PLASMIDS

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🧬 Transfection

A method used to get DNA into mammalian cells, like T cells. Kind of like slipping a flash drive into a computer.

🧫 Transformation

Getting DNA (like a plasmid) into bacteria—often used to copy or test plasmids before using them in human cells.

🔬 Flow Cytometry

A machine that counts and sorts cells, often used to check if T cells have your gene (like CAR or GFP) inside.

🧲 Magnetic Beads

Tiny beads coated with antibodies or proteins. You can use them to pull out or label certain cells from a mix (e.g., CD8+ T cells).

⚡ Electroporation

Using electricity to briefly open cell membranes, letting DNA or other molecules get inside.

🔐 Selectable Marker

A gene (like antibiotic resistance or GFP) added to help identify which cells took up your plasmid or vector.

📉 Negative Control

A test where nothing should happen—used to show that your experiment is working correctly by comparison.

📈 Positive Control

A test where you know something should happen—used to prove your setup actually works.

🧪 Cell Culture

Growing cells in a lab dish with nutrients and controlled conditions—used to grow T cells, cancer cells, etc.

🧫 Culture Media

The “food” cells grow in—contains sugar, amino acids, vitamins, and other stuff cells need.

💉 Lentivirus

A type of virus used as a tool to deliver genes into mammalian cells. Common in CAR-T engineering.

🧬 Transgene

A gene that was intentionally added into a cell, usually by scientists to give it new abilities.

🧠 TCR (T Cell Receptor)

The normal receptor on a T cell that helps it recognize infected or abnormal cells.

🧲 Affinity

How strongly two things stick together—like a T cell receptor binding to an antigen.

🦠 Antigen

A molecule that triggers an immune response. CAR-T cells are designed to target specific antigens on cancer.

⚡ Signal Transduction

How a cell passes a message inside after detecting something outside—like pushing a doorbell and hearing a sound inside the house.

🧬 Codon Optimization

Changing a gene’s DNA letters slightly (without changing the protein) to make it work better in human cells.

🧱 Scaffold

A structural base that helps organize biological parts—kind of like a frame to hold the pieces together in synthetic biology.

🛠 Knock-in

When a new gene is intentionally added into a specific spot in the genome.

🧨 Knockout

Deleting or deactivating a gene—used to see what happens when a gene is turned off.

🧼 Wash Step

In experiments, you often rinse things to remove unneeded stuff. Important in cloning and flow cytometry.

🧬 Insert

The DNA piece you want to add into a vector or genome—could be a gene, promoter, or even GFP.

🧬 Backbone

The basic part of a plasmid without any new genes. You “build” on it to make your custom plasmid.

🧲 Tag (e.g. His-tag, FLAG-tag)

A short piece of DNA/protein added to your gene so you can easily find, purify, or detect it in experiments.

📈 Expression

When a gene gets turned into protein. If a gene is “expressed,” it’s doing its job.

🔧 Inducible System

A setup where a gene only turns on when you add something, like a chemical (doxycycline is common).

🧪 Primers

Short pieces of DNA that tell a cell (or a machine like PCR) where to start copying DNA.

🧬 Synthetic Biology

A mix of biology and engineering. You're designing and building new biological parts—like DNA circuits, proteins, or cells that can fight cancer.

🚀 Priming

Starting a process like DNA copying. A primer “primes” or gets things going.

🧩 Assembly Fragments

Small DNA pieces you put together to build a larger DNA strand.

📦 Vector

A carrier for DNA. Like a delivery box—usually a plasmid or virus—that brings the DNA into a cell.

🌡 GC (Guanine-Cytosine)

Two of the DNA letters (A, T, G, C). GC pairs are stronger because they bond with 3 hydrogen bonds (vs. 2 for AT), so GC-rich DNA can be tougher to break apart.

🔁 PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction)

A lab method to make millions of copies of a piece of DNA. Think of it as a DNA photocopier.

📏 Linearization

Cutting circular DNA (like a plasmid) to make it a straight line—often to prepare it for inserting something new.

🚫 Circumvent

Means “go around” or “bypass.” In biology, it usually means avoiding a problem or step.

✂ Exonuclease

An enzyme that eats DNA from the ends—used to help DNA pieces stick together cleanly in Gibson Assembly.

🧱 Polymerase

An enzyme that builds DNA by adding letters (A, T, G, C) one by one.

🔗 Integrase

An enzyme that inserts DNA into another DNA sequence, like putting a puzzle piece into a bigger picture.

⚙ Catalyze

Means to speed up a reaction. Enzymes catalyze reactions like DNA cutting, copying, or joining.

🧬 Orthogonal Enzyme

An enzyme that works independently without messing with the rest of the system—very specific, no interference.

✂ Restriction Enzymes

Molecular scissors that cut DNA at specific sequences. Golden Gate Cloning uses these.

➖ Minuses

Can mean negative controls, or “non-working” pieces, depending on context. Probably refers to something not included in a test.

🧠 Genome

All the DNA in a cell or organism. Like the instruction manual for how to build and run the cell.

👋 Overhangs

Sticky ends of DNA after cutting, like Velcro strips that help DNA pieces stick together the right way.

🧬 Ligation

The gluing process that seals DNA pieces together.

🔁 TGGA/TCCG

These are just DNA sequences. They might be the overhangs used in Golden Gate to match specific DNA fragments.

⏱ Transient

Means temporary—something that won’t last, like a signal or gene that’s only active for a short time.

🔁 Religate

Means to reconnect DNA that was cut. Sometimes unwanted in cloning (like if the plasmid closes before the new gene is added).

🧩 Modular

Means made of parts you can mix and match—like Lego blocks. In biology, this helps build new systems easily.

🧬 Oligonucleotides (Oligos)

Short pieces of DNA or RNA—like a sentence written in DNA letters (ATGC). Often used as primers or building blocks.

📊 Multiplexing

Doing many experiments or reactions at once, like testing many DNA pieces in one tube.