Electrophoresis?

From what I have heard, electrophoresis is a method utilized to determine the DNA composition of an animal, with the goal to be able to determine population sources and perhaps genetic makeup of an animal.

I have a line of corns that I am not at all certain that they are pure corns. This could have a significant impact on my breeding plans one way or the other, so I would like to be able to POSITIVELY have these animals examined by someone competent in electrophoresis as well as the background to be able to make such a determination. Right now, I could easily weed out the entire line of them, but a few generations down the road, this might not be quite so easy to do.

Does anyone have any ideas about whom I could approach about doing this work for me?

Contact a local university and talk to some one in the biology or genetics dept. I have done electrophoresis before, but I do not know how to prepare the DNA. I have always used pre-prepared DNA. What this would do for you is that you could use a snake that you know is a pure corn as a control. You would also use a marker protien to tell the size of the chromosomes. You would then put DNA from the unknown group of corns and if the chromosomes are the same size as your corn snake control then you know they are corn snakes. Hope that helps, Jacob.

How different would the chromosomes be in an animal that was a mixture of corn snake and something else? Maybe even several generations down the road?

And I guess I have to wonder if the corn snakes from the Florida Keys would look identical to the corn snakes from New Jersey.

And what exactly needs to be used as tissue samples to extract the DNA? If they need to sacrifice the animal to do this, I'm not at all sure I would be willing to do that.

But it's something I can look into. I think Gainesville would be my best bet, rather than FSU here in Tallahassee, however.

Thanks.

I'm fairly certain the snake would not have to be sacrificed. I believe a small bit of blood would do the trick. Probably about as much as they draw for regular blood tests, maybe less.

I'm sure I don't know nearly as much about it as Jacob, but if they can tell the difference between a black guy and a white guy by the DNA (which they can according to Scientific American) then they could probably tell the difference between a true corn and a bastardized corn.

They can use this to tell if some one is from the same genitic line. It is used to tell how closely related people are. Such as in a crime, if there are two samples of DNA at a crime scene then they will test those sampels as well as those of the suspects. If the suspects match one or both sampel he is the guy. They also do other test, but this is generaly the first.

You would not need a lot of DNA so I doubt that you would need to scrafice a snake for this, but it would not be as easy as takeing blood. You must remember that red blood cells have no DNA so you would have to find something else in the blood to get the DNA from. Not saying it can't be done, just saying there is probly and eaiser way. Just e-mail me if you have any more questions. Jacob.

Wouldn't a shed skin provide enough material for DNA extraction?

I really do not know if a shedd skin has enough/any DNA. I would think that it would be simminler to hair samples. In that case it would work great!

How is this project going Rich? Have you tried it yet?

Rich, contact Paul Moler (the state wildlife Biologist) he has a collegue that is doing just what you are talking about. Can't remember her name for the life of me though. She came in and did a talk for the CFHS about 4 months ago. She was working with a venomous species if I remember correctly. But she has the program already in place. She has been albe to isolate several different gene pools from all over the eastern U.S.

Hope this helps, by the way, what would we have to do to get you to come down and do a little talk for us.