Amp resistance

Amp resistance is a term that refers to bacterial resistance to the antibiotic ampicillin. Many strains of bacteria are resistant to a variety of antibiotics, however the resistance that is most commonly used in research and industry is ampicillin resistance. It is used as a selectable marker in bacterial transformation. A selectable marker is a feature that allows for the scientist to select only for the bacterial cells that contain the gene that allows the bacterium to be resistant. This selection is done by growing the bacteria on or in a medium that contains ampicillin. All the cells that lack the amp resistance gene will be killed off, leaving only those with resistance.