Help:Plasmid backbones/Glossary

BioBrick plasmids form the "backbone" of all BioBrick parts. Every BioBrick part is maintained on at least one BioBrick plasmid. Sometimes, a part is maintained on multiple BioBrick plasmids backbones, which vary by antibiotic resistance and copy number.

An example of a BioBrick plasmid without a part insert is pSB1A3. <More on plasmid naming here>

When making a bramd new BioBrick part, you will need to choose an appropriate BioBrick plasmid for construction purposes. Typically, we use BioBrick plasmids containing the ccdB gene (BioBrick part P1010), which causes cell death when intact. By doing so, the successful insertion of the part disrupts the ccdB gene and permits growth. Plasmids that were not cut, or re-ligated without insert do not grow.