Ok so today I worked with the genetic machine I looked at yesterday. Well the man who taught me was very nice and patient with my lack of Arabic, but we had communication issues. Most language barriers can be overcome with drawings, hand signals, or help from others; complex explanations of genetic procedures are not one of those things that can be overcome. I think the name of the machine was the PBR, PCR, or something like that. I was trying to organize my explanation of the machine and the process involved but realized my understanding was laughable, I didn’t even understand the damn name….
I feel really bad when people here buy me stuff, even if it is customary. Went into the village after work and I asked what a food item was. He insisted on buying it for me, despite my best efforts. Now the thing cost 12 pounds, a little over 2$. Now two dollars is nothing to me for lunch, it's a bargain. Then again it is one eighth of his monthly pay. It is annoying but I guess if the tables were turned i would be doing the same thing for him in the US.
When I come hope I promise to figure out what the machine did and how it works. For my own reference, look up master mix and lycera.
By the way ATCG are base pairs, I think. They are abbreviations for the four chemicals that make up DNA. Hey any scientists reading this, any help would be appreciated, or anyone with WIKIpedia and time to kill.
3 comments:
Hey Professor Fitz, yeah, you Pat, not your Dad! That's some serious equipment you're working with over there. Once you are up to speed on it, drop some hair and fingernail samples in it and make sure it comes up with a genetic "match" : ) Just some "street smarts" on how to make sure it's calibrated. No charge, you can put it on my tab. Great photos, and keep 'em coming.
UC
Hi Pat,
Polymerase
Chain
Reaction
The PCR machine takes small snippets of DNA, a dozen to a hundred base pairs say, and multiplies them many times. With many copies made, you can then test a large enough sample against another sample to see if they are different or the same.
Like on CSI when they swab the cheek. They use the PCR machine to make a lot more sample from the tiny amount of DNA that was on the swab (along with lots of mucus and left-over lunch).
After the personal computer, PCR is probably the most important invention of the last 50 years. The inventor, Kary Mullis, received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1993.
And you thought I just knew fish....
By the way, very nice photo-micrograph of fungal hyphae. Especially impressive shot if you just stuck your camera to the eyepiece and clicked.
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