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Curriculum Details
- Bacterial Genetic Transformation
- Protein Purification: Column Chromatography
- DNA Restriction Analysis (DNA
Fingerprinting)
- Amplification and Analysis of
Human DNA by PCR
- Protein
Electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE)
- Bioinformatics
- Immunology
- DNA
Microarrays and Gene Expression
- RNAi
and Gene Silencing
Protein Electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE)
The central principle of molecular biology tells us that the genetic code contained in DNA is a unique pattern of nucleotides that serves as the template for transcription into RNA, which in turn translates the code into finished proteins. Proteins are integral components of all cells that serve vital functions such as physical structure and chemical regulation. The structure of related proteins can provide information about evolutionary relationships among organisms. Myosin is a protein found in muscle, for example, that has evolved at the molecular level over millions of years and can be used to study the relationships among various species of fish. Using actual tissue samples from a range of fish, you will perform protein electrophoresis on vertical polyacrylamide gels to study the characteristic banding pattern of each species. Next, you will use powerful computerized gel documentation equipment to quantify differences in order to form a conclusion about evolutionary relationships.
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