GENETICS AND HEREDITY
GENETICS AND HEREDITY
Build on your understanding of the structure of DNA, genetics, and inheritance by exploring some applied genetic engineering techniques. You will review the following papers you have read on microbes, fungi, and bioremediation:
Biello D (2010) Clean Up the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Scientific America: May 25, 2010. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-microbes-clean-up-oil-spills/
Robinson, D. (2010). Can microbes clean up oil spills? http://www.open.edu/openlearn/body-mind/can-microbes-clean-oil-spills
Byrd D (2014) Earth Sky Deepwater and Heart Failure. EarthSky Feb 18, 2014. http://earthsky.org/earth/how-oil-spill-chemicals-cause-heart-failure-in-fish
Assess the damage caused by the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and move forward in your analysis on how best to remediate the spill.
Prepare a document for your Shoreline Assessment Team that discusses one approach to remediation that involves genetic engineering.
View these resources to complete this assignment:
Scientific American Instant Egghead Video: Can Microbes clean Up Our Oily Mess? http://www.scientificamerican.com/video/can-microbes-clean-up-our-oily-mess2013-12-11/
Interview with Professor Barbara Block on BBC News: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-26184116
Tutorials on Genetic Engineering
Making a Recombinant Plasmid https://passel.unl.edu/pages/animation.php?a=making_a_recombinant_plasmid.swf&b=1003514583
Bacteria Transformation https://passel.unl.edu/pages/animation.php?a=Bacteria_Transformation.swf&b=1003514686
Assignment
Prepare a 3- to 4-page document that outlines your analysis of the effects of the Deepwater Spill on study species in the Gulf of Mexico. In your report include:
Part I – Influence of Crude Oil on prokaryotes
1. Which bacterial species in the Biello and Robinson articles appeared to be most effective at breaking down the crude oil? Do you think these results would be different in an anaerobic environment?
2. Do you think there could be negative effects from using multiple bacterial species with different enzymatic abilities to degrade an oil spill?
Part II – Influence of Crude Oil on eukaryotes Thunnus thynnus (Atlantic Bluefin Tuna)
1. Provide an overview of the documented effects of crude oil on Thunnus thynnus.
2. What stage of development is affected and how could this affect the population?
3. What economic impact would this have on the area?
4. What is a “highly conserved gene?” What relationship do these results have to the effects of hydrocarbons on humans?
Part III – Recommendations for Remediation
1. Do you recommend genetically engineering a prokaryote to remediate this spill? In your assessment provide reasons for BOTH why and why not this would be a good approach, and describe which genes would need to be targeted.
Assignment Expectations
Please organize this paper to include an introduction (overview of the assignment), body with subtitles (reflecting the requirements of the assignment), and a summary (develop connections between the required topics).
