Homework Part A

<aside> <img src="/icons/exclamation-mark_orange.svg" alt="/icons/exclamation-mark_orange.svg" width="40px" /> These homework questions are based on lecture questions! Mandatory for Committed Listeners.

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Patrick Boyle’s Lecture Questions:

Assume that all of the molecular biology work you'd like to do could be automated, what sort of new biological questions would you ask, or what new types of products would you make?

I would design genetic circuits to solve all the problems of earth, from climate change to cancer, everything.

If you could make metric tons of any protein, what would you make and what positive impact could you have?

I would make Dsup, it has huge potential in future world where there might be intense radiation issues.

Homework Part B

<aside> <img src="/icons/exclamation-mark_orange.svg" alt="/icons/exclamation-mark_orange.svg" width="40px" /> These homework questions are based on the Bio Production Lab! Mandatory for both Committed Listeners and MIT/Harvard students.

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<aside> <img src="/icons/push-pin_green.svg" alt="/icons/push-pin_green.svg" width="40px" /> Key Links: http://docs.google.com/document/d/15-tlrejgbbr4FMpA6rKogTjlv6qXJhFqQm7o_Ppfh-I/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.jyt74412izch

Key Papers:

1. Gene expression pattern analysis of a recombinant Escherichia coli strain possessing high growth and lycopene production capability when using fructose as carbon source
2. Improvement of Biomass Yield and Recombinant Gene Expression in Escherichia coli by Using Fructose as the Primary Carbon Source </aside>

Which genes when transferred into E. coli will induce the production of lycopene and beta-carotene, respectively?

Lycopene: crtE, crtB, crtI; Beta-carotene: crtE, crtB, crtI, crtY

Why do the plasmids that are transferred into the E. coli need to contain an antibiotic resistance gene?

So that we can select the transformed bacteria by treating them with antibiotic.

What outcomes might we expect to see when we vary the media, presence of fructose, and temperature conditions of the overnight cultures?

Varying media, fructose presence, and temperature in overnight E. coli cultures can significantly affect growth rate, plasmid stability, protein expression, and metabolite production (like lycopene or β-carotene).

Generally describe what “OD600” measures and how it can be interpreted in this experiment.

OD600 measures the bacterial cell culture density.

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