Bacterial Identification Lab

To familiarize students with the science and technology used to identify types of DNA based on their DNA sequence.

Answer explanation

What is the overall purpose of this virtual lab?

Prepare a sample and isolate the whole DNA, make copies of it, sequence the DNA, analyze and identify

Answer explanation

What are the four basic steps involved in this bacterial identification lab?

The piece of DNA used for identifying bacteria; The identification relies on matching the sequence from your sample against a database of all known 16S rDNA sequences

Answer explanation

What is "16S rDNA," and how is it used to identify species of bacteria?

to identify a bacterial sample received from a clinician.

Answer explanation

As the pathology lab technician, what is your task in this virtual lab?

dissolving the cell wall with a digestive buffer (in the white-capped bottle) available as a commercial kit

Answer explanation

Extracting DNA involves which initial step?

Answer explanation

What is the wire ring used for?

The buffer contains proteolytic enzymes that eat the cell wall.

Answer explanation

Why are the proteolytic enzymes necessary?

Since we will be using other enzymes in the next step, we need to get rid of the proteolytic enzymes.

Answer explanation

Why do you then need to inactivate the proteolytic enzymes and how do you do it?

DNA is lighter than the cellular debris floating around from the step that destroyed the cellular wall. The centrifuge allows us to safely remove the DNA from the microcentrifuge tube.

Answer explanation

After removing the enzymes, why do you spin the sample in the centrifuge?

a solid deposit of cellular debris

Answer explanation

What is the pellet?