PGlo

by Sinead Heaney, Megan Carpenter, and Avery Golder

Summary
The zombie apocalypse broke out just a few weeks ago. Since then
more than 2,000 people have been infected. In that time, our team of
researchers have been able to come up with a cure. Our team has been
working very hard to contain the outbreak. The apocalypse has caused
these zombies to activate a GFP protein that causes them to glow and
has various other side effects that have begun to haunt our every
waking moment. We have complete confidence that we will be able to
stop this apocalypse once and for all.

Why does the bacteria

The bacteria glows because aglow?
plasmid (circular piece of DNA) has been
inserted into the bacteria. This plasmid contains a Green-Fluorescent
Protein (GFP) gene as well as beta lactamase (BLA). The GFP gives the
bacteria the property to glow under UV light with the presence of
arabinose. Arabinose is necessary to turn on the gene and for the gene
to be expressed. BLA is an antibiotic resistance gene that is resistant to
ampicillin which allows the bacteria to not be killed by the antibiotic
that is present in the agar.

Why does the bacteria

grow?

bacterial cell after the

The

Hypothesis and prediction

Hypothesis: The growth of the bacteria is affected by the agar
because of the ingredients the agar is made out of.
Prediction: The single dash agar plate will cause the bacteria to grow
more than the double dash plates bacteria will glow.

Procedure
1.Gather all sterile materials to plate and grow the bacteria.
2.Carefully label both plates (single dash and double dash) with
bacteria name, date, and group name.
3.Pick a colony from already grown bacteria and carefully streak
across the plate trying to avoid contamination.
4.Close plates once the four bacterias have been streaked in different
sections. Cover with parafilm.
5.Allow the bacteria at least 48 hours to grow in the incubator.

DATA

left:double dash

Conclusion
The hypothesis was that the agar would affect the
growth of the bacteria and it was thought that the
single dash agar will cause the bacteria to expand
more than in the double dash the bacteria will glow.
It was found out that the single dash agar will only
grow C and D. In the double dash agar C and D also
grew and they glowed as well. A and B bacteria
werent suppose to grow but there was an error in
which the areas where contaminated with skin or
the other bacteria.

Interviews

Real zombie cells in the

Zombie
Replicants to Outperform the Living. (2013, February 8).
world
Retrieved October 19, 2015, from

http://energy.gov/articles/zombie-replicants-outperform-living
Biologists Create 'Zombie Cells' In The Lab Which Outperform
Living Counterparts. (2013, April 16). Retrieved October 19,
2015, from
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/02/14/biologists-createzombie-_n_2684959.html
Retrieved October 19, 2015, from
http://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/styles/borealis_article_hero_

Quarantine
All the zombies will be relocated to an area that has been exposed to
radiation previously so our cure will not further hinder the environment.
Some viable options for quarantine location are the Fukushima reactors
or Chernobyl. To quarantine most of the population, our belief is that we
can purify the area through planes. Planes will drop the cure over the
infected area. The areas air will be exposed to the cure helping the
zombies become quarantined. The cure will be distributed by a blast
of radiation that will subdue the expression of the proteins that are
already expressing the gene.

Education
We will educate the public by leading mass seminars and radio/tv ads
about the outbreak. We will continue to educate them on how not to
spread the disease, and to quarantine those who are already infected. It
is important that we reassure the public that it will be okay and not to
scare them to much otherwise total disorder will occur. Education about
vaccinations will also occur with this and will promote future outbreaks
of this disease from occurring. The community will be reassured that we
have found a cure and will begin the process of treating the community.

Disseminate a cure
After quarantining the zombies,we must distribute an injection of an inhibitor
that will block the expression of the GFP gene. The protein is specifically shaped
with a notch that an inhibitor can inhibit and keep the gene from expressing its
fluorescent green glow and this process is called repression. Now for the solution
of the zombies who already are expressing the gene. One way to stop a protein
that has already been produced is by denaturing it which can be done in several
ways including ionized radiation. Our plan to cure the zombie apocalypse is after
the quarantine, all the zombie will be given a wide spread dosage of ionized
radiation and once the proteins expressing the GFP gene have denatured, then
we will inject the inhibitors into all the infected people so the gene has no chance
of expressing itself again.

Bibliography
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http://www.humanillnesses.com/General-Information-and-Infectious-Diseases-ACo/Public-Health.html
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http://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/outbreaks/prevention-education/index.html
pGLO Transformation and Green Fluorescent ... - Bio-Rad
Gene Expression. (N.D.). Retrieved October 19, 2015, from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_expression
Repression. (2005, october 3). Retrieved October 19, 2015 , from
http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Repression
Effect of Ionizing Radiation on Protein Denaturation. (N.D.). Retrieved October 19, 2015,
from
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v169/n4310/abs/169965a0.html