Horizontal Transfer

Isolation of TcR plasmid and transfer into E. coli

Students learn about the genetics of plasmid transfer by isolating plasmids from a tetracycline-resistant (TcR) colony identified in the Core PARE module and then attempting to transform a tetracyline-sensitive strain of E. coli using the plasmid preparation. There is no assurance that TcR is harbored on a plasmid or that the transformation will be successful, but this module provides a good opportunity to discuss horizontal transfer in bacteria and its role in transmission of antibiotic resistance.


Module Organization

It is strongly suggested that students perform 16S tentative identification on test isolates prior to this module.


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Acknowledgements

This module was developed in collaboration with Dr. Jennifer Larson, Capital University.