Isolating DNA, the Blueprints of Life

Zero to Genetic Engineering Hero is unique in many ways. So before we jump into the topic of Chapter 1, let’s learn how the chapters in this book are structured.

You will notice that this book is packed with hands-on exercises. Each chapter starts with the hands-on activities so that you can “pull up your sleeves” immediately and start building genetic engineering skills. Within the hands-on exercise sections, you will find “Going Deeper” and “Breakout” sections that will provide more information about what is going on in the hands-on exercise. You can read them or skip them - you decide how much you want to learn. At some points, you may feel like you need more background information, but trust us and continue with the exercise to completion as there is a wealth of information later on.

Each chapter has a Fundamentals section which covers the first principles at play in the hands-on exercises. These fundamentals are deliberately placed after the hands-on exercises so that you can use real-world skills and context to anchor the concepts in the Fundamentals. If, during the hands-on, you would prefer more context, you can always start with the Fundamentals and circle back to complete the exercises.

In Chapter 1, you start your Genetic Engineering journey with a simple, engaging hands-on exercise: extracting DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) from fruit. You’ve likely heard of DNA before in classic movies like Jurassic Park, forensic television shows, or in the news. But very few individuals have ever seen DNA in real life or know how to extract it from a living or dead organism. As you learn how to extract (separate) DNA from their cells and see it with the naked eye, you will also be learning the general principles of breaking cells open & extracting DNA. You’ll likely be surprised at how much DNA you consume when you eat fruit!

This exercise will help you to more richly understand the knowledge gained in the Fundamentals section, which focuses primarily on DNA, its structure, and its function. Further, by completing the hands-on exercise, you will begin laying the foundation for understanding and doing genetic engineering in the chapters to follow.

For this chapter, you do not need any special equipment, and you can do the exercise in your kitchen or at your desk. Chapter 2 will cover setting up the necessary equipment and space for the exercises in later chapters.

Getting Started. Equipment and Materials. You do not need any special equipment for this exercise. The materials can be obtained either by purchasing a DNA Extraction Kit online at www.amino.bio or by purchasing the components listed below at a local grocery store or pharmacy. The last three items (in bold) are not included in the DNA Extraction Kit.

If you are eager to complete all of the exercises in this book, you can purchase all the hands-on kits in packs. These Zero to Genetic Engineering Hero Kit Packs are separated into a beginner pack: (Ch. 1-4) and advanced pack (Ch. 5-7) and are available for both home and the classroom.

Shopping List:
Water (distilled, or bottled water) -1 tablespoon
White salt -1/4 teaspoon
Translucent (non-creamy) shampoo, hand or dish soap with EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) -1/4 teaspoon

1 paper coffee filter (#4 or #5 are a good size to fit in a cup)
1 very narrow glass, such as a shot glass 1 small sandwich resealable bag
91 to 99% isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) - 2 tablespoon (70% isopropyl alcohol will also work if you cannot find the higher %)
1 small drinking cup
1 soft fruit (1 strawberry is best but ½ a kiwi or 1/5 banana can work)

Instructional Overview:
1.Make a salt water solution in a resealable bag
2. Mash up fruit in salt water to separate the fruit into individual cells
3. Add soap to lyse (cut open) the cells to release the DNA
4. Filter the lysed cell debris to isolate dissolved DNA
5. Precipitate (separate) the DNA in alcohol so it becomes visible

Chapter Timeline Overview:Timeline to complete the hands-on exercise is: Day 1: -15 minutes for the Breakout Exercise, -20 minutes for DNA extraction Timeline to read Fundamentals is typically 3 hours.

Keep in mind! When doing genetic engineering or any life science project, the activities boil down to chemistry. As you go through this and future exercises, pay attention to the Going Deeper sections and to how you are using chemistry to manipulate the biological systems. The more you understand the rules of chemistry, the better you will be able to engineer biology. If there is a scientific term you do not understand, use the internet to learn about it!