Intact Genomics chemically competent BL21(DE3) E. coli cells are suitable for transformation and routine protein expression.
Specifications
Competent cell type: Chemically competentDerivative of: BL21(DE3)Species: E. coliFormat: TubesTransformation efficiency: ≥1.0 x 109 cfu/µg pUC19 DNABlue/white screening: YesShipping condition: Dry ice
Reagents Needed for One Reaction
BL21(DE3) Chemically Competent Cells: 50 µlDNA (or pUC19 Control, 10 pg/µl): 1 µlRecovery Medium: 1 ml
Storage
BL21(DE3) Competent Cells: -80 ºCpUC19 Control DNA: -20 ºCRecovery Medium: 4 ºC
Genomic Features
BL21(DE3) chemically competent cells have the following features:
- Widely used host background
- T7 Expression Strain
- Deficient in both lon (1) and ompT proteases
- Resistant to phage T1 (fhuA2)
- B Strain
Genotype
F–ompT hsdS(rB– mB–) gal dcm λ(DE3)
Quality Control
Transformation efficiency is tested by using the pUC19 control DNA supplied with the kit and using the high efficiency transformation protocol listed below. Transformation efficiency should be ≥ 1×109 CFU/µg pUC19 DNA. Untransformed cells are tested for appropriate antibiotic sensitivity.
General Guidelines
Follow these guidelines when using BL21(DE3) chemically competent E. coli.
- Handle competent cells gently as they are highly sensitive to changes in temperature or mechanical lysis caused by pipetting.
- Thaw competent cells on ice, and transform cells immediately following thawing. After adding DNA, mix by tapping the tube gently. Do not mix cells by pipetting or vortexing.
Calculation of Transformation EfficiencyTransformation Efficiency (TE) is defined as the number of colony forming units (cfu) produced by transforming 1µg of plasmid into a given volume of competent cells.
TE = Colonies/µg/Dilution
Transform 1 µl of (10 pg/µl) pUC19 control plasmid into 50 µl of cells, add 950 µl of Recovery Medium. Dilute 10 µl of this in 990 µl of Recovery Medium and plate 50 µl. Count the colonies on the plate the next day. If you count 100 colonies, the TE is calculated as follows:
Colonies = 100µg of DNA = 0.00001Dilution = 50/1000 x 10/1000 = 0.0005TE = 100/.00001/.0005 = 2.0×10101051-06 1051-12 1052-12 1052-24 1054-24 1054-48
