Restriction Digest Basics MiniLab

Learn the fundamentals of restriction digests and DNA sequence analysis. Students analyze a genomic sequence to predict restriction fragment sizes, then test their predictions with a hands-on electrophoresis lab using pre-digested fragments.

Description
If you needed a short piece of string but all you had was a long one, what would you do? You would probably grab a pair of scissors and cut it to the length you needed. In a somewhat similar fashion, cells have mechanisms for cutting long strands of nucleic acid into shorter strands- a type of molecular scissors. There are several reasons why cells need to cut their DNA or RNA. In this lab students will explore what restriction enzymes do and determine electrophoresis fragment sizes by comparing bands to the molecular weight standards.

• Teacher and student guides with background information, step-by-step procedures, questions for critical thinking, student worksheets for analysis, and sample answers for teachers
• Hands-on lab that can be completed in one 50-minute class period
• Store at 4°C; GreenGel™ Cups should be left in the original box and protected from light
• Guaranteed stable for six months with proper storage

Materials Included in Each MiniLab
Each MiniLab contains enough materials for 10 workstations, 2 – 3 students per workstation. Materials include:

• Ten 1.5% agarose GreenGel™ Cups
• Four DNA Samples (three pre-digested, one undigested)
• MiniOne® Universal DNA marker
• One bottle of 100 mL Tris-Borate-EDTA (TBE) buffer concentrate
• One bag of 0.65 mL microcentrifuge tubes
• One bag of 1 – 200 µL micropipette tips
• Teacher guide