QuickExtract Protocol

This week, I focused on transferring grown bacteria from the TSA plates into a broth and then performing a DNA extraction method (shown below). The protocol used was the QuickExtract Bacterial DNA Extraction Kit, which was the control in my project last semester (it gave me the most amount of DNA). Like it’s name, this method is quick and quiet simple to set-up. However, one aspect that I do not like is that when all the steps have been completed, the final resulting “liquid” (DNA) is cloudy. In order for it to be used in the NanoDrop or for PCR, the liquid has to become clear, which, unluckily for me, can take up to hours or days. From the 14 bacteria I’m working with, only test tubes #4, #13 and #14 became clear in about 4 hours. Unfortunately, I was unable to work with bacteria #2 (it still has not grown on the TSA plate) and #12 (it was contaminated). Hopefully by next week, I will begin working with #2 and #12 to then move closer to finding the DNA of all the bacteria!

Figure 1. 14 bacteria in TSA broth at 0 hours

Figure 2. 14 bacteria in TSA broth after 24 hours

Figure 3. 12 1.7 mL test tubes filled with bacteria ready to centrifuge at 5000 RPM for 5 minutes.