Down with the Trade Federation

I have begun the E.Z.N.A Insect DNA Kit Protocol to see if it matches up to the previous protocol conducted in the last DNA extraction. I will see if this protocol will yield more DNA and this protocol will be a control as well. I did electrophoresis on the new DNA and we tried looking at it under a UV lighting device, but it did not turn out the way we expected. I will have to run another electrophoresis in order to see the DNA bands again. It's still a mystery, but a mystery that can easily be solved!

                                              

On another note, Josh allowed me to use a dremel in order to cut plexiglass to make my ant farm! It was my first time working with a hand tool and I did not think I would be trusted with such a machine. I ended up cutting the glass and glued it together with a hot glue gun. Now all that needs to be done is putting some silicon on it.  

                                    

I can't wait to have my family of ants in there!

"Beam me up, Scotty!"

I have started on the new protocol this week! The one that actually harbors DNA at the end. I am positive the reason why the DNA was not seen under the UV lighting was due to a no heating process in the first protocol, so the DNA was not absolutely dissolved. Somehow the DNA beamed up out of the gel under the UV lighting with this new protocol containing the two heating processes. Josh danced for joy while Matt was impressed with the amount of DNA shown. I could not believe that I had collected so much DNA out of my extractions. All my thanks to such a wonderful protocol. 

 

                                               

I am now waiting to receive my primers to attempt on amplifying the ant DNA. I will be working on figuring out what specie of ant I have been collecting. I looked at my little furry friends under the dissecting-scope after defrosting them from the freezer. It turns out they have hair all over their bodies, otherwise known as setae, which are attached to nerves under their hard exoskeleton. They are to help them sense what is around them in their environment. I was also able to see their tarsi for which are the last several segments of the end of their legs. The claws at the tips of their legs are sharp enough to hold onto our skin, but too small to cause any harm.

                                               

   

I cannot wait to continue my research on the gene flow of ants. I think I will be also conducting DNA extractions from other insects as well. If you guys have any ideas of which insect species I should extract DNA from next, don't be afraid to mention it to me.

Here is another thing we happened to do in lab today with my fellow STEM Scholars Melisa, Bethany, & Zaira. In the STEM office, we had a red betta fish known as Olivia and she died due to a digestive block in her system. Matt assumed it was bacteria leading the way to the cause of her bloating. Bethany and I were too afraid to dissect her, so Melisa decided to dissect Olivia. Melisa (Dr. Frankenstein) had a blast while I held my nose looking through the dissecting microscope to see Olivia's guts. We were able to see the heart as well as leftover pellets (her food).

                                

                                    This is Olivia's heart.

                                

                                

                                

Attack of the Clones

I actually began my first electrophoresis! I was helped by wonderful Paul throughout the process. I learned how to put my 1 X TAE buffer together then my 1 X TAE buffer with 0.9 agarose. I had no idea agarose was the key ingredient to forming the gel in the gel rig. I thought it seemed pretty awesome. I had only one DNA sample for which I placed 2 microliters in the gel wells. When I was done running my gel I put it under the UV light. I also learned that the dye within my gel was light sensitive and could break down quickly resulting in not allowing me to view any DNA. It was a good thing I had a cardboard box. Unfortunately, we did not see any DNA, but this is only the beginning. I am sure I will be able to see some DNA in my next run of electrophoresis.

 

Here is my 1 X TAE buffer without the agarose of course.

Here is my gel undergoing electrophoresis under the cardboard box.

My gel with no result of DNA.

Revenge of the Sith

I find that a DNA extraction does not work through some tedious protocol, but through magic! Just kidding! Thhe protocol I was using previously these past two weeks turned out to not serve me justice when looking under the UV lighting with my gels. Josh, my mentor, came up with a new protocol that turned out to result in actually exposing the DNA under the UV lighting after electrophoresis. The first protocol I used had no heating whatsoever, but in the new protocol there were two heating stages. I did however create a new DNA sample with the first protocol then used the new protocol. As before, after electrophoresis there was no DNA to be seen from the first protocol DNA sample. Below are pictures of two DNA samples from the new protocol under UV lighting after electrophoresis. 

Making some new gels under a cardboard box. ;)

I am about to prepare these gels with my DNA samples for electrophoresis.

I have just taken out the gel to view under UV lighting.

The first DNA sample I made with the new protocol under UV lighting.

Mine and Josh's DNA samples from the new protocol under UV lighting.

His DNA is shown from the second to last well in the gel.