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Combinatorial
ChemistryFit
ItView ItPrep ItDo ItAssess ItLink ItDo It
Protocols
There is a single protocol that Scott Wolkenberg created for this lab. The over riding factor and primary consideration in the development of this lab was the safe yet challenging method to demonstrate how combinatorial technique is used to identify substances.
The protocol can be copied and or downloaded from the Student.htm or Student.doc. Please be attentive to the time line for completion of the lab.
Safety Concerns
I have extracted several major points from the lab for the readers attention. Safety.doc and Safety.htm
1. The bacterial host used in most molecular biology and teaching laboratories is Escherichia coli. There are many naturally occurring strains of E. coli. They inhabit the lower intestinal tracts of many animals, including humans, cattle, and swine. Laboratory strains of E. coli used in molecular biology research do not contain any of these disease genes and are harmless under normal conditions. If introduced into a cut or into the eye, laboratory strains could conceivably cause infection, so standard safety precautions should be taken when handling the organisms. Every day, hundreds of scientists and their students handle these organisms (many in a rather cavalier manner) without any notable consequences. We do not recommend cavalier handling of any strain of E. coli, but the history of scientists with the organism should be reassuring.
2. Chemical safety is a serious concern and great care has been taken to ensure that the chemicals used in this experiment pose as little health threat as possible. The chemicals included in this experiment are not toxic in the amounts used.
Clean Up
1. The Wolkenberg Lab recommends sterile technique and use of standard surface and classware cleanup.
2. Despite the lack of toxicity, some of the compounds are irritating to the skin and eyes so standard laboratory safety procedures should be followed. Hands should be washed when leaving the laboratory, and any spills should be reported and cleaned up immediately.
3. Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for each compound used in this experiment have been provided. Wolkenberg Lab: MSDS
