Another DNA Extraction and Quantification Class

Education Upcoming Classes & Events
#1

Hello all,
The last class I taught on this went well so I decided to do it again. This time it is scheduled on this Saturday (1/9/2021) to make it more accessible. It should show up on the calendar in 48 hours, so here is the info about it below.

Description:
Ever wanted to make bacteria glow or create your own GMOs? This class will cover a few of the critical steps involved in many molecular biology projects. Learn firsthand how to isolate unique DNA from E.Coli containing special genes as well as measure how much DNA you produced. DNA like this could then be used in numerous downstream applications such as in gel electroscopes to isolate a gene or to transfer the genes to another cell type the genes. The class is meant as an introductory course into the field of genetics and molecular biology. It involves basic algebra and following directions to achieve desirable results. This class will consist of a fifteen minute introduction followed by hands on practice. If done correctly, each participant should end up with a micro centrifuge tube of the plasmid DNA. While each process involved does not take long, inexperience and larger class sizes can greatly stretch things out.

When: Saturday 9th at 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM (though it should not take this long)
Where: Science, but we will start out in Purple Classroom for the presentation
Cost: $15 to support DMS science

Safety Considerations:
!!!-NO COVID-19-!!!
IF YOU HAVE COVID-19, ANY SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19, OR COME INTO CLOSE CONTACT WITH THOSE WHO HAVE IT, DO NOT SIGN UP PLEASE!!!
IF YOU CAN SIGN UP, FACE MASKS MUST COMPLETELY COVER YOUR NOSE AND MOUTH!
SOCIAL DISTANCING IS REQUIRED DURING THE CLASS!
DO YOUR PART TO FLATTEN THE CURVE AND STOP THE SPREAD OF COVID-19!

Please wear closed toed shoes
Wear clothing that could get stained or thrown away (in the unlikely event anything does splash or spill)
No food or drink is allowed in the science area.
We will be dealing with E.Coli and other biological materials. You must strictly adhere to the sanitation policies outlined at the beginning of class.
For everyone’s safety, I will remove at my discretion any participant who does not follow any of the aforementioned rules. I cannot give refunds.

Link when it becomes available: https://calendar.dallasmakerspace.org/events/view/16297
Again, please let me know what you think in the thread below.

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#2

Well, it seems that no one has registered yet for the class. Is Saturday a bad time, is the cost to high, are you not interested in this activity, or is there another reason? Please let me know what is the limiting factor for you and what might make a class or activity more appealing. Also, if you have ideas for micro-biology projects or classes, please let me know. I am always looking for ways to develop the science lab and community at DMS.

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#3

Hey Nathan, i found it to look interesting but i have been really busy lately and 5hours plus the time isnt good for me. (I do know these things take time).

If you are wanting to appeal to a bunch of people, i would suggest really simple classes that are 2.5 hours or less. Like something you would do with middle school - high school level. And incorporate science lessons. Also i think covid is working against you. I haven’t had any classes since covid. Sorry i have kind of fallen off the planet lately. I had some popular mushroom growing classes pre-covid.

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#4

Thank you for the response Adair. I think the last class took about 3 hours or so, but I just wanted to account for either more presentation time at the start or unforeseen problems that might occur. Perhaps there are some other micro biology classes or activities that would be shorter and better suited.

#5

Would love to take this class, just was not a good day for me. Kinda came up quick on the calendar.

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#6

I’m very interested but can’t do in-person classes until a week or two after my second vaccine dose.

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#7

I know nothing about everything you wrote in the class description. The class sounds very interesting and I wouldn’t mind observing to learn, but I think I would be lost and after taking the class wouldn’t know what to do with the knowledge.

#8

I think that the best things to learn about are those we know nothing about. Not knowing anything about plasmid extraction or quantification is completely fine for this class. In the PowerPoint presentation that I have uploaded to the science classes folder at DMS, I outlined just a few of the possible use cases of the process. In a nutshell, extracting DNA from an organism is a springboard for a wide variety of microbiology experiments. Isolating the DNA allows it to be more easily modified to produce a certain trait or product such as fluorescence, vitamin A and even insulin. Also, working through this process is great practice for working with pipettes and reagents under a bio safety hood. Feel free to take a look at the presentation and ask any questions about it that you may have. Although mostly simple and straightforward, the process may not seem as clear to a novice, so I am here to help.

#9

I would love to take your class, but I’m at home waiting on a vaccine :wink: I’ll catch it sometime in late 2021 or 2022.

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#10

I took micro, virology, etc. and have done gel electrophoresis, etc., but have forgotten 70% of the classroom and 105% of the lab stuff. This sound like a lot of fun.

What I’d really like to learn is whether I have SARS CoV-2 spike protein antibodies after getting my vaccine…

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#11

I am glad you are excited about this class and similar content. Dennis (dennis_o) might be the best person to ask if you have the spike proteins. He developed a rapid Covid test for a company and knows a lot about how you might do that.

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#12

when you say quantification are you talking about the flourometer or gel electrophoresis? did you find a UV source?

#13

I am talking about the Qubit 1.0 fluorometer. I did not find a UV source, but I did purchase a UV flashlight for myself.

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#14

I would love to take this class! I think you need to schedule it out a bit further ahead so people can have time to clear their schedules.

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#15

Hello again all,

Since I am back again for a while, I thought that I would give the class another shot. However, this time I plan to have it two weeks out from now to give everyone more time. If there is enough interest in the class it will probably be on Sunday, 7/4/2021
2021-07-04T19:00:00Z → 2021-07-04T22:00:00Z
Please let me know of your thoughts and/or your interest.

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#16

Totally interested and excited for this! That time works well for me.

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#17

I’m very interested as well! But I’ll be traveling from the 4th to the 7th. So I won’t be able to make this class but would love to see a chance to take it in the future!

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