Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

I want to do a project on genetically modified food/plant/organism. I am a middle schooler and don't have access to a gene lab. But I want to do some gene based project on the subject as it interests me. How do I get started? Are there any methods that do not require a gene lab type of research on genetically modified substance?

To be more exact, I saw that the first GMF is tomato by using something called FlavrSavr.
I am very interested. I would like to know if it is possible to create a genetically modified food/plant myself without a lab as I don't have access to one.
Another topic interests me is enzyme that eats petrochemical. Is it possible to buy these enzyme and conduct experiments at home? Any help would be appreciated.

Hi!
It's great to hear that you are interested in this topic! Unfortunately, it would be extremely hard for you to conduct such an experiment out simply at home. Not only is it unfeasible to get the amount of materials that you would need to work with, but it would also be extremely dangerous and hazardous to carry out such experiments at home. While it seems very cool to create a genetically modified organism, it actually takes a very long time to research and to actually carry out such experiments (not to mention lots of expensive equipment). That being said, I would suggest that you ask your teacher or find a local university that might have a lab that is interested in doing this type of experiment. It sounds like a great idea for a project! In addition, there are many commercial vendors of enzymes:

http://www.neb.com/nebecomm/default.asp

http://www.fermentas.com/en/home

I would definitely ask your teacher to see if you can conduct it at school with the proper safety precautions and adult supervision. Have fun with the project, and best of luck!