Introduction to BioBrick Construction

Experimental Synthetic Biology SPRING 2009

You must come to lab prepared--this requires you to read the experimental protocols, not just print a copy of them. Bring whatever information you need to perform the experiments. The procedures for each day are available here and you will be given any additional information in the pre-lab lectures.

SPECIAL NOTE: Record enough procedure details in your notebook during each day of lab so that you can repeat these procedures using your notebook as the ONLY resource (i.e., you should not use printed web pages or handouts from previous labs).

Day 1 Cells and DNA: Mon., 9 March

Lecture Topics		Experimental Procedures
Course introduction		bacterial transformation and selection
A genetic switch: Joff Silberg (Invited Speaker)		agarose gel electrophoresis
		estimation of DNA amounts
		preparation of agar plates

Day 2 DNA manipulations: Wed., 11 March

Lecture Topics		Experimental Procedures
Wiring parts to function collectively: Joff Silberg (Invited Speaker)		plasmid DNA mini prep
Registry of Standard Biological Parts		restriction enzyme (RE) digests
		agarose gel analysis of digests

Day 3 Subcloning BioBricks: Mon., 16 March

Lecture Topics		Experimental Procedures
Modeling: Oleg Igoshin (Invited Speaker)		phosphatase treatment of vector
Registry of Standard Biological Parts		DNA purif. using agarose gel
BioBrick Standard Assembly		insert/vector concentration analysis
		ligation, DNA clean-up, & transformation

Day 4 PCR amplification: Wed., 18 March

Lecture Topics		Experimental Procedures
PCR protocols & enzymes		PCR of plasmid DNA
Primer design		colony PCR
		agarose gel analysis: size & yield
		plasmid DNA mini preps

Day 5 Construction and characterization of a simple circuit: Mon., 23 March

Lecture Topics		Experimental Procedures
Student presentations		build simple circuit

Day 6 Construction and characterization of a simple circuit: Wed., 25 March

Lecture Topics		Experimental Procedures
Student presentations		build simple circuit

Day 7 Construction and characterization of a simple circuit: Mon., 30 March

Lecture Topics		Experimental Procedures
Student presentations		build simple circuit

Day 8 Construction and characterization of a simple circuit: Wed., 1 April

Lecture Topics

Experimental Procedures

Student presentations

characterize simple circuit

*Project proposals and final notebook pages (including Table of Contents) are due by 1 p.m. on 15 April (Dr. Beason's Inbox in Biology 211C)

Copyright, Acknowledgements, and Intended Use
Created by B. Beason (bbeason@rice.edu), Rice University, 4 January 2008
Updated 3 July 2008