Techniques in Molecular and Cellular Biology

EMBC+ MODULE 2: Toolbox for investigating marine Biodiversity

1. Nucleic acids: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify the yellow fluorescent protein (YFP), restriction and ligation to a vector for mammalian cells.
2. Expression of a recombinant protein (YFP) in Escherichia coli: Cell growth and induction of recombinant protein expression
3. Chromatographic purification of a protein (YFP): Basics on protein purification and principles and types of chromatography
4. Analysis of protein purity: Purification factor and SDS-Page electrophoresis
5. Basic techniques of mammalian cell culture
6. Transfection of mammalian cells with YFP and cell imaging by fluorescence microscopy

Protein expression, Protein purification, Electrophoresis, PCR, real-time PCR, cell culture, transfection

Basic molecular and cell biology courses, basic biochemistry lab skills.


Knowledge of molecular principles underlying the main techniques in Molecular and Cellular Biology. Learning simple techniques related to DNA (DNA extraction, electrophoresis and amplification) and to proteins (expression, purification and electrophoresis). Transfection of animal cells and expression of heterologous proteins (yellow fluorescent protein). Examples of application of these techniques in Marine Biology.