Re: Beginner wants to create biolumineszent plant

They can't, even if they want to. GM plants are regulated and you
can't just distribute them (that said, GM plants are being
distributed, but "under the radar" so to speak). Before you become too
disappointed, mind you that the intensity was very weak - 5 minute
exposure at 3200 ISO is quite dim. your eyes are extremely sensitive
so you would be able to barely see it in total darkness, but that's
it.
However, if you happen to live near NY, you can to write them an email
and try and visit the lab. Many times (but not always), scientists
will be happy to give you a tour and answer some questions.

Cathal has some interesting ideas for increasing the intensity, but
that would require multiple transformations - requiring either
multiple selection markers, or sequential transformation with excision
of the selection marker. Not a beginner project, for sure.

But you should think about algea. Even sea algea like Ulva can be
transformed.

On Nov 14, 12:52 pm, Mega <masterstorm...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Do you think they will send me some seeds of that plant ;) ?
> No, honestly, will they?
>
> On 13 Nov., 03:55, Idan Efroni <ida...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > The first thing you need to know that it has been done, at least in
> > tobbaco.
> > See here:http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.00...
> > (open access)
>
> > The basic idea was somewhat as outlined here - get the lux operon, add
> > flanking regions of chloroplast DNA, shoot the DNA in, and select for
> > positives. While one can think of different ways to do it, this is
> > certainly the simplest. It does require a) a gun, b) the sequence of
> > the plant chloroplast DNA.
>
> > Given this, I don't see a reason why this shouldn't work for any other
> > plant. As you may have already understood, transforming plants is
> > somewhat of an art, and if you want to venture away from the commonly
> > used ones, there is going to be a lot of trial and error. The
> > particular hormones and conditions of regeneration can vary to a large
> > extent, and some just won't regenerate (God knows I tried).
>
> > Lichens is an interesting but not so well investigated system.
> > Assuming it is a cyano-fungi (and not algea-fungi) lichen, it might
> > work. You will probably need a plasmid which is compatible with cyano,
> > as the e.coli ones are unlikely to work. There are plasmids out there,
> > but this means sub-cloning. Selection is bound be pretty hard on such
> > a slow growing organism, though.
>
> > How about green algea? There is bound to be some chlamydomonas
> > swimming happily in a pond in a park near you. They should be PEG
> > transformable. My guess is that the e.coli plasmid by itself wouldn't
> > replicate well in the chlamy chloroplast, so your best bet is to aim
> > for chromosome integration as in the plos one paper.
>
> > Idan
>
> > On Nov 7, 4:11 am, Mega <masterstorm...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > > Ok, what I learned so far...
>
> > > Firstl, it's no big deal for a pro to insert a lux operon containing
> > > plasmide in an e.coli cell to make it glow. the antibioticum
> > > ressistance and lacZ' will make it selectable.
> > > Usuall, there's no more quorum sensing because the have cut it out.
>
> > > -   ''Just'' insert the plasmide into a bacterium and it glows.
>
> > > To engineer a plant on the other hand is a much more difficult issue.
>
> > > But what about a path in the middle (don't know if this term is used
> > > in english ;) )?
>
> > > Lichens consist of a fungus and canobacterium.
>
> > > So, i take a plasmide that contains lux and ampecillin resistance.
>
> > > Now i transform very small pieces of the lichen. Some of the
> > > Cyanobacteria will be transformed and ressistant to ampecilline.
>
> > > The fungus should either be ressistant to ampecilline on its own
> > > (true??) or the cyano spread the ampecilline-degenerating substance
> > > within the whole lichen.
>
> > > Polyethleneglycol will help the endoctose to take place...
>
> > > Then I'll grow them on a Lamp plate to select the lichens that include
> > > ressistance. Of the bacteria inside the lichen, the ones containing
> > > the most ampecilline-degenerating substances, these will grow fastest
> > > and so they will mitose much more often.
>
> > > I think that could be a way to go?

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