Mount Allison University

2 ARTICLES PUBLISHED IN JoVE

Biology

Adenovirus-mediated Genetic Removal of Signaling Molecules in Cultured Primary Mouse Embryonic Fibroblasts

Steve P. Hawley^*1, Melanie K. B. Wills^*1, Nina Jones¹

¹Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph

In this video we use an adenovirus carrying the Cre recombinase gene to infect primary mouse embryonic fibroblasts carrying a floxed Rac1 allele.

Biology

Detecting the Lyme Disease Spirochete, Borrelia Burgdorferi, in Ticks Using Nested PCR

Melanie K. B. Wills¹, Andrea M. Kirby¹, Vett K. Lloyd¹

¹Department of Biology, Mount Allison University

Nested PCR is a sensitive, specific, and straightforward technique that can be applied to tick DNA extracts to probe for Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease. The initial PCR experiment uses gene-specific primers to generate long amplicons, which then become templates for a subsequent reaction using internal primers.