Results

On the four MS plates, there were approximately nine poison ivy discs per petri dish,

which were incubated for two and a half days. There was slight contamination. The

contaminates grew exclusively on the far edges of the plates and spread to approximately a

half centimeter in diameter. The leaf discs retained a green coloration, but the agrobacterium

group developed a darker appearance overall.

After the transference of the IM group to the two new MS plates, the leaf discs began

to brown slightly around the edges after a six-day incubation. There was significant

contamination on one plate, so two leaf discs were removed from further experimentation.
 2

The leaf discs containing agrobacterium were transferred to plates containing timentin

(kills off agrobacterium). Initially, a white solution was excreted from the discs. The

substance continued to expand until nearly the third day of incubation. The leaf discs

remained constant for the remaining days with slight browning around the edges.
 3

All leaf discs were transferred to plates containing Kanamycin (kills plants). The IM

group turned a dark brown around day ten. The Agrobacterium group turned brown around

the perimeter, but had spots of unchanged green. All along the green, there was a formation

that appeared to have calloused.

The picture above is the resultant IM (control group)

The picture above is the resultant agrobacterium group (experimental group)

 4

Conclusion

The contaminations that grew on the plates were likely caused by air currents. While

the actual experiment was performed in sterile conditions, the transference of the leaves plate

to plate were not done sterilely. I was wearing gloves, the petri plates were kept sealed, and

the utensils were properly cleaned. Therefore, the best deduction is contaminations in the air.

In the first incubation, the agrobacterium infected leaf discs gained a slightly darker

coloration than the control group. This could possibly be due to the infection of

agrobacterium into the leaf discs.

 5

On the second incubation, the IM leaf discs began to brown along the edges. This is

most likely due to being separated from water, natural sun, and overall being disconnected

from the original plant.

The agrobacterium infected leaf discs began to excrete a white substance towards the

beginning of the second incubation. Since the agrobacterium group was the only ones to have

this occurrence, the white substance was most likely a sugary product he agrobacterium

made the plant produce as a food. The white excretion can serve as evidence that the leaves

took in the bacteria. The while substance stopped spreading from the leaves because the

timentin killed off the agrobacterium vector. With the bacteria dead, the leaf discs cells

stopped receiving the signal to produce the sugar, so the substance stopped spreading. The

browning on the leaves was caused by loss of nutrients, water, and separation from the

original plant.

On the third incubation, all leaf discs were put on petri plates containing Kanamycin,

which would kill most plants under normal conditions. The IM group, the control group,

withered and died within a couple of weeks because there were no genes present that is

resistant to kanamycin. The agrobacterium group, experimental group, maintain green

patches with slight callousing around the edges. When the agrobacterium entered the plant, it

encoded the gene I placed in the bacteria into the discs cells. When the timentin killed the

bacteria, the gene placed in the plant survived. This made the cells resistance to kanamycin,

and could therefore survive. However, not all the cells took up the gene, so there was a

division in the color and cellular characteristics.

 6

Since the experimental group survived and the control group died, I can conclude that

the gene was properly inserted. With this methodology, Toxicodendron lumen will be

successful given an appropriate time period to work with. Using a fully developed tissue

culture and my methodology described previously, a new subspecies of plant can be created

in less than two years. Once the gene has been fully encoded into each of the cells, the gene

can be passed on to new generations of plants. Getting the next plant generations to uptake

the phenotype will occur in mostly all at first. Once there is a decent population size

available, the modified plants can be distributed at a low production cost. The plants growing

in the environment will pass on their DNA until the entire exposed population possesses

bioluminescent qualities.

All the further research advancement need to make this happen is included in this

thesis. The strain of agrobacterium used has the ability to carry the gene for GFP, and all

bacterial strains used can be processed by Toxicodendron radicans as proven in my

experiment.
 7

Appendices

Appendix A

50 people were surveyed

Have you ever had a reaction to poison ivy?

Yes No

26 24

Yes- 52%

No- 48%

What were the visibility conditions?

Low High

21 5

Yes- 81%

No- 19%

Would glowing ivy be useful in avoiding contact?

Yes No

26 0
 8

Yes- 100%

No- 0%

Appendix B
9
10
 11

Appendix C

Appendix D
 12

Appendix E
 13

Appendix F
 14

Appendix G
15
16
 17

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