Join my team and I as we dive into a fun and fascinating DNA extraction lab using something you can find in your kitchen. You’ll learn the basics of DNA extraction, including the role of simple household ingredients like soap and salt in breaking down cells. You’ll find out how scientists isolate DNA and get a hands-on look at the physical structure of DNA. It’s an easy and engaging way to learn more!
REFLECTION
Overall, the DNA extraction lab was a fun experience that provided an exciting way to understand the molecular structure of DNA. It was fascinating to see how each step in the process such as crushing the banana, adding detergent and salt, and finally using cold alcohol, played a specific role in isolating the DNA. The lab being hands on made the experience enjoyable.
Our end result didn’t turn out as well as we had hoped. The DNA we extracted appeared short and flimsy rather than forming long strands we could easily pick out of the beaker. There are two possible solutions to this problem:
Avoid Over-Mashing the Banana: Over-mashing the banana produced too many bubbles. There was a layer of bubbles over the DNA strands, this may have interfered with the process. This step could be improved by being mashing more gently, trying to get a smooth consistency instead of froth. This small adjustment would create a cleaner separation of the DNA from the solution.
Increase the Amount of Alcohol: Using more cold isopropyl alcohol in the final step could produce a more DNA precipitation. The alcohol needs to be layered over the solution without mixing. Allowing the alcohol to sit on the solution provides a better environment for the DNA to clump together and become visible. Having a enough isopropyl alcohol and carefully pouring might yield better results.
Despite minor setbacks, I like how each step of the procedure clearly demonstrated a scientific principle. For example, crushing the banana breaks open the cells, detergent disrupts the cell membranes to release the DNA, salt helps the DNA clump together, and cold alcohol precipitates the DNA, making it visible as a stringy substance.
This lab deepened my understanding of cellular structures and genetic material. With a few adjustments, I’m confident we could improve our results and achieve more cohesive DNA strands next time!
Intro: Did you know you could easily extract the DNA from many different types of fruits using common, everyday materials? I certainly did not. In this video you will see, step by step, exactly how to extract the DNA of a banana. The method is so easy you could even try to extract at home!
Reflection: In this project, my group and I extracted DNA from a banana using isopropyl alcohol. To do this, we mashed up one banana with a mixture of water, soap, and salt. Mashing the banana with our hands mechanically breaks down the cell walls while the soap breaks down the cell membrane's phospholipid bilayer, releasing the DNA from the cell. The soap helps the cell to lyse while the salt breaks down the protein chains that are bound to the DNA strands which allows the DNA to separate and clump together, making the DNA easier to see and extract. DNA has a negative charge and salt are positive ions which neutralizes the charge of the DNA, allowing the DNA to clump and stick together. After the banana is mashed with the solution, the mixture is strained to drain out the liquid and get rid of any other cell parts. Next, cold isopropyl alcohol is added to the mixture which makes the DNA less soluble, allowing for the DNA to precipitate into a white film on the top. I thought that this project was a very fun experience that was super easy to do. As for the video, I think that our filming and video editing went very smoothly and my group and I didn't run into any troubles throughout the recording and editing process. One area of improvement for our video could be adjusting the sound levels so that every video clip had the same level of sound and audio, just to create a more smooth sounding video. Another area of improvement could be adding more, in-depth information. Overall, the content was well-organized, and the hands-on demonstration helped to make our video very interactive and fun.
Jim Allison: Breakthroughis a documentary that follows Dr. Allison’s journey in becoming a scientist and developing the immunology drug ipilimumab. Ipilimumab is a CTLA-4 antibody drug – but what does this mean?
Protein CTLA-4 is an immune system brake.
CTLA-4 is a protein on the surface of T-cells that affects the immune system. Prior to Dr. Allison’s research, CTLA-4 was identified as an activating receptor – activating the immune response. Dr. Allison’s research changed this narrative supporting the characterization of CTLA-4 as an inhibitory receptor – stopping immune response.
Through his new understanding of CTLA-4 Jim Allison developed an antibody drug that targets the CTLA-4 receptor, as a solution to cancer. Antibodies are proteins that bind to a receptor. The antibodies from ipilimumab bind to CTLA-4 preventing the cancer from doing so, and halting the immune system. By blocking the receptor, the immune system remains activated and attacks the cancer cells – shrinking tumors in many patients.
In addition to the scientific process of ipilimumab, the documentary highlighted the struggles that come with innovation in an investor-driven medical market. It was incredibly fascinating, while also disheartening, to view the various barriers that accompanied the testing of a new drug and new strategy in attacking cancer such as patent competition and inapplicable FDA standards dictating failure before the full course of a clinical trial could be seen. However, such barriers also highlighted a more optimistic perspective which is the resilience of those fighting to combat cancer – many driven by personal loss.
