10.23.2018
Experiment Leaders: Athena and Shweta
This was our first trip to Venture Academy for the new academic school year. To complement what the students were learning in Science class about genetics and DNA, we did an experiment involving DNA extraction from strawberries. The students were 7th graders and remembered some of the SFA members from the previous year.
To start off, we gave students a brief introduction about why DNA is important. The students learned about how DNA packages itself into chromosomes, and why certain chemicals such as Isopropyl alcohol, salt and soap are used to extract DNA. The students then divided up into groups of four, although each of them performed the experiment individually.
They mixed water with soap and salt – this solution helps break the cell membranes and aggregate the DNA. This was poured into a Ziploc bag, to which they added one whole strawberry. They had fun squishing strawberries until no chunks remained. Using a coffee filter, they then strained out the liquid, and we added freezing isopropyl alcohol to it. This initiates the extraction of the DNA from the rest of the liquid. Finally, they used tweezers to pull out the gooey white DNA from the top layer!
The students were excited about getting to actually see DNA, since they had been learning about it in class.
