Using Biotinylated Proteins to Demonstrate Immunodetection of Antigens via Western Blotting, Dot Blots, and Immunohistochemistry.

Using biotinylated targets for detection by enzyme-linked avidin allows immunodetection methods to become more economic in cost and time as it negates the need for a specific primary antibody. Methods are described to use exogenously added biotin to complex biological samples to demonstrate western blotting, dot blots, and immunohistochemistry. These methods can be used in biological science tertiary teaching laboratories to allow novices to gain skills in a risk-free environment to promote student motivation and engagement.

The use of biotin to demonstrate immunohistochemistry, Western blotting, and dot blots in university practical classes.

Immunological detection of proteins is an essential method to demonstrate to undergraduate biology students, however, is often difficult in resource and time poor student laboratory sessions. This method describes a failsafe method to rapidly and economically demonstrate this technique using biotinylated proteins or biotin itself as targets for detection. This negates the need for a specific primary antibody, saving cost and time.

Hypothetical biotechnology companies: A role-playing student centered activity for undergraduate science students.

Science students leaving undergraduate programs are entering the biotechnology industry where they are presented with issues which require integration of science content. Students find this difficult as through-out their studies, most content is limited to a single subdiscipline (e.g.

Community structure and antibiotic production of Streptomyces nodosus bioreactors cultured in liquid environments.

Immobilized bacteria are being assessed by industry for drug delivery, novel fermentation systems and the protection of organisms in harsh environments. Alginate bioreactors containing Streptomyces nodosus were examined for community structure, cell viability and amphotericin production under different growth conditions. When cell proliferation was encouraged, substrate hyphae were found inside the alginate matrix and within multicellular projections on the surface of the capsule.

Amplification of DNA encoding entire type I polyketide synthase domains and linkers from streptomyces species.

Polyketides are a group of bioactive compounds from bacteria, plants, and fungi. To increase the availability of analogs for testing, the active sites of polyketide synthases are often substituted with homologous domains having altered substrate specificities. This study reports the design of polymerase chain reaction primers that enables isolation of entire active site domains from type I polyketide synthases with native interdomain linkers.

Viability analysis of alginate encapsulated micro-organisms using fluorescent stains.

The encapsulation of micro-organisms such as bacteria and fungi in biopolymers is currently being evaluated as delivery systems in many fields. Information about the viability and morphology of the organisms in the microparticle is often required to ascertain the longevity of the systems. A rapid method using fluorescent stains for microbial viability has been validated for organisms within alginate microparticles.

High frequency transformation of the Amphotericin-producing bacterium Streptomyces nodosus.

This study has investigated DNA transformation in the Amphotericin-producing organism Streptomyces nodosus. Amphotericin B is an antifungal drug with severe side effects in humans and the availability of structural variants would aid investigations into the mode of action and cytotoxity of the drug. Analogs of related polyketide drugs have been rapidly made by genetic engineering of biosynthetic genes; however, this requires the introduction of foreign DNA into the host.