Table of content
Colony PCR (DreamTaq polymerase) 2
PCR product purification (Nucleospin Gel and PCR Clean-up) 3
DNA concentration measurement (NanoDrop) 3
Plasmid extraction (Mini and Midi Prep) 4
Gel product purification (Nucleospin Gel and PCR Clean-up) 5
Plasmid DNA extraction (Mini, midi and maxi Prep) 6
Agar plate
- Dissolve the LB-agar in the microwave
- Cool the agar down to room temperature until you can hold the bottle by hand.
- Add the correct amount of the correct antibiotic.
- Under sterile conditions, pour the LB-agar in empty Petri dishes.
- Leave the Petri dishes open until the agar has solidified
Colony PCR (DreamTaq polymerase)
- Prepare the mix for all the samples in a single 1.5 mL tube. For one sample:
Component |
Volume (uL) for 25 uL reaction |
Volume (uL) for 50 uL reaction |
Template DNA (up to x ng) |
Variable |
Variable |
10 X Green Taq buffer |
2, 5 |
5 |
2, 5 mM dNTPs |
2 |
4 |
FW Primer |
1, 25 |
2, 5 |
BW Primer |
1, 25 |
2, 5 |
Taq polymerase |
0, 1 |
0, 5 |
Nuclease-free H2O |
18, 1 |
Up to 50 uL |
- Add the total volume per sample (without DNA) to each PCR tube.
- Add the template DNA to each tube.
- Put the tubes in the PCR machine and apply the following program (it needs to be adjusted for primers annealing temperature and extension time):
Step |
Temperature (°C) |
Time |
Cycle |
Initial denaturation |
95 |
3 min |
1 |
Denaturation |
95 |
30 s |
30 |
Annealing |
Variable |
30s |
|
Extension |
72 |
1 min/kb |
|
Final extension |
72 |
5 min |
1 |
Hold |
4 |
∞ |
|
first 5 cycles with annealing temperature 45 °C, extension 40s, then 30 cycles with annealing temperature 55°C, extension 40s.
- Run a DNA electrophoresis following the DNA electrophoresis protocol.
DNA electrophoresis
- Pour the solution Agarose (0, 8%)-EtBr into the mould. Add a comb to create wells for the samples. Let it solidify (approx. 20 minutes).
- Transfer the gel to the electrophoresis Remove the combs and cover it with TAE (0, 5 X). Transfer the gel to the electrophoresis
- Load the molecular weight marker (ladder) in the first well (check the appropriate volume for each marker, generally 5 µL works fine) and load 5-10 µL of the samples in the other wells.
- Run at 100 V for 25 min
PCR product purification (Nucleospin Gel and PCR Clean-up)
NB: Before starting check if the buffers are prepared like indicated in the kit protocol
- Mix 1 volume of sample with 2 volumes of Buffer NTI
- To bind the DNA place a NucleoSpin® PCR Clean-up Column into a Collection Tube (2 mL) and load up to 700 μL sample.
- Centrifuge for 30 s at 11,000 xg
- Discard flow-through and place the column back into the collection tube. Load remaining sample if necessary and repeat the centrifugation step.
- To wash silica membrane, add 700 μL Buffer NT3to the column.
- Centrifuge for 30 s at 11,000 x g.
- Discard flow-through and place the column back into the collection tube.
- To dry the silica membrane centrifuge for 1 min at 11,000 x g to remove Buffer NT3 completely.
- To elute DNA place the column into a new 1.5 mL microcentrifuge tube.
- Add 15–30 μL Buffer NE and incubate at room temperature for 1 min
- . Centrifuge for 1 min at 11,000 x g
DNA concentration measurement (NanoDrop)
- Turn on the NanoDrop
- Press the button for dsDNA to measure the concentration of double-stranded DNA in your samples.
- Clean the measurement surface with a piece of tissue and ethanol.
- Use the elution buffer or the media where your DNA is contained as a blank.
- Clean the measurement surface with a piece of tissue and water.
- Use 2 µL of sample to measure its concentration.
- If you have multiple samples, clean the measurement surface in between measurements.
Heat-shock Transformation
- Start the water bath at 42°C
- Let the competent cell thaw on ice
- Add 1 µL of plasmid (or 5 µL of ligation mix) to the tube and flick gently
- Let the tube on ice for 30 min
- Put the tube in water (42°C) 1 min
- Put the tube on ice for 5 min
- Add 500 µL of LB to the tube
- Leave the tube to shake at 37°C for 1 h 30 min.
