What is bacterial plasmid

Scientists have taken advantage of plasmids to use them as tools to clone, transfer, and manipulate genes. Plasmids that are used experimentally for these purposes are called vectors. Researchers can insert DNA fragments or genes into a plasmid vector, creating a so-called recombinant plasmid.

This plasmid can be introduced into a bacterium by way of the process called transformation. Then, because bacteria divide rapidly, they can be used as factories to copy DNA fragments in large quantities. Further Exploration Concept Links for further exploration DNA bacteria antibiotic resistance recombinant DNA prokaryote genome conjugation prokaryotes transformation prokaryotes transduction prokaryotes mutation rate.

The ease of modifying plasmids and the ability of plasmids to self-replicate within a cell make them attractive tools for the life scientist or bioengineer. The cloning method is ultimately chosen based on the plasmid you want to clone into. Regardless, once the cloning steps are complete, the vector containing the newly inserted gene is transformed into bacterial cells and selectively grown on antibiotic plates. Importantly, because the bacteria from which plasmids are isolated grow quickly and make more of the plasmids as they grow, scientists can easily make large amounts of plasmid to manipulate and use in later work.

Generally, scientists use plasmids to manipulate gene expression in target cells. Characteristics such as flexibility, versatility, safety, and cost-effectiveness enable molecular biologists to broadly utilize plasmids across a wide range of applications.

Some common plasmid types include cloning plasmids, expression plasmids , gene knock-down plasmids, reporter plasmids, viral plasmids , and genome engineering plasmids. Addgene has compiled various educational resources to facilitate plasmid use in the lab. The guide also contains multiple protocols and troubleshooting tips to make plasmid usage as simple and straightforward as possible. If you have a question about a specific plasmid element that you would like answered or any topic suggestions for our Plasmids series , please let us know in the comments.

Topics: Plasmids , Plasmids. Add Comment. Addgene is a nonprofit plasmid repository. We archive and distribute high quality plasmids from your colleagues. Plasmids are thus a fundamental tool of recombinant DNA technology. Eric D. Green, M. Featured Content.