 Bacterial Transformation Lab
o Prior to starting the lab, have students read through the procedure and
summarize the purpose for each day on page 1.
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o Before each day, have students storyboard the procedure. This means
students will draw a short picture illustrating what they will do in that step.
o Review lab safety before students are allowed into lab
o Data analysis should be completed in cooperative groups and the focus
placed on the use of control plates.
Lab Quiz
EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Students will be able to…
 Demonstrate their understanding of the lab procedure by creating a storyboard
illustrating each step.
 Order and orally explain the purpose of the laboratory steps for gene therapy.
 Write a letter to a partner explaining the uses for and limitations of gene therapy.
 Identify the purpose of a positive and negative control in an experiment.
BUDGET SECTION
Company
Item
Catalog #
Carolina
Biological
pBlu Colony
FA-21Transformation 1146
Kit (8 stations)
Page
#
248
Quantity
9
Catalog
Unit $
$109.00
Total $
$981.00
My school is willing to match the full $981.00 so next year’s students would also be able to
experience this lab as well.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The IMSA and RET research was made possible by RET 2010 Program NSF Grant
#CBET EEC-0743068, NIH R01 NS055095, and R03 EY014357 (RAG). The summer
research was conducted in a facility constructed with support from Research Facilities
Improvement
Program Grant Number C06 RR15482 from the National Center for Research Resources,
NIH.
I would also like to thank Dr. Richard Gemeinhart, faculty research mentor, for
graciously allowing me to join his lab, and Dr. Andreas Linninger, RET program director, for
providing the RET experience. Also, thank you to the staff at Elk Grove High School, in
particular Chris Rugg and Marybeth Sison, for peer reviewing the bacterial transformation
unit.
Finally, thank you to the creators of the Gene Therapy Webquest (Appendix A) at the
University of Utah.
APPENDIX
A)
B)
C)
D)
E)
F)
G)
Gene Therapy Webquest
Bacterial Transformation Lab
Bacterial Transformation Lab Introduction
Bacterial Transformation PowerPoint
Unit Overview Picture
Lab Quiz
Kristen Kopf’s CV