- Plate 50 µL on a LB plate with appropriate antibiotics.
Plasmid extraction (Mini and Midi Prep)
Mini Prep
Liquid culture (5 mL)
- Label as many 15 mL hemolysis tubes as the number of colonies you want to grow.
- Prepare 5 mL of selective medium (LB) per hemolysis tube.
- Under sterile conditions, pick a colony with the sterile toothpick.
- Swirl the toothpick in the hemolysis tube containing the medium. Often you can see the colony falling from the loop.
- Grow the liquid cultures to shake overnight, at 37 °C.
- To conserve this liquid culture, glycerol 60% can be added to the bacteria culture and the cryotubes are put at -20°C.
Digestion assay
- Decide on which enzyme(s) to cut with. Check online what buffer the enzyme(s) work(s) in. For Bio labs enzyme use the Double Digest Finder.
- Prepare a sample as follows:
Compound |
Volume (µL) |
DNA (plasmid or insert |
Variable according to the number of base and the concentration |
Buffer (NEB, FD, SmartCut) |
2 |
Restriction enzyme 1 |
1 |
Restriction enzyme 2 |
1 |
Water |
Up to 20 µL |
- Incubate for one hour at 37 °C.
Gel product purification (Nucleospin Gel and PCR Clean-up)
- Excise DNA fragment from the gel
- Add 200 uL buffer NT1 foreach 100mg of agarose <2%. For gels containing > 2% agarose, double the volume of NT1
- Incubate sample for 5–10 min at 50 °C
- Vortex the sample briefly every 2–3 min until the gel slice is completely dissolved.
- To bind the DNA place a NucleoSpin® Gel Clean-up Column into a Collection Tube (2 mL) and load up to 700 μL sample.
- Centrifuge for 30 s at 11,000 xg
- Discard flow-through and place the column back into the collection tube. Load remaining sample if necessary and repeat the centrifugation step.
- To wash silica membrane, add 700 μL Buffer NT3 to the column.
- Centrifuge for 30 s at 11,000 x g.
- Discard flow-through and place the column back into the collection tube.
- To dry the silica membrane centrifuge for 1 min at 11,000 x g to remove Buffer NT3 completely.
- To elute DNA place the column into a new 1.5 mL microcentrifuge tube.
- Add 15–30 μL Buffer NE and incubate at room temperature for 1 min
- . Centrifuge for 1 min at 11,000 x g
DpnI digestion
Ligation assay
- Prepare the mix for all the samples in a single 1.5 mL tube. For one sample:
Compound |
Volume (uL) |
Insert |
Variable according to the number of base and the concentration |
Plasmid |
Variable according to the number of base and the concentration |
T4 buffer 10 X |
1 |
T4 ligase |
1 |
- Wait one hour until ligation
Plasmid DNA extraction (Mini, midi and maxi Prep)
MiniPrep
- Use 1–5 mL of a saturated E. coli LB culture, pellet cells in a s microcentrifuge for 30 s at 11,000 x g
- Discard the supernatant and remove as much of the liquid as possible.
- Add 250 μL Buffer A1. Resuspend the cell pellet completely by vortexing or pipetting up and down.
- Add 250 μL Buffer A2. Mix gently by inverting the tube 6–8 times. Do not vortex to avoid shearing of genomic DNA
- Incubate at room temperature for up to 5 min or until lysate appears clear.
- Add 300 μL Buffer A3. Mix thoroughly by inverting the tube 6–8 times until blue samples turn colorless completely.
- Centrifuge for 5 min at 11,000 x g at room temperature. Repeat this step, in case the supernatant is not clear.
- Place a NucleoSpin® Plasmid / Plasmid (NoLid) Column in a Collection Tube (2 mL) and decant the supernatant from step 3 or pipette a maximum of 750 μL of the supernatant onto the column.
- Centrifuge for 1 min at 11,000 x g. Discard flowthrough and place the column into the collection tube.
- Repeat this step to load the remaining lysate.
- Add 500 μL Buffer AW, preheated to 50 °C
- Centrifuge for 1 min at 11,000 x g
- Add 600 μL Buffer A4
- Centrifuge for 1 min at 11,000 x g.
- Discard flowthrough and place the column back into the emptycollection tube.
- Centrifuge for 2 min at 11,000 x g and discard the collection tube.
- Place the column in a 1.5 mL microcentrifuge tube and add 50 μL Buffer AE. Incubate for 1 min at room temperature.
