Another noob with a question

[Alex]

Mine is more basic and general though. I have a very low budget like $40 and under. Are there any starter experiments I can do? I did purchase a centrifuge (partially due to this interest but also simply because I've wanted one for a long time) so I'll have that in a few days to use but I don't know where to start. I've done a few DNA extractions from split peas and beans but I'm not sure where to go from there.  Sorry, I know it's general but I hear about making these organisms glow and stuff (which sounds awesome) and I'm not sure where to begin or if I have the tools to do that?

Thanks,
Alex

[Avery louie]

You need to be inspired by something first.  Your question is like asking "I got some pencils, how do i do art?".  Find something that interests you, and then build up the skills to work on it or understand it.  I would look at previous iGEM projects (check out the igem wiki).  Read books.  Read papers (check pubmed).

Since I am into this kind of stuff, I would suggest a bacterial transformation.  You can probably do it for $50 bucks.  You can get a kit for it from carolina biological, or build your own.  You can find a protocol for it in here (as well as some other basic protocols): http://bosslabtesting.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/biotech101proc_web.pdf

Good luck!  This group is a great place to ask questions.

--A

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[Alex]

Haha, good point. I was kind of just hoping for a type of project that could be done with minimal equipment. I like plants, bacteria, bugs, all kinds of stuff. That's why I ask openly.

However, now that you ask, I think it'd be cool to modify the color of a plant's flower. Though, I'm not certain that that is completely possible because I've never researched what determines that color. I'd assume that it's like hair on humans but I guess it's time to read up!

I have another question about equipment. Is it possible to do things like the bacterial transformations without a thermocycler? I have plans to attempt to build one but I'm sure that's far off still. Am I limited by that?

Alex

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[Pieter]

Perhaps you could start with environmental biotech experiments first, before doing genetic engineering. For $40 you can easily build a mud reactor generating electricity. I wrote a little guide for that. The BoM is aimed at Dutch online stores, but I am sure you can find the stuff you need where you live too. http://www.pietervanboheemen.nl/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Do-It-Yourself-Bio-Mud-Reactor.pdf

[Alex]

That looks like a pretty interesting experiment! I think I might give that a shot! Thanks for the instructions!

Alex

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[Cathal Garvey (Android)]

Nope, you don't need a thermal cycler to do transformations, DNA/Plasmid extractions, or DNA Digests (cutting DNA) or ligations (pasting DNA back together).

Technically you don't even 'need' a cycler for PCR, the technique used to copy (& modify, assemble, ruin) DNA, but it's very difficult to do PCR without a cycler.

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[Dakota Hamill]

Wisconsin fast plants are fun to grow, and have a boatload of information about them and their genetics.  They are like $10 for 50 seeds from Carolina or other sites, and I think there is even an entire website dedicated to them.  Just google Wisconsin fast plants.  They go from seed to full plant with flowers within 1 month.

[Alex]

These look awesome! I'll be ordering some for sure! I had a chuckle at the growth instructions telling you to skewer a bee to perform pollination, I'll stick with a brush, I think.

Very cool!

Alex

On May 27, 2013 10:43 AM, "Dakota Hamill" <dko...@gmail.com> wrote:

Wisconsin fast plants are fun to grow, and have a boatload of information about them and their genetics.  They are like $10 for 50 seeds from Carolina or other sites, and I think there is even an entire website dedicated to them.  Just google Wisconsin fast plants.  They go from seed to full plant with flowers within 1 month.

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