OpenPCR Build Workshop
Title: DIYBIO Open PCR
Location: MadLab
Date: 29-02-2012
Start Time: 19:00
End Time: 21:00
Booking: Free, but limited.
Could there be any better way to celebrate the extra day in February than by Building an OpenPCR?
What is PCR?
The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a scientific technique in molecular biology to amplify a single or a few copies of a piece of DNA across several orders of magnitude, generating thousands to millions of copies of a particular DNA sequence.
This bit of lab kit is used for amongst other things :
- DNA cloning
- Gene analysis
- Diagnosing hereditary disease
- Identifying genetic fingerprints (CSI anyone?)
DIYBIO – Microbial fuel cell 101
Title: DIYBIO – Microbial fuel cell 101
Location: MadLab (Downstairs)
Description: Join the Manchester DIYBio group for their regular meet up
Date: 25-01-2012
Start Time: 19:00
End Time: 22:00
Booking: Free, but limited.
The evening of the 25th January is a DIYbio fuel cell special, where we’ll be building and comparing an array of microbe-powered batteries with the help of MMU’s Dr. Trish Linton who also ran the fuel cell session at the DIYbio Summit back in October.
Here’s what happened the first time we ran this workshop during the DIYBIO Summit during the Manchester Science Festival 2011.
(more…)
Microbiology and art competition – call for entries
Art provides an opportunity for visualisation and communication of science…
During the Manchester Science Festival 2011, MadLab will be hosting its first science themed exhibition, on the subject of Microbiology and Art (Oct 20 – Nov 11). Items on display will include a range of different representations of links between microbiology and art – photography, jewellery, embroidery, music, painting and so on – produced by science students from MMU. In addition, the Manchester Microbe Map, produced by the intrepid members of DIYBIOMCR will be on display alongside the MMU AIDS banner, and an open call for work.
Take part in the exhibition
Here’s how. (more…)
May 18th – DIYbio SwabFest Results
Location: MadLab
Description: Come along to help us analyse the Manchester DIYbio ‘Microbe Map’ data gathered on Wednesday 4th of May, and help us build the Manchester Microbe Map!
Date: 18-05-2012
Start Time: 19:00
End Time: 21:00
For Science! DIYBIO #2
This week saw the second meeting of the Manchester branch (chapter?) of DIYBio. I attended the first meeting purely to have a look-see and take a few photos for Madlab, and found it so interesting that I’ve decided to get stuck right in.
As discussed in the first meeting, we’re kicking things off with a relatively modest project, the Manchester Microbe map. (more…)
DIYBIOMCR SwabFest
Come along to the Manchester DIYbio SwabFest on Wednesday 4th of May and help us build the Manchester Microbe Map!
Get to the Madlab at 6pm for a brief introduction, before setting out to explore the streets in search of Mancunian bacteria. Samples collected, there’ll be a session at the Madlab where we’ll store and label our microbes followed by the Swabfest after-party with drinks and (hopefully) the finest bacterially-themed music the internet has to offer.
Manchester Microbe Map Pilot Study
Ahead of the April 20th meet, Jo & Ava went out and conducted a pilot study of how and if the Microbe Map would work.
Here’s what they got up to….
On a sunny Tuesday morning in Manchester (unlikely I know!) Jo and I went on a mini adventure down oxford road and around the university to get some starting samples for the DIYbio project. We used contact plates, that are like an agar plate without the rim so it is possible to press them against an ATM, for example, and take a sample of what is on that surface on contact.
We did 30 plates in total. Half outside on ATMS, crossings, bins, phone boxes etc and the other half inside on door plates, lift buttons etc. It was a case of whipping the plate out, labeling it, pressing it against the surface for 3 seconds and then quickly wiping it down with an anti-microbial wipe (as the nutrient agar on the plate would be transferred onto the surface and encourage the growth – that is definitely not what we want!). They were incubated at room temperature (25oC) for 3 days and I could not wait to find out what we had grown!
