DNA EXTRACTION

Materials

 Rubbing alcohol
 Small bowl
 1/2 teaspoon salt
 1/3 cup water
 1 Tablespoon dishwashing detergent
 3 strawberries (green tops removed)
 Small plastic zip-top bag
 Funnel Cheesecloth (or a coffee filter)
 Beaker
 Test tube
 Test tube holder
 Bamboo skewer

Procedure

1. Put the rubbing alcohol in the freezer to chill it while you prepare the rest of the
experiment.
2. Mix the salt, water and detergent in a small bowl. This will be your extraction liquid.
3. Put the strawberries in the plastic bag and squeeze out all the extra air before sealing
tightly.
4. Mash the strawberries with your hands for about 2 minutes until they are mushy.
5. Add 3 tablespoons of the extraction liquid to the strawberries in the bag. Squeeze out
the air and seal the bag again.
6. Mash the strawberry mixture with your hands for another minute.
7. Place a layer of cheesecloth inside the funnel and set the funnel on top of the beaker.
8. Pour the strawberry mixture from the bag into the funnel. Let it drop through the
cheesecloth until there is no liquid left.
9. Throw away the cheesecloth and the strawberry pulp inside it.
10. Pour the contents of the glass into the test tube until it is 1/4 full.
11. Tilt the test tube and very slowly pour rubbing alcohol down the side. The alcohol
will form a layer on top of the strawberry juice. Do not let the alcohol mix with the
strawberry juice!
12. Let the contents sit for a few minutes. You should see stringy, whitish stuff collecting
between the two layers of liquid. This is DNA! You can gently pull the DNA out with
the bamboo skewer .