A coordinated set of laboratory core exercises will take upper division cell and molecular biology majors from the cloning of a gene to the purification of its coded protein. The exercises is based on the baculovirus (Bac) expression system, a procedure that inserts foreign genes into a virus which infects cell lines derived from moths and over produces the inserted gene. The laboratory exercises will flow from the subcloning of genes into transfer vectors used with the Bac system to the chromatographic purification of the recombinant protein produced in the tissue cultured moth cells. The DNA to RNA to protein principle of molecular biology is reinforced by the working relationship students receive with such important procedures as: tissue culture, manipulation of viruses of eukaryotic cells, in vitro manipulations of DNA molecules, specific detections of macromolecules (Western, Northern, and Southern blots), and protein purifications. Senior Thesis projects will aslo employ the new laboratory equipment.
