Naked Science Forum
General Science => General Science => Topic started by: Candy Swift on 26/10/2015 08:38:40
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How to conduct protein expression in bacteria? I searched the internet, and learned that The first choice for the expression of recombinant proteins is typically E. coli. Production of proteins in this bacterial strain is well-established, fast and simple and usually provides high yields. Recent progress in the fundamental understanding of transcription, translation, and protein folding in E. coli, improved genetic tools had made this bacterium more valuable than ever for the expression of complex eukaryotic proteins.
Can anyone show me more? Thanks!
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It is best to do work like this at a well-equipped university laboratory, as part of a formal biology course.
Failing this, a local biohacking (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Do-it-yourself_biology) group may provide the tools and expertise that you need to get started.
Do you have an idea of what type of molecule you would like to produce?
- If so, you can lookup internet resources (http://www.kegg.jp/kegg-bin/highlight_pathway?scale=1.0&map=map01065) to see how to synthesize this molecule.
- Be aware that the more steps are involved in the synthesis, the more molecular machinery has to be added into the cell to make the final product (unless the cell already produces the raw materials).
- You can get gene sequences off the internet for most genes, in a variety of animal hosts.
You should also be aware of the ethical (http://diybio.org/codes/) issues around biological experiments. This is why it is good to work in a supervised laboratory, able to review proposals and provide considered advice on what sort of projects are feasible, beneficial and safe.
A home-brew chemical experiment gone wrong sometimes costs a child a finger or an eye; occasionally it even results in a fatality.
A home-brew biological experiment gone wrong could produce a lethal chain reaction which spreads far beyond the original experimenter. This is why all rational governments have banned biological warfare, because they know that plagues heed no boundaries.
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Thanks for the suggestion!