Transformation, antibiotic selection, plasmid extraction, restriction digest, gel interpretation.
What to do if absent- CER:
- Claim, Evidence, Reasoning — make a claim, back it with evidence, explain your reasoning.
- SOP:
- Standard Operating Procedure — the exact steps to follow (especially in a lab).
- Tracker:
- Your PLTW progress log where you record completed evidence.
- myPLTW:
- The PLTW course site where you do the online activities — you open it through Schoology.
Week overview - Transformation and Gels: selection, digests, and reading the bands
Interpret a bacterial transformation with antibiotic selection, then read a restriction digest run on a gel against a DNA ladder.
- 1Review the provided plate images and identify which plate shows successful transformation.
- 2Explain in one sentence how antibiotic selection lets only transformed colonies grow.
- 3Count the colonies on the selection plate and record the number in your notebook.
- 4Examine the provided gel image and locate the DNA ladder lane.
- 5Compare your sample bands to the ladder and estimate each fragment size.
- 6Write one sentence stating whether the digest matches the expected plasmid pattern.
- • You will be able to identify successful transformation using selection plates.
- • You will be able to use a DNA ladder to estimate fragment sizes.
- • You will be able to judge whether a gel matches an expected digest pattern.
Daily lessons this week
Open any day for its full lesson, the work due that day, and guided notes.
One sentence explaining why antibiotic-resistance selection markers are a specific biosafety concern, plus three lab rules you would require.
Transformation notes with definitions, heat-shock temperature diagram, antibiotic selection explanation, and predicted colony results for each control and experimental plate with justifications.
Wet lab data record: transformation plate colony counts for each condition, gel photograph with labeled lanes, raw band position measurements, and one result comparison to pre-lab prediction.
Gel analysis table with ladder band migration distances, standard curve (log fragment size vs. distance), estimated sample fragment sizes, predicted restriction map sizes, and a written conclusion on plasmid identity.
Complete transformation and gel laboratory notebook: transformation notes, plate colony counts with units, gel standard curve, fragment-size estimates with units, conclusion on plasmid identity, one error source, and one future improvement.
Quick intro to the week
- Hook: a glowing plate and a few bands on a gel can confirm that you successfully moved a gene into bacteria.
- Today's goal: read real selection plates and gels like a working molecular biologist.
- Monday bioethics debate connects: how should labs contain genetically modified bacteria safely?
- Reminder: your graded gel interpretation is submitted in the PLTW course shell.
Your PLTW coursework this week
Do this: Advance your PLTW molecular biology problem by completing your transformation and gel interpretation in the online course shell.
- • Antibiotic selection allows only transformed cells carrying the resistance gene to grow.
- • A DNA ladder provides known fragment sizes for comparison on a gel.
- • Identify successful transformation from selection plates.
- • Estimate DNA fragment sizes against a ladder on a gel.
📋 PLTW evidence due: a transformation plate interpretation and an annotated gel analysis with fragment sizes in the course shell.
All PLTW activities are completed inside the PLTW course environment — this page only gives direction.
This week's PLTW tracker
Your week at a glance. Check off each deliverable as you finish it, then submit so Mr. Mendoza can see how the class is pacing.
Use the code Mr. Mendoza gave you, not your name. Saved on this device.
| Day | Date | Focus | Key deliverable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Tue, Apr 20 | Biotech safety debate | One sentence explaining why antibiotic-resistance selection markers are a specific biosafety concern, plus three lab rules you would require. |
| Tuesday | Wed, Apr 21 | Transformation notes | Transformation notes with definitions, heat-shock temperature diagram, antibiotic selection explanation, and predicted colony results for each control and experimental plate with justifications. |
| Wednesday | Thu, Apr 22 | Transformation and gel wet lab | Wet lab data record: transformation plate colony counts for each condition, gel photograph with labeled lanes, raw band position measurements, and one result comparison to pre-lab prediction. |
| Thursday | Fri, Apr 23 | Gel map | Gel analysis table with ladder band migration distances, standard curve (log fragment size vs. distance), estimated sample fragment sizes, predicted restriction map sizes, and a written conclusion on plasmid identity. |
| Friday | Mon, Apr 26 | Notebook submit | Complete transformation and gel laboratory notebook: transformation notes, plate colony counts with units, gel standard curve, fragment-size estimates with units, conclusion on plasmid identity, one error source, and one future improvement. |
- M: biotech safety debate
- T: transformation notes
- W: plate data
- Th: gel map
- F: notebook submit
Due by week's end: Transformation and gel notebook.
Lab day — what to bring & watch
This explainer accompanies the PLTW lab protocol — watch it before lab.
What to do when absent
Most days, this class is your PLTW coursework — and PLTW is online and individual. So being out usually just means doing exactly what we did in class, from home.
Open Schoology (CMSD) and keep goingHow to get there: open the CMSD website, click Clever, sign in with your Microsoft (district) account, then open Schoology from Clever.
You can't do those from home — do this instead: Provided plate and gel images.
Class still runs. A substitute will post today's plan — complete the online activity above; it's built to be self-guided. Need the concept taught without a teacher? Use this authoritative explainer:
Learn.Genetics (University of Utah): gel electrophoresisVocabulary
Virtual resources
Teacher-posted resources
Classroom documents for this lesson. Ones marked “Open the file” open right here; the rest are posted in Schoology. Use the label on each card to choose the right move.
Use this if you were absent, got stuck, or need another pass before you submit the lesson artifact.
Placement rationale
Matched Transformation, gel electrophoresis, molecular evidence by path:Biomedical-Innovations/Problem-6_Molecular-Biology/6.1_Molecular-Biology; keywords:transformation, plasmid, molecular. Score 146. Visibility: student-schoology (student-facing resource; link through Schoology rather than local path).
Use this if you were absent, got stuck, or need another pass before you submit the lesson artifact.
Placement rationale
Matched Transformation, gel electrophoresis, molecular evidence by path:Biomedical-Innovations/Problem-6_Molecular-Biology/6.1_Molecular-Biology; keywords:gel, molecular. Score 142. Visibility: student-schoology (student-facing resource; link through Schoology rather than local path).
Use this if you were absent, got stuck, or need another pass before you submit the lesson artifact.
Placement rationale
Matched Transformation, gel electrophoresis, molecular evidence by path:Biomedical-Innovations/Problem-6_Molecular-Biology/6.1_Molecular-Biology; keywords:transformation, molecular. Score 142. Visibility: student-schoology (student-facing resource; link through Schoology rather than local path).
How to get there: open the CMSD website, click Clever, sign in with your Microsoft (district) account, then open Schoology from Clever.
Standards this week
WebXam practice
Drop your Week 14 here. Use a clear file name (your initials + project). Routine work still goes to Schoology (via the CMSD portal).
Upload a project