One of the greatest points of interest for me, was the condition of those receiving ipilimumab compared with those of chemotherapy. The documentary itself did not dive greatly into the effects of chemotherapy to highlight this contrast. Although, with even a baseline knowledge of chemotherapy the difference is apparent with those receiving immunotherapy treatments feeling much better throughout the course of the treatment not facing the massive cell death that comes with chemotherapy and results in such detrimental side effects such as fatigue, weakening of immune system, and hair loss. Additionally, there is supporting evidence that immunotherapy results in survival rates as presented in the video below.
“Immunotherapy won’t replace these other three [surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy], but it can be used in combination with them to offer patients the best chance to beat their disease” (Jim Allison).
Ultimately, I found the documentary incredibly compelling. My dream career since middle school is to pursue medical research in immunology with an application in oncology stemming from mother’s experiences with cancer. Not only was this documentary incredibly relevant to the work I hope to pursue but also my past life experiences with Dr. Allison ultimately taking a position at M.D. Anderson where my mother received treatment prior to her passing. As such, the relevance of the documentary also left me with questions about the work done since the introduction of ipilimumab to the market such as at which stages the drug has a high success rate and the condition of patients in the long term.
Cancer is one of the most deadliest diseases worldwide, having killed upwards of 180 million individuals between 2000 and 2023. However, this depressing statistic fails to highlight the 33% decline in such death rate since 1991, with cancer patients living longer more fulfilling lives against the disease. This is part is due to the breakthrough works of Dr. Jim Allison, an immunotherapy researcher.
The documentary Breakthrough reviews the entirety of Jim Allison's life, building up to his discovery to develop the CTLA-4 antibody drug. Cancers have the ability to "trick" the T cells (which have the job to destroy pathogens) into not attacking them. CTLA-4 can block the cancer from doing so, and the drug would help T cells to properly identify and attack any foreign diseases. Here is a specific video on PD-L1, PD-1, and CTLA-4 for further information:
Early in Dr. Allison's life, he had lost many family members to cancer, which sparked his interest and drive to understand and ideally cure future deaths. Throughout the film, the determination of Dr. Allison is apparent, from working on unorthodox ideas and the backlash from traditional scientific community, to changing the FDA's process to work to get his drug in action to save lives of family members and individuals around the world. What makes this documentary so unique is what makes Jim Allison such an interesting person. The perspective each human being has shaping how they view the world gives way to unique new ideas and solutions, as Dr. Allison holds a curiosity which began growth from a young age in a small town in Texas. His love for music makes him a lively performer outside the lab. Most importantly, his perspective to undeniably be his true self gave him to grit to push through criticisms in the creation of the immunotherapy drug that has saved lives.
This documentary was very inspiring, especially as a reflective piece holding both sides of the story, with the creation of the drug and an example of an individual and real patient that was positively impacted. However, the most bizarre aspect is that Dr. Allison devoted near his entire working life to one drug, and there is still so much research to be done. CTLA-4 does not attack all types of cancers, and with diseases evolving, there is an extremely crucial aspect in humanity evolving along as well. The next steps fall to the next generations to stay curious and continue to research in partially unknown terrain.
A question I had that relayed back to the film was related to political decisions made today. For Dr. Allison, being a through and through Texan may connect him to specific decisions made by the state of Texas regarding healthcare and scientific limitations, my question being that, based out of Texas, how can he maintain the 'freedom' to continue to move forward in his field? Additionally, specific to immunotherapy, how does Dr. Allison see his drug progressing forward? Will there be multiple different drugs developed in the coming years to attack different cancers? How will science keep up with evolving diseases?
Maria Fadiman is an ethnobotanist. This means that she studies the interactions between humans and plants. There are five main connections between people and plants: fiber, food, construction, medicine, and rituals. These are all ways we interact with plants, or ways that plants interact with us.
Let's start with fiber. Fiber has been useful to humans in more ways than one. Textiles like clothes and fabric is a common usage. Paper, ropes, baskets, and rugs are other ways that humans have used plant fibers to benefit.
Next, plants have been used as a source of food for many centuries. Seeds, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and cereals are all different types of plants that we consume daily. Around 70% of our diet is completely plant based, making plants very significant in our meals and daily lives.
Not only are plants used for diet, but they are key to building the structures we have around us today. Wood and bamboo are the two most common types of plants used in construction. Plants aren't just used for structural integrity, but also erosion control. Plants can be used to prevent soil erosion through their root systems. Plants can also be utilized for visual and site aesthetics such as wood flooring or bamboo structures.
Plants have helped humans in the field of medicine since the beginning of time. Different plants can be brewed as tea to help with relaxation like chamomile tea. Other plants' oils can be used to minimize irritation to skin from different skin conditions.
