This bioassay utilises cultured H-4-II-E rat hepatoma cells to assess the aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) inducing potencies of planar aromatic hydrocarbons and/or contaminated environmental samples. The response of the cells to pure test chemicals or extracts of mixtures is compared with their response to the standard 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). - [Read H-4-II-E Rat Hepatoma Cell Bioassay Protocol]
A. thaliana has a very small haploid genome and this makes obtaining DNA somewhat difficult. The most notable problem is that DNA is usually contaminated with polysaccharide which inhibit restriction enzymes as well as other DNA modifying enzymes. This problem is most easily solved by using young plants which have not accumulated as much polysaccharide as older plants. The best results are obtained with plants that are two to three weeks post germinated. - [Read Plant DNA Extraction Protocol]
This method is advantageous for saving the occasional cultures that become contaminated. Yeast contaminated cultures will appear cloudy when slightly shaken and lymphocytes will not cluster together as much as normal. If cultures are suspect, a drop of culture can be streaked on a YPD media plate to check for growth of yeast colonies, or a 5 ml sample can be taken to Barnes Diagnostic Center for identification of yeast strain. - [Read Removal of Yeast Contamination from Lymphoblast Cultures Protocol]
Phage are streaked onto a medium to obtain an independent isolate prior to preparing a new lysate. This is done to reduce the likelihood of working with lysates which have become contaminated, and/or have accumulated mutations. - [Read Streaking Lambda Phages Protocol]
The DNA Ligation protocol described here contains the steps required to join together using ligase enzyme both plasmid DNA and insert DNA fragments in order to create a new plasmid. This new ligated plasmid can be transformed after into competent bacteria to produce DNA for mini, midi or maxi-prep isolation.
The protocol gives general considerations for the design of targeting vectors for transgenic mice. The protocol shares tips in the design of knock-out and knock-in vectors and some of their strategies for producing homologously recombined embryonic stem cells.