(Lab) Interleukin expression in E. coli Part I

This meetup is Part I of a followup lab to the January 23rd gene design workshop. It will be held in the garage lab. The project could take up most of the day, so I encourage you to bring some food to share. Happy happy potluck style. See you there!

• Eri

Towards interleukin expression in E. coli Part I -- Sample Storage.

A major stumbling block towards the development of molecular biology at home is the requirement for an expensive and unreliable -80C freezer for long-term storage of frozen E. coli bacteria. As a first step towards at home cloning and protein production in E. coli, we need to solve this problem. In this hands-on meetup, we will form several small groups. Individuals within each group will collaborate to prepare different cryoprotection solutions. The different groups will then compete -- whoever can preserve E. coli for one month in a normal household freezer at -20C with the most surviving cells, wins. This group can then publish their findings in the relevant DIY mailing lists, and bring cheap E. coli based molecular biology to garages around the planet. At the same time, we will have developed a sample storage method for use in our own subsequent protein expression experiments.

Cost: Free, but donations to cover lab expenses are appreciated
Duration: Two hours if you're a quick problem solver. More if... you know....