Is it possible to extract DNA (DeoxyriboNucleic Acid) using everyday house hold items?

• fresh or frozen strawberries
• dish soap (detergent)
• salt
• water
• ice-cold rubbing alcohol, 70% or higher
• a Ziploc plastic bag
• a coffee filter or cheesecloth
• funnel.

Strawberries are an excellent choice for extracting DNA. They have eight copies of each chromosome. The walls of the cells and membranes must be broken downtown release the DNA. Allowing the DNA to be more visible. Dish soap helps breakdown the cell membranes. Salt helps separate DNA from proteins. Then alcohol helps the DNA clump together.

Controlled Variable: Amount of strawberries, amount of juice per trial, stopwatch to measure time, same size & type of container.

Manipulated Variable: Different types of juice (pineapple, orange and grape juices)

Responding Variable: How quickly the DNA will form.

1. put the strawberries into a resealable bag and close it
2. squash the fruit inside the bag until mushy
3. add 0.25 cup of the extraction fluid you made. Seal the bag again and give a nice squash to incorporate the fluid with the fruit
4. put the sealed bag into a bowl of hot water (60 degrees Celsius)
5. while you are waiting put some ice and cold water into another empty bowl
6. after 15mins, take the plastic bag out of to bowl of hot water, and transfer the bag into the bowl of icy water to cool
7. put the coffee filter in the strainer. Put the strainer over the clean remaining empty bowl
8. when cool, pour the contents of the bag through the coffee strainer
9. remove the coffee filter and pour the liquid from the bowl into a tall narrow glass, ONLY 2tsp is needed
10. Add the juice and leave for two minutes
11. with adults help, get the rubbing alcohol from the freezer. pour very slowly onto the fruit liquid into the glass.
12. this will form a layer and the white DNA strands from the strawberry will appear.

TRIAL 1: The DNA clumped up to the top in A singular minute. When the rubbing alcohol was added to the orange juice and strawberry mixture.

TRIAL 2: The DNA clumped up to the top in two minutes. When the rubbing alcohol was added to the grape juice and strawberry mixture.

TRIAL 3: The DNA clumped up to the top in A singular minute. When the rubbing alcohol was added to the pineapple juice and strawberry mixture.

The experiment was successful because, the DNA was clearly visible after the rubbing alcohol was added to each mixture in each trial

Trial 1-orange juice, smashed strawberries, rubbing alcohol

Trial 2-grape juice, smashed strawberries, rubbing alcohol

Trial 1-grape, smashed strawberries, rubbing alcohol

This experiment showed that DNA can be extracted from a strawberry using simple household materials. My hypothesis was correct and the experiment helped demonstrate How DNA is found in almost every living thing.

Strawberries are a fantastic choice of fruit to extract DNA! here's why:

Strawberries have eight copies of each chromosome, making their DNA easier to see. The cell walls and membranes must be broken down to release the DNA. Dish soap helps break cell membranes, salt helps separate DNA from the proteins, and the rubbing alcohol helps the DNA clump together, so its's visible to the naked eye.

This is why we chose strawberries but you can still extract DNA from anything else, that's if your curious.

I accidentally put two more tsp of salt then needed in the extraction fluid. Used more than 2 tsps of juice. This, didn't' affect the minute difference in the second trial. The time difference isn't an error.

What makes you you by: Gill Arbuthnot(2013)-Book all credits go to her for the founding of my experiment

Double Helix By: Glen Phelan(2006)-Book

The Sci Guys(2015)-Video

National Human Genome Research Institute(2024)-Video

Science Buddies(2021)-Video

What makes you you by: Gill Arbuthnot(2013)t-BookThis experiment was found in the What Makes You You? Book By Gill Arbuthnott all my acknowledgements go to him for finding this experiment and to the videos I watched to ensure this experiment would work. The Sci Guys, National Human Genome Research Institute, and Science Buddies and to double check if this Strawberry DNA extraction experiment would work.

What makes you you by: Gill Arbuthnot(2013)t-Book

Double Helix By: Glen Phelan(2006)-Book

The Sci Guys(2015)-Video

National Human Genome Research Institute(2011)-Video

Science Buddies(2021)-Video