Help:Plasmid backbones/Glossary
Here at the Registry, we use the term "plasmid" in three different ways:
- "Plasmid (backbone)" - the vector alone, WITHOUT Biobrick(s)
- "Construction Plasmid" - Plasmid backbones WITH specialized Biobricks to help you with assembly
- "Plasmid (with any Biobrick)" - Plasmid backbone WITH some Biobrick(s). This term is rarely used.
Plasmid (backbone)
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>
To find a plasmid part using the "jump to part" sidebar function, erase the default "BBa_" prefix, and enter only the plasmid part name (ie. psBxyz).
Construction Plasmid
If you just want one of the BioBrick plasmids, it is probably available in the iGEM DNA distribution with the part BBa_P1010 in the cloning site. You will need the cell strain DB3.1 since BBa_P1010 (CcdB) is toxic to most strains.
When making a brand 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.
Plasmid (with any biobrick)
This term refers to a combination of the plasmid backbone along with some Biobrick stuck into it. An example of this can be seen below
