Help:Plasmid backbones

Plasmids are circular, double-stranded DNA molecules typically containing a few thousand base pairs that replicate within the cell independently of the chromosomal DNA. They are often acquired by bacteria and can bestow the benefit of antibiotic resistance or production of novel proteins. Most BioBrick parts in the Registry are maintained and propagated on plasmids [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transformation_(genetics) Transformation] - The process researchers use to incorporate plasmids into cells. Types of plasmids - What's a construction plasmid? Does "plasmid" mean vector backbone only? Plasmid features - Describes the common features of plasmid Constructing new plasmids - How to construct new BioBrick standard vectors. Plasmid naming - How BioBrick vectors are named Browse plasmid parts

Antibiotic Resistance By incorporating an antibiotic-resistance gene on a plasmid, you can select for engineered cells using the appropriate antibiotic. The most commonly used antibiotics are ampicillin ("Amp"), kanamycin ("Kan"), tetracycline ("Tet") and chloramphenicol ("Cm"). For more information on which plasmids carry these resistance genes, click the nomenclature documentation section. All of our plasmids are available through the use of BBa_P1010, BBa_I52001 and BBa_I52002. (Information on how to use these parts is available on the relevant part page).