Adna's Lab

To a certain extent ‘Adna’s Lab’ can be compared to a poker game where one can stake it all and lose even when having the opportunity to jump out of a certain hard strategy and secure a less severe loss. On the other hand, a player who is given so many opportunities to win the game with little points, sometimes goes for the big win and risks a massive loss whilst trying to obtain the bigger cut. Complex? Well, not so much if you stick around and follow our analysis to this very interesting example-game.

0:00 – The game starts as it normally would, SciBoard player goes first due to the ATG sequence (the start codon). Bases are added as normal, the players reading through their initial cards to start preparing the most adequate strategy.

01:54 – The SciBoard player finds out that he has a green restriction enzyme that contains a recognition sequence (GAATGCN) that can easily be created in the opponent’s chain. He/she decides to use the ultra-violet card, mutates the opponent’s chain by swapping bases to generate the desired sequence as close to the start of the chain as possible. So when a cut is made, it will destroy most of the chain, thus producing a lot of damage in the opponent, and a lot of points for the SciBoard player. He/she then starts adding bases to the opponent’s chain whenever possible (for to make it longer and longer and when the right time comes the cut will be produced and points gathered). A risky move because at any time point the opponent can figure it out and just run to the end line by adding a few bases and winning the match.

03:10 – But the SciBoard player has yet another strategy, i.e., to cut his own DNA chain with a red restriction card that recognises the sequence GCGCGC. He will work for that purpose simultaneously as he also prepares the aforementioned strategy that is already in motion, meaning to cut the opponent’s chain with the enzyme that recognises GAATGCN.

04:05 – A wonderful move accomplished by the SciBoard player as he creates a really long DNA chain in the opponent’s side and then cuts it to its very basic size after working out the temperature to 37 degrees and applying the restriction enzyme with the correct buffer.

05:23 – The SciBoard player really has it all to fully destroy the opponent and yet again recognises another restriction enzyme with a sequence that can be created in the opponent’s chain by using the ultraviolet mutating power. The enzyme is a yellow one that reads the sequence GCCGGC, and digests the genetic material at 37 degrees. The SciBoard player then applies the right cards to generate yet another sequence he/she intends to cut later on. But, has any of you realised the SciBoard player may have missed the fact that the yellow enzyme he/she is to use later on, needs Bovine Serum Albumin (represented in the card by that white Eppendorf tube in between the yellow one and the thermometer).

06:55 – Having realised that the Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) card is not so frequent, as it confers very special powers to the restriction enzyme, the SciBoard player gets a bit desperate. He/she knows that there are two risky strategies in motion, 1) to cut the opponent’s chain where a sequence has been produced but there’s no BSA card available, 2) to cut his/her own chain but the chain is still so short it will generate few points. Drama now starts as the SciBoard player realises greediness is not well paid sometimes.

08:48 – The SciBoard player attempts a very simple and successful strategy to reduce the opponent’s chain size, and with that also reduce the chances of the opponent finishing first – the deletion card played with the right buffer to cut the chain two bases smaller.

10:30 – The CPU player is artificial intelligence, not artificial stupidity! Realising that the SciBoard player is stuck without a BSA card to fulfil one of the strategies, and that the other strategy entails cutting his/her own chain (not likely has the game is coming to an end), the CPU player decides to reduce the chances of the SciBoard player by using the deletion card and cutting the chain two bases smaller!

11:55 – Basically assuming that defeat is impossible to avoid, the SciBoard player decides to go down but with as many points as possible. Hence, he/she plays the red restriction enzyme that cuts the sequence GCGCGC, prepared in his/her own chain some good time ago, and gathers a few more points at the expense of his/her own DNA chain size.

15:04 – The SciBoard player is now aware that victory is virtually impossible so playing temperature cards at random to just gain points for using the most cards possible became the main strategy. A poor one but better a few points than none!

Adna's Lab Tutorial #2 - 'The Power of Uracil'

This is a great example of how powerful card can determine so much of the progression of a game.

