What is transformation?
 When a cell takes up and expresses a new piece of genetic material—DNA— in order to change the organism ’ s traits
 A gene is a piece of DNA which provides the instructions for making (coding for) a particular protein
DNA Protein Trait

History of Transformation
 1928 – Fredrick Griffth first described transformation
 Pneumococcus bacteria
(pneumonia) and mice
 1944 – Oswald Avery , Colin
MacLeod , Maclyn McCarty identified the “ transforming principle ” as DNA

History of Transformation
 1952 – Alfred Hershey and
Martha Chase provided final proof that DNA was the molecule of heredity
 1970 – Morton Mandel and
Akiko Higa developed a protocol for transforming E.
coli bacteria

What is transformation used for?
 Agricultural
 Genes coding for traits such as frost, pest or drought resistance can be genetically transformed into plants

What is transformation used for?
 Environmental
 Bacteria can be genetically transformed with genes enabling them to digest oil spills or remove pollutants from the environment

What is transformation used for?
 Medical
 Production of human proteins to treat genetic diseases
Protein
Human insulin
Human Growth Hormone
Disease/Disorder
Diabetes mellitus
Deficiency in children
Erythropoietin
DNase I
Human antibody blocker
Anemia
Cystic fibrosis
Asthma

What are we doing?
 We will transform bacteria ( E. coli ), giving it the ability to make green fluorescent proteins

Green Fluorescent Protein
 Used in science as a visual marker …
 Biological processes (protein production)
 Localization and regulation of gene expression
 Cell movement
 Cell fate during development
 Formation of different organs
 Marker to identify transgenic organisms

How does it work?
Cell membrane
Bacterial chromosomal
DNA
*plasmids*

Making Plasmids
Plasmid
+
Gene
=

pGLO Plasmid
GFP
To make green fluorescent proteins araC
To survive with
Ampicillin (antibiotic)