Waldo 8th Graders Discover Fruit DNA with Mrs. SampWaldo 8th Graders Discover Fruit DNA with Mrs. Samp

Eight Grader’s in Mrs. Samp’s science class extracted DNA from strawberries as an introduction to their cells and heredity unit. 

First, the students were given strawberries to smash in plastic bags. Next, they added a mixture of water, dish soap and salt to the macerated berries. The next step was to pour the mix through a coffee filter to strain out the juice. After collecting all the juice into a small beaker, they added a small amount of very cold rubbing alcohol to the juice. This immediately caused the fruit DNA to separate into a thick mass and float to the top. The students finally were able to extract the DNA and look at it through a magnifier. 

The students had a fun and informative time participating in the science lab. They all can now go home and recreate this lab with other fruit and even with their own DNA.