Good Biotechnology Laboratory Text

[Bryson]

Hey everyone,

I was wondering if anyone could recommend some good introductory texts to applied biotechnology. I only have a BS in Chemistry, but I've had some biochemistry as well as having taken 8 credits of introductory biology. On the lab techniques side (particularly procedures unique to biology experiments) I feel like I would not be able to satisfactorily carry out the kind of experiments I'd be most interested in. I did some undergraduate research in organic synthesis, but that's obviously not very helpful for synthetic biology undertakings. I'm interested in trying to create transgenic yeast to produce butanol or other organic products without the use of petroleum and other things of that nature.

I was looking at this text, and it seems the closest of anything else I've found: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1405181737/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A33AYO0FZG6YH

I ultimately want to gain some degree of proficiency to where I could comfortably begin setting up my own lab to do some experiments in my spare time and not waste a lot of money on unnecessary setups, etc. I'd also like to get up to speed on the ethics side of things (I don't want to inadvertently do something illegal or harmful). How much education (time wise) do you think I have ahead of me to be able to undertake this?

[Mega [Andreas Stuermer]]

The book doesn't seem bad, though you can also have it for free. 

Watch this video 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sovDqqhQJx8 

On my blog I wrote kind of a beginners guide to synthetic biology / genetic engineering 

diyspartanbiotech.wordpress.com

There are also other sources, but these are what I remember ;) 

Wasn't there some introduction on diybio.org too?

[Nathan McCorkle]

A good read is Molecular Cloning by sambrook, there are some here
http://diyhpl.us/~bryan/papers2/bio/books/

Do you have experience with polymer synthesis?

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-Nathan

[Mega [Andreas Stuermer]]

If you focus on one project, it may take you not that long for a first proof of concept? 

If you have chemical knowledge already, say you want to produce ethanol from glucose. 

First you identify an efficient pathway from nature (out of the literature). 

Glucose  ----(Enzyme1)----> Pyruvate ----(Enzyme2)-----> Ethanal -----(Enzyme3) ----> Ethanol

Enzyme 1 already is in the organism. So you have to express Enzyme 2 and Enzyme 3 to make the organism produce ethanol. 

Easiest way: Have these genes synthesized in a codon usage that your organism efficiently translates and insert the DNA into that organism. 

Attention, if you are outside USA that may be illegal. 

[Mega [Andreas Stuermer]]

For your purpose, you may wanna look up pMicrodiesel in the literature

[Bryson]

I was working on total synthesis of Chlorins and Bacteriochlorins. I didn't work with polymers, mainly just throwing reactants in a pot, waiting, working up reactions and isolating product (chromatography, extraction, etc). Did some NMR to test product purity and identity, which I thought was interesting. Run of the mill organic chemistry really so my biology experience is nonexistent but I have a good understanding of enzyme kinetics, reactions, measurements, and such.

[Bryson]

Thank you, I will take a look at those

[CindyB]

At the Bench: A Laboratory Navigator
http://www.amazon.com/At-Bench-Laboratory-Navigator-Updated/dp/0879697083

I'm coming from a chemical engineering background. I found At the Bench very useful at getting me oriented to working in a biotech lab. I got a used copy of Sambrook, too, but find I'm using At the Bench more.

Cindy