Biology 22
Laboratory Report I
1. Bacterial Transformation
2. Plasmid Isolation
3. RFLP Analysis
Also you can refer to your
syllabus which has a written
description of the lab report.
Format of Laboratory Report
Typed
 Title Page
 Provide a descriptive title
 Your name
 Must include group numbers (not individual lab partners) for each experiment
 Results
 All tables have titles and numbers above table
 All figures have legends and numbers below figure
 Discussion: 2.5 to 3 pages double spaced
 If discussion is more or less than the 2.5 to 3 pages, then
points will be deducted.
Results
• Transformation results
• Transformation efficiency
• Photograph of isolated plasmid
• Photograph of RFLP
• Standard Curve
• Table that summarizes the size of the fragments of each lane
• Individual Maps
Results: Transformation
• Table: results of 3 agar plates: number and color of colonies
• Transformation efficiency
Results: plasmid isolation
The photograph of the plasmid isolation.
You should include a numbered legend to this
photograph. The legend includes: what samples
are present on the gel, their “lane” number, and the
type and percent gel.
Note: The gels were a 0.8% agarose
Results
 A photograph of the RFLP analysis with figure legend and number
Results
Standard curve
DNA
bp
Distance migrated (cm)
Results
 A table that shows the bp versus distance migrated of your unknown
fragments
 A separate table that shows the the bp versus distance migrated of your
ladder (known) fragments
Provide MAP Results
maps for each of the “digests plus a final map.
Examples of MAP Results
Ecor I
Total Size:
7000 bp
 These are just
examples!
Lane 3
Mst II
2550
4500
Total size
7050 bp
Lane 4
Mst II
Number of Maps
•
Lane 3
•
Map 1
•
Lane 4
•
Map 2
•
Lane 5
•
Map 3
•
Lane 6
•
Map 4
•
Lane 7
•
Map 5
•
Lane 8
•
Map 6
•
•
FINAL MAP: include all
Both enzymes on the same map
with correct sizes
Discussion
• On the next couple slides are some questions to help
guide you through the discussion of lab report 1. They
are meant to help you think about your data, but please do
not hand a question/answer format to your lab report.
• These questions are for you to read independently but
they are concepts that you should address in the report.
• However, I also encourage you to think of other concepts
that you might want to address.
Put together a logical story based on
your data and be creative.
Lastly, try to enjoy yourself as you put the pieces together
Concepts/question to address in your discussion:
Transformation
1. What did the results from the transformation show about
how the plasmid altered phenotype?
2. What reason(s) would you expect for the fact that
transformation efficiency is often times quite low?
3. What is the mechanism for the transformation?
4. Why are ampicillin and X-gal included on the agar plates?
5. What is the purpose for including control plates.
Discussion
Plasmid Isolation
6. How was it possible to separate cellular proteins from
nucleic acids?
7. Why did the photograph show more than one band for the
plasmid isolates?
8. How did you know if RNA was present and how could it
be removed?
Discussion
RFLP
9. How do restriction enzymes create unique patterns?
10. Which restriction enzymes are unique enzymes?
11. Which enzyme might be used for a cloning experiment to
“insert” a piece of DNA into the plasmid?
12. What are some other possible applications for the RFLP
technology other than for simply mapping a plasmid?
Discussion
Do NOT simply list the questions and
present the “discussion” as a “Q and A”
section.
The questions are meant to help you
address important concepts of each
experiment.
Discussion

Everyone must do their own work, please
do not copy from each other nor plagiarize
from the internet or book. If evidence
exists of either of these practices, credit
will not be given for either your report or
your colleague’s.
The Do Not’s
Do Not
• Do NOT copy out of the lab manual (or any other
source).
• Do NOT make the focus of the discussion a list of errors.
• Do NOT simply state the data cannot be interpreted
because of errors—this is just not true!
• An effort has been made to see that you have access to
photos and data that allow you to meaningfully interpret
your experiments. If you had a specific problem with an
experiment this should be mentioned in your report but
then be sure to discuss the data made available to you.
The End