Genetically Modified E. Coli Bacteria #1 is a photograph by Dr Jeremy Burgess which was uploaded on May 6th, 2013.
Genetically Modified E. Coli Bacteria #1
Colonies of the bacterium Escherichia coli, genetically modified to produce the dye indigo (blue). Indigo has been used for thousands of years, and... more
Title
Genetically Modified E. Coli Bacteria #1
Artist
Dr Jeremy Burgess
Medium
Photograph
Description
Colonies of the bacterium Escherichia coli, genetically modified to produce the dye indigo (blue). Indigo has been used for thousands of years, and was originally obtained from plants such as woad, Isatis tinctoria, then Indigofera tinctoria. Chemical synthesis was developed in the late 19th Century. It is a polluting industrial process producing toxic waste. Annual world production of indigo is about 20 million kilogrammes, mostly for the dying of cotton in the manufacture of jeans. The picture shows colonies of E. coli streaked on to an agar medium in a petri dish. The bacterium has been modified genetically by the insertion of an oxygenase gene that allows the conversion of indole into indoxyl, the precursor of indigo. The production of so-called “Biotech indigo” is a cleaner process now working on an industrial scale, with benefits to the environment.
Uploaded
May 6th, 2013
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