Areas of Science Biotechnology
Genetic Engineering
Difficulty
Time Required Long (2-4 weeks)
Prerequisites A basic understanding of molecular biology and access to a research laboratory with PCR and gel electrophoresis equipment are required for this project.
Material Availability The kit required for this project can only be purchased through a school or educational business.
Cost Very High (over $150)
Safety Adult supervision is required in the laboratory facility.
*Note: For this science project you will need to develop your own experimental procedure. Use the information in the summary tab as a starting place. If you would like to discuss your ideas or need help troubleshooting, use the Ask An Expert forum. Our Experts won't do the work for you, but they will make suggestions and offer guidance if you come to them with specific questions.

If you want a Project Idea with full instructions, please pick one without an asterisk (*) at the end of the title.

Abstract

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are organisms whose DNA have been manipulated to give them new traits. In genetically modified (GM) food crops traits like resistance to drought or pesticide might be added, or the crop may have been made more nutritious, or the taste may be altered to give you something like the impossible burger. Are there GMOs in your favorite foods? Many countries have implemented or are in the process of implementing GMO labeling on foods, but with a little bit of molecular biology know-how you can test your favorite foods yourself! Start out by researching how and why GMOs are made as well as their safety record. Then pick a few foods to test and use the GM Food and Amplification Kit from our partners at Carolina Biological to do your own testing. You will need access to a laboratory with equipment to carry out PCR (polymerase chain reactions) and gel electrophoresis. Which foods do you think use GMOs and why do they do it?
Students use a pipette to fill a gel vial with DNA
Figure 1. You can perform PCR and DNA electrophoresis, which is shown here (a gel is being loaded with DNA), to test for GMO-products. (Photo courtesy of Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.)

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Credits

Sandra Slutz, PhD, Science Buddies

Cite This Page

General citation information is provided here. Be sure to check the formatting, including capitalization, for the method you are using and update your citation, as needed.

MLA Style

Slutz, Sandra. "Genetically Modified Foods." Science Buddies, 20 Nov. 2020, https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/BioChem_p025/biotechnology-techniques/genetically-modified-foods. Accessed 24 Jan. 2021.

APA Style

Slutz, S. (2020, November 20). Genetically Modified Foods. Retrieved from https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/BioChem_p025/biotechnology-techniques/genetically-modified-foods


Last edit date: 2020-11-20

Experimental Procedure

For this science project you will need to develop your own experimental procedure. Use the information in the summary tab as a starting place. If you would like to discuss your ideas or need help troubleshooting, use the Ask An Expert forum. Our Experts won't do the work for you, but they will make suggestions and offer guidance if you come to them with specific questions.

If you want a Project Idea with full instructions, please pick one without an asterisk (*) at the end of the title.

Share your story with Science Buddies!

I did this project Yes, I Did This Project! Please log in (or create a free account) to let us know how things went.

Ask an Expert

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