Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

So far, I haven't been really interested in any of the bulletin or ideas on this website.
I wanted to do a science project regarding DNA extraction.
Would it be possible to extract certain DNA to give another organism another trait, as in adding to their their DNA?

Hi annabellabon,

Welcome to Science Buddies! I think your idea is really interesting, and it is also fairly involved.

First, here is a guide to doing DNA extraction (with strawberries as an example): https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... p015.shtml
This one has the methods for extracting DNA from an onion: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... p001.shtml

The second part of your idea, adding to an organism's DNA, can be accomplished through transformation, as in this project: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... p013.shtml

Now, to put both things together would probably require the use of a research laboratory. To add a specific piece of DNA that you extracted would require you to construct your own plasmid, which is a little piece of DNA that contains your gene and the instructions for copying it. This is a complicated thing, so you would likely need the help of a research mentor with access to a sophisticated lab if you wanted to do it yourself.

If, however, you want to understand how that works, take a look at this project: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... p024.shtml

Please post again if you have more questions!

Heather

I already have experience extracting DNA, and what laboratory safety hazards would this lab involve? What organisms would be fair to experiment on?

Hi annabellabonn,

Transformation is most easily accomplished with bacteria, though you can also get plasmids into yeast (in which case it is called transfection, because yeast are eukaryotes). Working with microorganisms involves certain safety regulations, and it's best to check with your school or science fair guidelines regarding their particular policies.

In the mean time, here are some resources for general biotechnology techniques:
https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... ques.shtml

Here is some specific information regarding recombinant DNA, which is how plasmids are made:
http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultran ... ntDNA.html

Let me know if you have more questions.

Heather

Hi there, annabellabonn,

You are very ambitious in your project! Have you done any research or come up with a hypothesis, yet? Heather is correct in saying that this is a very involved project. There are many considerations, including safety, experience level and time available before your project is due.

Take a look at these resources regarding working with biological agents:
https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... ents.shtml

This a resource for entering projects into ISEF, but can be used for advanced biomedical projects, such as yours.
http://apps.societyforscience.org/isef/ ... /index.asp

Also, since you will be working with recombinant DNA (rDNA), you will need to do this in a university or other research-type lab; most high schools don't have the trained staff and chemical labs required for this type of project. You can find out from your science teacher.

NCBI is the resource you will need when you are ready to look at your genetic sequence. There are plenty of resources on this page about the different aspects of your project.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/guide/genes-expression/

Let us know how your project is going, and ask questions at any time. Have fun!

Hi annabellabonn,

Here is some information from Bio-Rad about making DNA plasmids with a particular gene:
http://www.bio-rad.com/webroot/web/pdf/ ... 665019.pdf

I hope it helps. Please post again as your project progresses!

Heather