Amplification of the Trade Federation

The week of April 9th was one filled with new techniques. Matt helped me learn how to run a PCR! I was excited to see if the DNA samples I had would be amplified . The process was not as hard as actually doing a DNA extraction. After I was done running the PCR, I was taught how to run a gel with my amplified DNA which is different from the usual electrophoresis with non-amplified DNA. Aftter I ran my gel and looked at it under the UV lighting it seemed as though the primers had done well. I used both primers instead of just one each for my DNA samples. Below is a picture of how well both primers worked with my DNA extractions.

This is a gel containing both primers 1&2 from my first PCR.

On the Planet Genesis

In the week of April 23rd I was working on collecting ants from five locations on PC campus. I was happy to find five pharaoh ant colonies. I am pretty sure I looked like a crazy person scooping up ants into little eppendorf tubes with tweezers. I needed enough ants to have 25 extractions. I was planning on having five control extractions with E.Z.N.A. Insect DNA kit protocol and 20 others with the novel method. I happened to finish all the extractions in two days and ran a gel to make sure I had DNA. Below is a picture of the gel I ran with a couple of DNA samples.

The control sample from the E.Z.N.A. Insect DNA protocol.

The DNA samples from the novel method.

Not much DNA from the pharaoh ants, but there was enough to run a PCR.

The Fake Royal Naboo

I  started with three new DNA extractions with the E.Z.N.A Insect kit protocol and I ran a gel with the three new DNA samples. I put the gel under the UV lighting and there was actually some DNA! There was not as much DNA as the first protocol I used, but the E.Z.N.A protocol delivered enough DNA that there could be a chance of doing a PCR with it. I am excited to move forward with these results and see where it will take me.

                                    

 

Earlier this week was an adventure out to the northside of PC's campus! We were going to dig up an ant hill and find the queen. We ended up digging into plenty of dirt with the shovel and eventually piling it into the bucket. It was undetermined if we had secured the queen or not. When we got back in the lab we put the contents of the bucket into a TLC chamber. It is unclear if we have the queen at the moment, but it seems as though we do since the ants are now creating mini chambers for the larvae. It's pretty amazing how they create so many tunnels.

The established home for the ants.

Looking at larvae under a dissecting scope.