|
Halo-Ed: Extreme Microbiology and
Astrobiology |
||||
DNA
Extraction
Many cells
have tough cell walls to protect them from their environment. DNA studies
require breaking open the cell in order to extract the DNA. Breaking down
cell walls often requires harsh chemical or physical methods, which are
technically challenging and frequently damage the DNA. However, with extreme
halophiles, like Halobacterium sp. NRC-1 the cells can be readily
broken open as the cell membrane is weakened easily with hypotonic solutions
(solutions possessing lower solute concentration than the interior of the cell,
e.g. pure water). The cell lysate that results contains RNA, proteins, and
most importantly for the purpose of this lab, DNA. When alcohol is added to
the cell lysate, DNA precipitates out of the solution in the form of long
fibrous molecules, which can be spooled by winding them around a stick. For
more information, see: Two interesting questions for students to consider: 'What
sparked life on Earth? How did DNA become the genetic material?' As a companion to this website, we have developed a
comprehensive set of laboratory exercises using Halobacterium NRC-1 as
the model organism for teaching a wide range of subjects, including
exponential growth, colony formation, mutation, antibiotic resistance,
motility, flotation, DNA
extraction and function, transformation, complementation, biotechnology,
genomics, and bioinformatics. For
Questions and Suggestions, contact the Halo-Ed Team |
||||
|
Copyright ©
Shiladitya DasSarma & Priya DasSarma |
||||