(Chorus)

A Plasmid is a circle of DNA with lots of parts

Bacteria make’em but scientists can break’em apart

So now I’m so glad, that we can design em a la carte

So they should be shared, be shared, be shared

Plasmids turn genetics into art

(Verse 1)

Thinking about playing with genes

What if we could change em and spread em like memes?

What if we could rearrange em to study proteins?

Well these plasmids got us all letting off S.T.E.A.M

It’s lit

So here’s what a plasmid is

Circle of DNA from bacterias

It’s got restriction sites where we slash with scissors

Called restriction enzymes that let us match and mix

Or mix and match gene from a new species

Just put in a promoter and express with ease

And with a sight of origin it can replicate

To make copies of your plasmid and generate

Yeah they’re great - easy to manipulate

But just think, what if they could infiltrate

Not just bacteria but other life

We’d be pretty much wielding a genetic knife

(Chorus)

A Plasmid is a circle of DNA with lots of parts

Bacteria make’em but scientists can break’em apart

So now I’m so glad, that we can design em a la carte

So they should be shared, be shared, be shared

Plasmids turn genetics into art

(Verse 2)

Ok

Snip

Poke

Test Cells

Pipette

Run gels

Ligate

Incubate

Die? Wait

Survive? Great!

Now each ring has a power like Frodo done told me (Baggins)

And I’ve got so many you can call me Kobe (Swaggin’)

Favorite application is to make ‘em glowing

Which helps you find out where molecules are going

All I do is insert GFP

In the right type of ring with the right set of genes

Depending how I do it I’ll be glowing green

Either all the time or when I want to

Like maybe just in cells of a certain type

Or biosensor for molecules floating by

And I can do this in fish, I can do this in a beagle

I could do it to you (but that’d be illegal)

But we do it to research the state of nature

Golden Age of Biotech and its applications

From medicine to food to security

To learning about the fundamentals of biology

(Outro)

Plasmids

What new genes can we add in?

What new questions we askin'?

Plasmids, Plasmids, Plasmids

What new genes can we add in? What new questions we asking?

Plasmids

Plasmids