Biotech Lab
The Biotechnology Laboratory is set up for all basic and many advanced applications of Molecular and Cellular Biology all performed by undergraduate students.
Molecular Biology techniques are available and equipment for use. Facilities available allow undergraduate and graduate students as well as faculty to use:
Equipment:
- Refrigerated centrifuge (One clinical refrigerated centrifuge and one medium speed (Fisher 13K Marathon)
- Beckmann Ultracentrifuge (in basement)
- Microfuges
- Micropipettes (including electronic and syringe multidispensing pipettes)
- Heating blocks
- UV/VIS Spectrophotometer (Genosys system)
- Hybridization oven for blots
- Thermocyclers/Gradient for PCR
- Incubators (both walk-in (37°C) and bench top (currently 30ºC and 37°C))
- Walk-in cold room (4°C)
- Shaking incubators (currently 30°C and 37°C)
- Shaking platforms
- Electrophoresis chambers for both nucleic acid and protein gels
- Transblotter for transfer of proteins or nucleic acids for blots
- Electroporators
- Vortexes
- Sonicator for cell disruption
- Refrigerators (4°C), frost-free (-20°C) freezer, and (-80°C) freezer
- Fluorescence microscopes with digital imaging systems
- Yeast genetics dissecting microscope (with micromanipulator)
- Digital gel documentation system (Kodak 1D EDAS system)
- CO2 incubators and BSC hoods for mammalian cell culture
- Flow cytometer
Techniques that are routinely done in the laboratory:
- DNA, RNA, and protein isolation
- Nucleic acid and protein gel electrophoresis
- DNA, RNA, and protein blots (southerns, northerns, and westerns)
- Epi-Fluorescence microscopy
- Enzyme assays
- Polymerase chain reaction
- UV/VIS spectrophotometer
- Flow cytometry
- Bacterial and fungal culture analysis
- Mammalian cell culture (in the cell biology teaching laboratory)
- Fluorescence microscope
Several projects have used these facilities, including:
- Development of yeast with gene deletions in specific aminopeptidase genes, cell cycle analysis, microarray analysis of gene regulation
- Analysis of genomic differences in Frankia nodulating plants
- Analysis of DNA damage due to psoralen exposure
- DNA typing of rainbow and cutthroat trout
- Isolation and characterization of acid phosphatase from penicillium
- Isolation and detection of DNA of pathogens in water supplies
