The blueprint of life is something all living beings have; however, when asked, many people do not know what the blueprint looks like. With just a strawberry, a little dish soap, and some simple household ingredients, DNA can be extracted right on the kitchen counter. The simple experiment does not just reveal what makes up every living being, but is a way to explore the science behind genetics and uncover the secret life of strawberries one DNA strand at a time. The video will cover the steps as well as the DNA extraction taking place, and will then go into detail about how each step of the procedure is important in order for the DNA extraction to work.
The strawberry extraction experiment was an engaging way to be able to see DNA with human eyes, not through a microscope, and learn about the structure of DNA and what each step of the extraction process was important for the DNA to be extracted. Smashing the strawberry was crucial because the soft cell and membrane were broken, releasing the DNA inside. Adding detergent was equally important because detergents are amphipathic, meaning detergent interacted with the lipid tails of the nuclear and cell membranes, helping to break the membranes down. Adding salt was important because the salt allowed the DNA strands to clump together as the salt weakened the interactions between DNA and proteins, keeping the proteins dissolved in the solution. Finally, alcohol was essential for making the DNA visible, as alcohol has a lower polarity, allowing the sodium ions to bind tightly to the DNA, causing the DNA to precipitate. All of these steps work together to transform the invisible, microscopic DNA into a white, stringy layer that can be seen with the naked eye.
The experiment taught an important lesson about trial and error, as in the first attempt, adding too much solution diluted the DNA and prevented proper clumping, showing how even a small change can affect the results. However, after seeing the error, the experiment was tried again, and the second time the experiment was performed, the DNA was extracted.
Canva was used to make the images, allowing the group to be more creative and express certain aspects of the experiment in a different way than what the internet had to offer. Being creative also allowed my group to understand concepts such as why smashing the strawberry is important in DNA extraction, as my group could make images that made sense to us, making concepts clearer. Although not much time was given, my group managed to use music and videos from Wevideo, creating an upbeat tone, setting the mood for the video, and engaging the audience. Having moving images for the hook of the video drew the audience into the video, as the brain is naturally attracted to movement.
If another chance was given to improve the video, adding information on why chilling the alcohol impacted the DNA extraction would be added. DNA is less soluble in cold alcohol, meaning when alcohol is cold, the DNA precipitates out of the solution more readily instead of staying dissolved. Cold alcohol also helps DNA strands come together into large, thick clumps, making the DNA more visible. At lower temperatures, molecular motion slows down, meaning the sodium ions from the salt would remain bound to the negatively charged DNA more effectively, helping neutralise the charge and promote clumping. Another improvement made would be to level out the volume of the voices, so the audience does not have to change the level of volume just to hear each individual speaker.
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