- Centrifuge for 1 min at 11,000 x g.
Midi and MaxiPrep (Qiagen)
- Pellet 25 mL or 100 mL (high copy) or 100 mL, or 500 mL (low copy) overnight LB culture at
4 700 rpm for 30 min at 4°C.
- Resuspend the bacterial pellet in 4 mL or 10 mL buffer P1.
- Add 4 mL or 10 mL buffer P2, mix thoroughly by inverting 4-6 times, and incubate at room temperature for 5 min.
- Add 4 mL or 10 mL buffer P3, mix thoroughly by inverting 4-6 times, and incubate at room temperature for 15 or 20 min.
- Centrifuge at 4 700 rpm for 50 min at 4°C. Re-centrifuge the supernatentat 4 700 rpm for 25 min at 4°C.
- Equilibrate a Qiagen -tip 100 or 500 by applying 4 mL or 10 mL buffer QBT and allow column to empty by gravity flow.
- Apply the supernatant (step 5) to the tip and allow it to enter the resin by gravity flow.
- Wash the tip with 2 X 10 mL or 2 x 30 mL buffer QC. Allow the buffer QC to move through the tip by gravity flow.
- Elute DNA with 5 mL or 15 mL buffer QF into clean 15 mL or 50 mL vessel.
PCR with Q5
- Prepare the mix for all the samples in a single 1.5 mL tube. For one sample:
Component |
Volume (uL) for 25 uL reaction |
Template DNA (up to x ng) |
0,5 |
5X Q5 buffer |
5 |
2, 5 mM dNTPs |
2 |
FW Primer |
1, 25 |
BW Primer |
1, 25 |
Q5 polymerase |
0, 25 |
Nuclease-free H2O |
15, 25 |
- Add the total volume per sample (without DNA) to each PCR tube.
- Add the template DNA to each tube.
- Put the tubes in the PCR machine and apply the following program (it needs to be adjusted for primers annealing temperature and extension time):
Step |
Temperature (°C) |
Time |
Cycle |
Initial denaturation |
98 |
30 s |
1 |
Denaturation |
98 |
10 s |
|
Annealing |
Variable |
30s |
30 |
Extension |
72 |
30s/kb |
|
Final extension |
72 |
2 min |
1 |
Hold |
4 |
∞ |
|
xcPCR phusion
- Prepare the mix for all the samples in a single 1.5 mL tube. For one sample:
Component |
Volume (uL) for 50 µL reaction |
Template DNA (up to x ng) |
1 |
5X buffer HF |
10 |
2, 5 mM dNTPs |
4 |
FW Primer 10 uM |
2, 5 |
BW Primer 10 uM |
2, 5 |
Phusion polymerase |
0, 5 |
Nuclease-free H2O |
29, 5 |
- Add the total volume per sample (without DNA) to each PCR tube.
- Add the template DNA to each tube.
- Put the tubes in the PCR machine and apply the following program (it needs to be adjusted for primers annealing temperature and extension time):
Step |
Temperature (°C) |
Time |
Cycle |
Initial denaturation |
98 |
30 s |
1 |
Denaturation |
98 |
10 s |
|
Annealing |
Variable |
30s |
30 |
Extension |
72 |
30s/kb |
|
Final extension |
72 |
5 min |
1 |
Phage transduction
Phage lysat
- Add CaCl2, final concentration 5mM to overnight bacterial culture
- Prepare 3 tubes (1, 5 mL) per lysate:
- 0,1 ml of bacteria + 30 µl of the P1vir phage (~ 106 Φ/µl)
- 0,1 ml of bacteria + 5 µl of the P1vir phage (~ 106 Φ/µl)
- 0,1 ml of bacteria (negative control tube)
- Incubate 10- 20 min at room temperature (without agitation).
- Add 1 ml of LB per tube.
- Add 3 ml of melted Top Agar in a hemolysis tube to the bacteria/phage suspension. Be careful not to kill the bacteria with the heat of the melted Top Agar
- Spread the bacteria/phage suspension on LCA + CaCl2 (5.10-3 M) petri dishes –
- Incubate 3 to 6 hours at 37°C, until the culture turns colorless.
- Reap it off and place it in a 15 mL falcon tube. If needed, you may leave the dishes overnight at 30°C before collecting the mat.
- Add 1 mL of chloroform and vortex the tube.
- Centrifuge 10 min at 4000 x g.
- Recover the supernatant.
Competent cells