Year 12 Biology

See those glowing, fluorescent dots that are showing up under the UV light that Cooper is holding? They are colonies of bacteria that have had the fluorescent gene from jellyfish inserted into their own DNA using genetic engineering conducted here at school.  This gene is a 'reporter gene' that lets the researcher know if the gene of interest (for example the gene that produces human insulin) has been successfully inserted into the bacteria.  The bacteria then produce the protein on an industrial scale for human use.  The other plates that have colonies that didn't glow acted as experimental controls.  Bacteria get a lot of bad press, but they are currently being put to work producing vital medicines, biofuel, cleaning up industrial oil spills and producing biodegradable plastics. 

Claire Wallace