Breaking the Bacteriophage
Details
WHERE
School of Biological Sciences
School of Biological Sciences Building, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast, BT9 5DL
WHEN
Wednesday 18th Feb
2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
AGE
Key Stage 5
Buy
Now Available
Free
Event Description
This schools event will see A-level Biology students get their gloves dirty with DNA in the lab. Students will work with the genome of the bacteria-killing virus, lambda bacteriophage, and break up its DNA using an evolved, virus-killing bacterial enzyme called an endonuclease. Participants will then load their digested DNA on an agarose gel and complete electrophoresis, a common molecular biology technique, to see how successfully they’ve ground their genome. Students will have an opportunity to visualise their results under a UV illuminator to see the individual shreds of the bacteriophage’s DNA.
Theoretical concepts of DNA digests, gel electrophoresis and UV illumination will be discussed throughout the practical session.
Event Partners
