Proteinhacker Boot Camp

In-person 3 part class:

Sunday, January 25 from 2-6 PM EDT

Saturday, January 31 from 2-6 PM EDT

Sunday, February 1 from 2-6 PM EDT

What are proteins?

Are they what you eat? Do they make you swole? Turns out, proteins are the workhorses of the cell and they do nearly everything!

Proteins are chains of amino acids--small molecules strung together that are the ultimate product of genes. These genetically encoded molecules have vast functions in cells, allowing for movement, speeding up chemical reactions, and serving as signaling molecules within and between cells.

Deficiency in particular proteins can lead to diseases, for example, insulin deficiency causes diabetes. 50 years ago, scientists discovered a way to engineer microbes into protein production factories using recombinant DNA technology.

This breakthrough revolutionized biological therapeutics. Today, nearly every therapeutic protein is made this way, from monoclonal antibodies to GLP-1 receptor agonists—proteins that mimic naturally occurring hormones to help regulate blood sugar, support weight loss, and treat metabolic diseases.

In this course, you will learn how to transform E. coli into protein-producing factories!

• First, we will introduce recombinant plasmid DNA containing the gene for green fluorescent protein (GFP) into E. coli in a process known as a transformation.
• Then, you’ll isolate the GFP from the bacteria using an “affinity resin” to capture the molecule.
• We will conclude the workshop by analyzing the purification process via SDS-PAGE (another type of gel electrophoresis).

Image from Biorad pGlo plasmid resources.

COVID-19 Safety Notice:

If you are feeling unwell, suspect that you have been exposed to COVID-19 or test positive, please do not attend and let us know ASAP ([email protected]). If you cancel after our 7-day policy, we cannot refund your ticket, but we can exchange and offer credits toward future classes. If you have signed up for Biohacker Boot Camp, we will automatically transfer your registration to the next month’s dates unless you tell us otherwise.

Jen Bohn (she/her) is currently the Assistant Director of RockEdu at Rockefeller University. She received her PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Michigan, the place where she also fell in love with science education and mentoring. Jen hopes to encourage and help people to learn the unique ways in which they personally connect with science, thus creating a scientific space that is both inviting and inclusive.

Info: In this session, you'll dive into the first step of genetic engineering by learning how to transform E. coli bacteria using heat shock. This process allows bacteria to take up plasmid DNA. In this class, we'll use a plasmid with the Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) gene and begin the journey toward becoming tiny protein factories.

Info: In this session, you'll take the transformed bacteria in overnight cultures, break them open, and extract GFP! You'll learn how to lyse E. coli cells and purify the fluorescent protein. By the end of this session, you'll have successfully extracted and purified a glowing protein.

Info: In this final session, you’ll analyze your purified GFP using SDS-PAGE, a protein analysis technique used in research labs. This method separates proteins by size, allowing you to visually confirm the purity and size of your protein.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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