(0:12) Player initiates the game as he/she was the one to get the methionine (ATG codon sequence) first.

(0:56) Another good strike with the agarose gel pulling some cards to the deck. Playing bases to one's chain is always a good move as the first player getting to the final first is the winner. But one can be a winner with few points (using little reactions and enzymes) or with lots of points (by combining so many reactions and enzymes that the opponent will flip). It's all about strategy, and that's what happened next...

(01:21) RNA (uracil) is played onto the opponent's chain thus contaminating it. The opponent won't be able to progress if such contamination is not removed. From now on it is a fight against time to get rid of this uracil or just watch the opponent slide victorious to the finish line!

(01:31) Now check how great a game the 'SciBoard' player is pulling with some really nice temperature cards played on the chain so the temperature can be manipulated according to his/her interest. With some cards you pull down a few levels, with other cards you pull up a few more until you get that nice temperature that will do the trick of your preferred enzyme! Bear in mind the game always start at 25C as this is conventionally accepted as the room temperature!

(03:23) The losing player plays a really nice card 'Ultra-Violet Light' that can be counteracted by only two cards, the 'Goggles' card that will protect against light with mutational effects, or messing the whole working bench with a lot of 'Detergent' to clean away the trouble and eliminate the mess!

(04:12) The SciBoard player really wants to humiliate his/her oponent and decides to start playng some powerful temperature cards. The one used in this instance is the 'Thermal Cycler' that allows one to select the final temperature of the reaction.... only this time a response came in handy in the shape of a mess cleaner!

(05:01) But he/she didn't give up. Some 'Dry Ice' and a 'Thermal Block' and the reaction temperature is right on the spot for a good enzyme to be played in.

(07:27) Here is a restriction enzyme with a sequence that can be found in the chain... But wait, the winning player is cutting his/her own chain?!!!! Why is that? That's because he/she is winning as the opponent is still stuck trying to get rid of the 'Uracil' contamination. The winning player then sees that his/her chain can be cut, does so, wins some more points, plays some more bases and reaches the finishing line whilst the opponent is still trying to snail his/her way out of that contamination. Smart move! This video really demonstrates how contamination of DNA by RNA can be terrible for your game strategy!

Tutorial Video #1 - 'The Buffer/Enzyme combination'.

The game started as usual with the ATG codon (methionin at the initiation site) setting the mood for the starting player (0:39).

Then another powerful card, the agarose gel to 'extract' and add additional bases to one's deck (1:46).

A tremendously clever strategy applied with the contamination of the opponent's chain by playing a bit of RNA (uracil card) in the mixture (2:29)!!!

How would the affected player get rid of that? Well he/she was also clever and counter-attacked with the deletion card (2:50) removing the contamination quite quickly; but it's not always like that as the number of cards of each type are limited and holding a proper strategy is crucial.

It can be tricky for a player to get rid of contamination in due course whilst the opponent's chain grow longer and longer. It is important to constantly be checking the enzymes cards (1:18) (2:04) (02:43) (03:35) for recognising cutting sequences in the opponent's chain.

Also very relevant to check what buffers are available as they need to match the enzyme colour to use. This is all about strategy. This time one of the players got caught up in that blue buffer, the only one he/she had whilst not blue enzyme was readily available (03:53) (04:54).

When the chains were approximately the same length and the finish line was so close, the losing player did not have any good reactions or enzymes to play, then resorting to just adding more bases to his/her own chain (05:09).

It wasn't enough as the oponent simply walked his/her way to the finish line just by playing a few cards more (05:18) and winning the game with few points but the victory satisfaction.

Remember, the more bases, reactions and enzymes you use, the more points you get. These don't even have to be played on your own chain! The great thing about Adna's lab is that it isn't about luck, it is about acquired knowledge and trying possible combinations to get points, even if you have to cut your own chain! Now let us know if you found this tutorial video helpful.