Over the years, different cultures and societies have adopted different plants for rituals. One common plant used in a ritual around the world is the Christmas Tree. This tree has symbolized the start and celebration of a holiday throughout the whole world. Similarly, another example of a plant used as a ritual is the pumpkin. Pumpkins are used to signify Halloween, another common holiday celebrated by many.
Prior to Maria Fadiman's presentation, I don't think I had ever even heard of the term ethnobotany. However, in retrospect, the interaction between people and plants is a vital piece of our world that has enabled many rich cultures and ideas to exist.
I found particularly interesting the different ways Maria connected aspects of our everyday life back to plants. I feel that our modern society has been severed from our roots (both literally and metaphorically), thinking of clothes only being produced in factories and medicine only developed in labs.
The primary connection that came to mind for me was the necessity of particular plants as a food source. All across the globe, certain plants have proven vital in the survival of entire peoples. Whether it be rice in Asia or corn in Latin America, crops that proved their worth during challenging times continue to be revered and celebrated in the modern world.
This idea of crops gaining significance through hardship reminded me of a story from my own culture. One of my mom's favorite shows is titled Pachinko, and follows multiple generations of a Korean family, contrasting the struggles of the past with those of today. In a flashback to the great grandmother's youth, the woman is shown to be in extreme poverty, barely able to afford any food. However, upon being given the smallest portion of white rice, the girl's face lights up, indicating the dish's significance as a delicacy. My mom then explained to me that this was by no means an exaggeration, and, although the crop has become much more affordable, white rice continues to be revered by my own Halmoni today.
Over the next week or so, I, along with the rest of my AP Biology class have explored topics on citizen science, Asian Carp, and St. Francis’s message on Laudato Si.
In watching the video below, I learned about the message of Laudato Si, which Pope Francis, the pope of the Roman Catholic Church has been seeking to impose on the world for many years. The message is that all humans must work together to save the Earth’s and its resources, especially since together, we are stronger. What stood out to me in learning about this is that I completely agree with his message. In a world where the effects of climate change are extremely evident, even in my own community, with longer fire seasons, heat waves, and droughts, I see, firsthand what must be done to help protect our Earth for we only have one. What I hope others gain from Pope Francis’s message is to do their part. To go out into their own communities and to educate and advocate for environmental rights, to gather people together just like Pope Francis wants. I seek to do that myself by raising awareness in my community about examples of using less water in everyday life, such as fewer baths, shorter showers, and less shopping. Some curious questions I have about Pope Francis’s message is how is the church raising awareness about environmental rights? What steps are being implemented?
When watching the Invasive Carp of Kentucky I Adaptation, I learned about a certain solution to a man-made problem in a small town in Kentucky. Overwhelmed with an abundance of Asian Carp, a woman by the name of Angie Yu created a business for getting and selling Asian Carp to make a profit as well as clear out the waters of the Kentucky town of Asian Carp, bringing the community together. Seeing a solution come to life, I recognized the importance of science and innovation and how anything is possible when people come together, connecting to Pope Francis’s message.
Something that intrigued me was the fact that before Angie Yu created her business, people who lived in Kentucky disliked Asian Carp and refused to eat it. Seeing how large and the amount of Asian Carp present in Kentucky, it surprised me that no one took advantage of that until Angie Yu came. In learning about this, I hope the audience is once again reminded of the power of bringing people together for a common solution, and the immense benefits of it to a individual and a whole group of people. Some curious questions I have is How can other communities facing similar issues work together to create a common solution? How can a individual encourage a huge group of people to invest in a cause that is important to them?
What is citizen science? Citizen science is when anyone is able to contribute to scientific research, whether through a app, photos, game, etc, helping real scientists be able to gather a large amount of data. In researching scistarter.org, I saw how any interaction that I have with any project on this website would contribute to a scientist be able to collect more data for their project. This especially intrigues me because as someone who is interested in possibly becoming a research assistant, this tool is extremely helpful if I needed a large amount of data on a specific topic to help my research. Scistarter.org is able to achieve that, which is incredibly fascinating. I would highly encourage everyone to make a account on scistarter.org and choose a project about something that they are passionate about and look to find data for these scientists. I think it is extremely rewarding that someone’s own research is contributing to a better cause. Some curious questions I have is that Is there any way that as data collectors, people can see the impact of their research on real scientists’ work? Is there any way I can get recognition for contributing to a research project?
In submitting my Earth Science Week photo contest whose prompt was on Earth’s processes, I was reminded about the reality that nature is all around us and in us. Too often, as humans, we tend to overwhelm ourselves with so many tasks, that we believe would be detrimental if we don’t accomplish them. Myself included, I forget often how grateful I am to live in such a beautiful piece of the Earth, where I have the opportunity to witness nature all around me. By doing this contest, I am reminded to take each day at a time and to remember to breathe.
So I say to you, my audience, to not forget to spend time in nature, for you will not regret it!