We had a couple of issues with the banks and the anonymously of the results. They obviously don’t want their ATMs associated with bacteria and germs, could be a great story for the front page of the sun……. could be great money make (what a way to pay off my student loan!)
Take a look at the video below in the lab with Jo.
Manchester Microbe Map Pilot Study from Madlab on Vimeo.
Come and see photos of the plates on April 20th, 7pm @ Madlab!
See you all there, Ava.
An Introduction to Practical Microbiology
MMU have created a great intro to practical microbiology. These online videos are a nice way to learn more about scientific processes.
Chapters include
- Introduction
- Preparation
- Autoclaving
- Aseptic Techniques
- Flaming
- Plates
- Media
- Streak Plates
- Pour Plates
- Bacterial Lawns
- Slopes
- Stabs
- The Gram Stain
- When Work has Finished
I was lucky enough to get a tour of the Microbiology Lab at MMU, given by Jo, Ava, and Naomi. We’ll soon post a short video of Jo explaining the pilot study of Manchester Microbes.
Hope to see you on the 20th of April to learn more in person.
Kitchen DNA Extraction in 5 minutes
This is a simple guide to DNA extraction. This is extracted from the highly informative Instructables site.
Materials & Set Up
Instructions
Step 1
Fill 1/4 of the shot glass with saliva or fruit
Step 2
Add a couple drops of soap
The detergents in the dish soap (like the sodium laurel sulfate, aka sodium dodecyl sulfate) destabilize the membranes of the cells, spilling their contents into the rest of the solution of saliva. This includes all of the cytoplasmic and nuclear proteins, sugars, and yes, nucleic acids (DNA! and rna.) But all of this stuff is still dissolved in the saliva. The rest of the steps will cause the DNA to aggregate and precipitate out of solution.
Step 3
Add a some protease
A protease is a type of enzyme that can break down other enzymes. Meat tenderizer, pineapple juice, and soft contact lens cleaning solution all contain (different) proteases. A tiny bit of any of those should reduce the amount of protein that precipitates out with our DNA later on.
Step 4
Add some salt
Although we have freed the DNA from the cells, it’s still dissolved in the solution. To get the DNA to precipitate and solidify, we need to do something about each molecule’s negatively-charged phosphate backbone.
When we dissolve the table salt in the solution, some of the positively-charged Sodium ions will interact with the negatively-charged regions of the DNA molecules and effectively shield other nearby DNA molecules from their repulsive force – this will help them all aggregate and clump together in the next step.
Step 5
Pour on a layer of the rum
Mix the solution in the shot glass for a minute by gently shaking and rocking the glass.
Now gently add a layer of the overproof rum to fill up the shot glass. The best way to do this is by tilting the shot glass and transferring the rum over a little bit at a time using a straw. If you have a steady hand, however (or just think you do, like me), you can try and slowly pour the icy-cold rum from the bottle onto the top of the saliva in the shot glass . The key thing here is to prevent the alcohol from mixing much past the surface of the saliva.
You should see some cloudy, snot-like white stuff suddenly appear near the boundary between the saliva and alcohol as you add the alcohol. This is DNA (and probably a lot of other cellular junk) precipitating out of solution!
Step 6
Spool your DNA
Insert the toothpick into the DNA precipitate and gently swirl it around, rotating the toothpick at the same time. You’re trying to wind the filaments of precipitated DNA around the tip of the toothpick.
Once you think you’ve got them, you can slowly lift the toothpick out of the solution. You should see it trailing a thin strand… of DNA!
SAFETY NOTE:
The chemicals used in this experiment are “everyday” household items and are not particularly dangerous. Nonetheless, exercise extra caution and think twice if you decide to consume your DNA shot and ABSOLUTELY do not substitue rubbing alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, or any other non-consumable alcohol for the overproof rum we used. Besides using “denatured’ alcohol, the other potential safety concern is the dishsoap added to the mixture. A couple drops won’t hurt you, but if you are concerned about it, feel free to leave it out.