Strawberry DNA Extraction Lab

Yesterday, my science class took part in a strawberry DNA extraction lab. Upon hearing that we were doing this lab I was struck with awe. How could a bunch of high school students in a biology class remove the DNA from an organism? Where we going to use complicated scientific expensive equipment? The answer was no, well unless you consider a Ziplock bag, some alcohol, a pipette, and a couple test tubes complicated. 

The first step in achieving this feat was to, simply, get a strawberry. Next, we had to make the extraction buffer which consisted of liquid dishwashing soap (for breaking down the phospholipid membranes/ nuclear membrane) , salt (for sticking the DNA together), and water (for a solvent). (I did not use the exact amounts because I was not sure if the procedure we used had to be paid for). Then, we washed and removed the leaves from the strawberry and added our buffer all into a plastic bag. We proceded to smash the strawberries (reliving our child hood wishes to be The Hulk). We used a filter (gauze) to catch the cell material, while we poured our "strawberry DNA juice" into a test tube. Next we used some chilled alcohol to "pull" the DNA from the "strawberry DNA juice". This occurs because DNA, in general, is in soluble to alcohol (meaning it can't dissolve in alcohol) so it rises and can be seen in the clear alcohol as very fine "strings" or "chains" of DNA. And, well, that's how we did it.  We were able to extract the DNA from the alcohol and put it into a portable plastic test tube, so we all got to keep it. 

Over all, I loved this lab and my eyes were opened wide to how simple this experiment was. I was amazed when I thought about how far man has come from knocking a few rocks together to make fire to extracting the DNA from a strawberry in only a few simple steps. But, before I end this blog I would like to leave you with a few questions for you to think about. If we are able to extract the DNA with this minimal effort how far away are humans from being able to manipulate favorable genes? And, if humans were to reach this point in science, would manipulating genes throw off the "balance of the ecosystems" ? Would it cause lesser strawberry species to die off, and the rise of one "master species" of strawberry? 

"strawberry DNA juice" (with strawberry mush)

"strawberry DNA juice" (without strawberry mush)

Excess strawberry pulp

Extracted Strawberry DNA (hard to see)

                                           Extracted Strawberry DNA (hard to see)