Babylon Junior-Senior High School Students Transform DNA

Recently, research program students at Babylon Junior-Senior High School learned how DNA can be transformed using a certain technique to produce glow-in-the-dark bacteria.

Students worked with the pGLO plasmid, a combination of genes harvested from specific species of deep sea jellyfish that is often used in creating genetically modified organisms. One characteristic of the pGLO plasmid is that it glows when exposed to UV light.

As part of their experiment, students inserted the pGLO plasmid into an E. coli bacteria, allowing them to transform the bacteria’s DNA. This technique is often used in the manufacture of insulin for people with diabetes.

For more information about the Babylon Union Free School District, please visit the District’s website at www.babylon.k12.ny.us. Exciting activities happening throughout the District and programs celebrating student achievement can also be found on the District’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/babylonschooldistrict/.