Lab Report

DNA Extraction

By Daniel Nordloh

DNA is a double-stranded nucleic acid that contains the genetic information for cell
growth, division, and function.

Reference: http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Dna

Justification
To learn the process and understand why it works in a cellular level.
Investigation Question
Which is the best method to use for DNA extraction from strawberries?
How it Works
The dishwashing liquid opens the cells of the strawberries, releasing their DNA. The
salt ensures that the proteins in the cell are not separated from the rest of the
solution with the DNA. The alcohol makes the DNA strands cluster together and
become visible to the eye.

Reference: http://www.imb.uq.edu.au/strawberry-dna-extraction-experiment
Why it Works
DNA can be easily extracted from strawberries because they are octoploid, that is,
they have eight copies of their genome per cell, unlike most organisms, which are
haploid and only have one. This gives them a lot of DNA per cell.

Reference: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/squishy-science-extract-dna-from-smashed-
strawberries/
Has this method been successfully performed by others?
A cursory Google search will reveal that this method is a favourite of high school and
university biology courses, as well as do-it-yourself, science for kids websites, due
to its ease of performance and high educational potential.

Reference: http://www.imb.uq.edu.au/strawberry-dna-extraction-experiment
http://www.murdoch.edu.au/Biotech-out-of-the-box/_document/Kit-Handout-Sheets/DNA-
extraction-from-strawberries.pdf
http://www.genome.gov/pages/education/modules/strawberryextractioninstructions.pdf

Hypothesis
The team believes that this method is the best method available for strawberry DNA
extraction.
Materials

2 strawberries

20 ml of tap Water

10 ml liquid soap

7 gr. salt

40 ml cold Ethanol

1 plastic tray

Knife

Mortar and pestle

1 Graduated cylinder (10ml)

1 Graduated cylinder (100
ml)

Filter paper or coffee filter

Filter funnel

Erlenmeyer flask (125ml)

4 test tubes (25 ml)

Large toothpick

Digital Camera

Watch glass

Digital balance

Analytical scale

Paper towel

Methodology
1. Cut the strawberries finely on the plastic tray and pour them into the mortar.
Continue grinding the strawberries in the mortar using the pestle.

2. Pour 20 ml of tap water into the mortar.

3. Add the salt and the liquid soap into the mortar and mix.

4. Place the filter paper in the funnel; pour the reddish solution in it, and collect the
filtered solution in the Erlenmeyer flask.



Raw Data Registration
Qualitative Observations
The strawberry first appeared normal, in its normal state. This state was first
disrupted when crushing the strawberry, causing the strawberry to look like some
sort of thanksgiving sauce. At this point, the strawberry still appeared (and smelled)
delicious.
After adding water, the somewhat thick mixture acquired a more liquid consistency.
After adding the dishwashing soap, the mixture thickened and the strawberry was
stained a dark green.
The salt did not provoke an observable change in the mixtures colour or
consistency.
At this point, the mixture was filtered; the strawberry DNA appeared as a white-ish
strand of strawberry thread.
Result Processing
The method was successful; the team were able to extract (and observe, until the
sample was destroyed) the strawberry DNA.
After research, the team has ascertained that this method does work with other
fruits.














Conclusion
While the team cant be able to know for sure whether other methods might be
more effective, they were successful in their enterprise of extracting DNA from
strawberries.
The method worked because, as described above, the detergent lysed the cells, and
the alcohol made the DNA stick together.
A limitation of the practice was that, even with the use of strawberries, the amount
of DNA produced was rather limited. A suggestion that could perhaps improve the
practice would be to use another organism, perhaps a dodecaploid organism, or
simply to use more strawberries to obtain more DNA.