Competent cells

The lab uses various competent cells for specific purposes. "Competent" refers to the ability of cells to take up DNA from their surroundings. In the lab we use chemically competent and electrocompetent E. coli, which refers to what it takes in order to get the stubborn cells to take up the DNA.

BL21 cells
 * used for protein expression from bacterial expression vectors
 * Resource: http://www.med.unc.edu/csb/PEP/manuals/codon_plus_manual.pdf

DH5alpha cells
 * standard go-to for plasmid amplification/minipreps, use these before resorting to STBL2
 * not for amplifying recombinogenic plasmids
 * Resource: http://tools.invitrogen.com/content/sfs/manuals/18258012.pdf

STBL2
 * cells selected for ability to retain recombinogenic DNA in plasmid form
 * use if DH5alpha cells are not doing the trick
 * Resource: http://tools.invitrogen.com/content/sfs/manuals/10268019.pdf