1. Real Cats Wear Pink Lab Process Explanation
Information adapted from:

2. What Are We Doing? Adding a plasmid to bacteria
Plasmids are small circular pieces of DNA that carry specific traits

3. We are emulating this process
How?
Photo credit:
Bacteria naturally transfer plasmids back and forth. This allows bacteria to adapt to new environments. The recent occurrence of bacterial resistance to antibiotics is due in large part to the transmission of plasmids.
We are emulating this process
in the lab.

4. Transform transformation solution = calcium chloride
Chloride ions can get through the cell membrane, but calcium ions cannot. This causes the cells to swell and helps the uptake of DNA.

5. Heat Increases the permeability of the cell membrane
(stuff can get through the outside of the cell!)

6. Incubate
Pink =
The bacteria needs time to reproduce. This will show if you did the transformation correctly.
Brown or green =

7. Bacteria
Photo credit: