DNA carries instructions as genes, and scientists can move those instructions between organisms. A plasmid — a small ring of DNA — carries two genes at once: one for antibiotic resistance and one for producing a fluorescent protein. When bacteria receive this foreign DNA, they gain both traits, proving that DNA functions as a transferable code.

Bacterial transformation requires a mechanism for moving DNA through the cell membrane. You mix E. coli with cold calcium chloride and the plasmid DNA, then heat-shock the cells at 42 degrees Celsius for 50 seconds. The sudden temperature change opens tiny pores in the membrane, letting the plasmid slip inside.

A plasmid is a small ring of DNA that gives bacteria extra abilities beyond what their main chromosome provides. In this experiment, you insert the pGLO plasmid into E. coli. Because the plasmid carries genes for both ampicillin resistance and a fluorescent protein, successfully transformed colonies will glow under the right conditions.

Antibiotic resistance develops when germs acquire the ability to survive a drug that once killed them. This experiment explores that process directly: you introduce foreign DNA — a pGLO plasmid — into E. coli, transforming the bacteria into an ampicillin-resistant strain.

Green fluorescent protein is a glowing molecule that scientists use as a visual signal inside living cells. In this experiment, you introduce the pGLO plasmid into E. coli bacteria — and when the transformation succeeds, the resulting colonies produce a fluorescent protein activated by arabinose sugar, making them visibly glow under the right conditions.

Heat shock uses a quick temperature change to open tiny pores in bacterial cell membranes, allowing DNA to slip through and enter the cell. In this experiment, you heat-shock the cells at 42 degrees Celsius for 50 seconds — just long enough to push the pGLO plasmid into E. coli.