Description
Demonstrate to your students the power of silencing a single gene. Teach about a powerful method for determining gene function.
Introduce your students to a model organism used for studying many aspects of biology, including development and gene function.
Engage in bioinformatics exercises exploring protein function and C. elegans and human gene relatedness. In this lab, wild-type worms are fed lab strains of E. coli that express double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) corresponding to either of 2 target genes: BLIstered cuticle (bli-1) or DumPY (dpy-11) .
The ingestion of the dsRNA initiates the destruction of mRNA expressed from the target genes. Students then examine the phenotypes induced by silencing these genes. Silencing bli-1 leads to the formation of clear blisters in a worm’s outer cuticle; silencing dpy-11 leads to a worm developing a short, fat body. In accompanying bioinformatics exercises, students explore the function of the protein encoded by the silenced gene and the relatedness of worm and human genes.