Selection of Ampicillin Resistant Bacteria v1

Ampicillin is a β-lactam antibiotic routinely used in bacterial selection procedures to select for bacteria (usually E. coli) that have been transformed with an ampicillin resistance plasmid (pUC19, others). Ampicillin resistance is usually due to production of beta-lactamase enzymes which cleave the beta - lactam ring rendering the antibiotic inactive. The information below will outline preparation, storage, and a general selection procedure for ampicillin resistant bacteria.