By Anna Applebaum, Rebecca Miller, Nisha Chatterjee, and Kim Miller

FLOGLOW: What is it?

Floglow is an innovative new product from our company AMCM Inc. We took the popular glow-in-the-dark products and added a new touch: fresh flowers. These flowers act like normal flowers but they have one unusual twist—they glow in the dark. These flowers make great nightlights, which are all natural, and create the perfect atmosphere for an outdoor dinner party or romantic occasion.

Glow-in-the-Dark Flowers Before…Other companies have

produced similar products in the past. One such company is FloraHolland BV, based in the Netherlands, who came up with a type of glowing flowers. They took regular flowers, which appeared white in regular light, and sprayed harmless chemicals on them to make them emit a green light in the dark.

…And After FloGlowOur products are different, and

better, than FloraHolland’s. Instead of spraying our plants with chemicals, we have genetically engineered our flowers to glow in the dark. This makes them more authentic and allows them to last longer. Also, our flowers have color in the daytime. This allows you to enjoy your favorite flowers in the day and also to appreciate their new appearances at night.

FloGlow: Yes or No?Our consumers decide.

We interviewed 32 people to find out whether our product was marketable, and whether or not consumers would buy them. Here are our results: out of 32 people, an astonishing 26 said “yes”.

We’d like to thank those who participated in our survey- Sydney Wagner, Natalie Wolfenbarger, Brain Veeh, Christine Sun, Julie Yu, Joanna Jao, Rachel Baughman, Connie Suh, Molly Teodo, Karen Atkins, Annie Bonaccorso, Melissa Katow, Solange Kim, Lucy Filippone, Shannon Streeter, Eric Smith, Jessie Abbott, Graham Chuck, Nina Bucar, Angela Sarkisian, Kate Penniall, Lucia Botta, Max Scott, Mike Scott, Candace Kim, Monica Jung, Stephanie Ozawa, Becky Hummel, and Amanda Dundee.

The Creation of FloGlow

The first step in the process of genetically creating glow-in-the-dark flowers was to find the right organisms. For the flowers, we used tulips, as they are extremely pretty and are easy to care for. For the glowing gene, we turned to a sea creature called Noctiluca scintillans.

Noctiluca Scintillans: SeasparklesNoctiluca scintillans, more

commonly known as seasparkles are dinoflagellates, or single-celled algae. Noctiluca bodies are in the form of a gas bag, which allows it to float, and has two flagella that allow it to move. These organisms, with millions floating next to each other in the sea, combine to form a shimmering glowing light that illuminates the depth of the sea. This biological phenomenon is known as bioluminescence.

Finding the Gene: DNA Sequencing and Electrophoresis

To find the sequence of DNA, we first had to isolate the gene. DNA sequencing is based on lengthening DNA strands. First, we divided the DNA we wanted to use into four groups, and heated them to separate the two strands. Separate primers that are ‘labeled’ by dye were added to each group. We used DNA polymerase to extend the sample DNA so it became double-stranded once again, but this time with a different nucleotide modified in each separate bunch.

The four batches were combined, and the mixture of partly double-stranded DNA are separated. Then, we used electrophoresis. This separated the molecules by size, with shorter molecules moving faster through the gel we put them through. Because a different dye was applied to each one, the color as each batch ran through the gel was different, and all of the different colors together revealed the original base sequence of DNA.

PCR: Heating and RepeatingPolymerase Chain Reaction was

developed in the early 1980’s by Kary Mullis (Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1993). It is a method that produces many copies of DNA from a tiny piece of DNA using DNA polymerase. To start off the process, we took double-stranded DNA from tulips and heated it to 95 degrees C. The strands separated and we cooled them to 60 degrees C. Primers were bound to DNA strands then reheated to 72 degrees C. DNA polymerase extended the primers and two double-stranded DNA were produced.

PCR: Heating and Repeating Con.

We repeated the process 30 to 40 times, and each cycle took us about 3 to 4 minutes. In the end, several million copies of the tulip DNA was produced.

We used Thermus aquaticus bacterium from hot springs for the DNA polymerase, because their DNA polymerase can withstand hot temperatures.

Recombinant DNA: The Final Stage

Recombinant DNA is the process of recombining DNA from two organisms. The process was first used during Griffith’s experiment involving laboratory mice. The first step is the isolation of the needed DNA in the gene from the source (in our case, noctiluca scintillans). A restriction enzyme is used to cut it out.

Then, we used the same restriction enzyme to cut out plasmids from a bacteria. Next, we combined the plasmid with our gene and put it back into the bacteria and let it grow. Finally, we stuck the bacteria into the tulip genes, where the modified cells replicated alongside the normal cells.

What Our Customers Say

“ It will save money on electricity, and its cool!”

-Karen Atkins

“Yeah! You could use it for like romantic outdoor settings and stuff.”

-Max Scott

“I love flowers, and I love nightlights, so what could be better?”

- Jessie Abbott

Brought to you by AMCM Inc.(Advanced Modification for Commercial

Marketing)Check out our other products at

www.amcminc.com