Unit 6 Reflection

This unit was about biotech and the bioethics behind biotech. We first learned about the most fundamental parts of biotech: gel electrophoresis. This was just a method of separating DNA strands from each other using electricity to make the DNA travel along with the current. The more longer the DNA strand chunk was, the farther it would lag behind. Then, DNA with known lengths would be measured along with the DNA strand chunks, and they would be compared. This would give an estimation of how long each DNA strand chunk was. After that, we learned the bioethics behind biotech. We learned that ethics was not a science subject, but simply the study of right and wrong. This could be applied to biotech, because there are many things that we can do in biotech that would might not want the outcome of.

Things were doing pretty well, as were most of the units we do. The major setback of this unit was the gel electrophoresis lab and the similar devices that were very complicated to do very simple things, like separate DNA. They were hard to understand, and the vodcast did not discuss it in much detail, so I had to research about it on my own discretion time. The strengths I had in this unit was the pGLO lab. Our team worked with each other very swiftly and got the lab done before any other group.

The labs I did included the pGLO lab and the candy electrophoresis lab. I learned from these experiences that the process of transferring the plasmids into the bacteria was a difficult process, put in jurisdiction by natural selection, to prevent viruses and other viroids from changing bacteria’s DNA. We had to ice the bacteria, then immediately heat it, then cool it again. I also learned that DNA is not the only thing that will flow in the direction of electric current in gel electrophoresis. I found out certain other chemicals, like food dyes, have this capability, too.

I want to learn more about the sequencing of DNA. I have many unanswered questions about how it is achieved, and how it is useful. I wonder about how the pGLO lab came to be. For example, an unanswered question that I have about it is “how is the pGLO plasmid obtained in the first place?”, since all we did was take the solution of plasmids and add it to the bacteria samples that required it.

My progress on the New Year Goals is present, but limited. I’ve been making it on time to classes now, and I’m able to make it on time to class now. I also have not been playing games for more than two weeks. The only problem now is to prevent my addiction to IT things, and I’ll be able to dedicate more time to work and school stuff.

Before Electrophoresis

After Electrophoresis