Transduction of an Antibiotic Resistant Gene
The experiment conducted was aimed to prove that the presence of a bacteriophage could result in the transfer of an antibiotic resistant gene. Two bacteria were used: Escherichia coli CR63 (resistant to ampicillin) and Escherichia coli BE (sensitive to ampicillin). A bacteriophage takes random genes from the host bacteria (CR63) and it shoots them into them into the second bacteria (BE). To know if the specific characteristic of antibiotic resistance was transferred, the BE strain was cultured in ampicillin and the bacteria would grow. The results found that the antibiotic resistance did transfer and the BE strain did become resistant to the ampicillin. This relates to the real world because it proves that it is possible to take a specific characteristic from a gene and transfer it to another similar DNA. For example, it is possible to insert or remove an insecticide or herbicide in a plant cell.
Research Conducted By:
Jordan Nevejans
Lake Shore High School
Sydney Waynick
Warren Mott High School
Warren Consolidated Schools