Long Description: A restriction fragment of foreign DNA containing a gene of interest is inserted into a plasmid DNA and sealed with ligase. This construct is transformed into E. coli and grown up to produce many colonies of E. coli cells. Only cells which contain plasmids are able to grow on the selective media. Various methods (not shown) are used to determine which colony contains a plasmid with the desired gene insert. This colony is then grown into a large culture and used for purification of the desired plasmid DNA.

drawing by Celeste Rusconi, © Regents of the Univ. California

Recombinant DNA and gene cloning in E. coli

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