Strawberry DNA Extraction - STEM Education Activity

Review all materials needed for DNA extraction: strawberry, Ziploc bag, extraction buffer, ethanol, pipette with bulb, funnel, kitchen roll, and skewer. Remove the leaves from the strawberry and place it in the Ziploc bag.

Seal the Ziploc bag and crush the strawberry with your hands to break open the cells. Using the pipette bulb, draw up 10 milliliters of extraction buffer and carefully dispense it into the bag.

Seal the bag and gently massage the contents to mix the extraction buffer with the strawberry pulp. Fold kitchen roll into a filter and place it in a funnel, then pour the mixture through to separate the liquid containing DNA from solid debris.

Discard the debris. Using a fresh pipette, carefully draw up approximately 10 milliliters of ice-cold ethanol and slowly pour it down the side of the tube to layer it on top of the extraction buffer without mixing the two solutions.

At the interface where the two solutions meet, white DNA precipitate will appear. Carefully insert the skewer and spool the DNA out of solution by twisting and lifting, collecting the gloopy white substance on the skewer.