The Botany of Desire documentary was released in 2009 and focuses on the relationship between humans plants, that plants satisfy human desires to survive and reproduce. The film focuses on four different plants: the apple, the tulip, cannabis, and the potato. In each part of the film, the history, biology, and social views of the plant are explored.
The Apple: The Desire For Sweetness
Apples originated in Asia, specifically Kazakhstan and have since spread worldwide due to their sweetness. This sweetness gave apples their success and caused humans to cultivate and spread them. Apples do not reproduce copies, therefore a sweet apple seed’s may grow into a bitter apple. However, humans have a found a way to manipulate the plant. Farmers will graft trees to propagate the tree with desirable traits, mainly a sweet taste. I was very curious why this was, why do apple seeds grown into apples that are different from the parent? This is because each apple seed has a unique combination of genes from both the parent tree and the pollen donor tree due to genetic recombination, similar to humans. Apple trees also have a high amount of genetic diversity and their chromosomes can combine in multiple possible ways in the formation of seeds.
The Tulip: The Desire For Beauty
Tulips became very valued in the Netherlands in the 17th century which led to “Tulip Mania.” The desire for beauty was very strong and people would pay extreme prices for rare tulip bulbs. Humans would cultivate tulips in ways that satisfied their aesthetic wishes, such as many different shapes, colors, and patterns. This led to tulip farming focused on the appearance of the tulip. I thought it was very interesting how one of the most prized tulips was one that was diseased causing it to have a striped white appearance. Who knew such an expensive tulip would have a virus? I was very curious as to why tulips were so prized compared to other flowers. This is because tulips have a very saturated petal color and societally they became a symbol of wealth, as the rich were the ones to buy them, contributing more to their popularity. I feel like other flowers also deserve some love too though because tulips are not the only flowers with beauty!
Cannabis: The Desire For Intoxication
Cannabis was first discovered in India and China, since then it has been used for thousands of years for its psychoactive effects. This plant appeals to the human desire for altered states of consciousness and intoxication. This caused humans to breed marijuana plants specifically to be short, strong (potent), and to grow fast. Due to backlash, mainly the war on drugs, production of the plant moved indoors requiring the plant to grow shorter, causing the crossbreeding of different types of cannabis. Originally, individuals grew cannabis sativa but crossbred it with indica since indica grows much shorter. Growers also discovered that the female plants produce very psychoactive sticky resin to mate with males. To produce more of this resin, they separated the females from the males so the females would produce more as it would be looking for a male to mate with. Although many knew of the plants psychoactive properties, they did not know why. The existence of THC in the plant was discovered in Jerusalem. THC was discovered to activate an unknown network of chemical responses within the human brain, affecting the hippocampus, cerebellum and frontal cortex. Although cannabis has been viewed very negatively, it has been used for many positive things, specifically in the medical field. For example it can cause humans to forget things, possibly to unlearn traumatic experiences, treating mental illnesses such as PTSD. Medical marijuana has also been used to treat physical pain such as labor pain, asthma and rheumatism. Cannabis is currently illegal in many areas, which only contributes negatively to marginalized communities. However, it is legally sold and smoked normally in many places such as the state of California. It is very accepted in the Netherlands, where it is legally sold in coffee shops and there are garden shops for growers.
The Potato: The Desire For Control
The potato is native to the Andes region and Peruvians specifically were dependent on them for survival. Peruvians did not control the potato but rather adapted to it. They grew many varieties and preserved the diversity of the potato. This gave their crops protection form environmental pressures, differing from other areas where the potato became very prominent. For example, in Ireland the potato became the most prominent source of nutrition since the potato prospered in gloomy weather that other crops would struggle in. Many Irish people were dependent on this potato as their source of food and nutrition, however, they only planted one type of potato. In 1845, a wind spreading fungus infected the potato fields causing the potatoes to turn to mush and turn black. This caused a 3 year famine in Ireland that killed 1 million people. Without biodiversity, the potato fields were very vulnerable, representing the need to avoid mono-cultures. There is a similar situation with the russet burbank potato, which produces french fries. 7.5 billion pounds of french fries eaten a year rely on this potato, and a mono-culture on the plate = a mono-culture on land. To combat any environmental pressures, chemical pesticides deemed “safe to use” are sprayed on crops, although organic growers search for other options. The genetically modified new leaf potato that produces its own pesticides was used, however the backlash on GMO's ended the use of the new leaf. Today many are finding other ways to prevent pesticide use by introducing natural predators to bugs such as ladybugs! There is still a constant battle of ways to control potatoes. I find the way the Peruvians grew potatoes very beautiful as they adapted to the plant instead of manipulating the plant to adapt to us!
In Conclusion
I thought it was very interesting that in multiple of the plants presented there was a constant shift of the human perspective on the plant. For example, apples were seen as an amazing plant for their sweetness and later seen as an evil plant as it was being used to produce alcoholic cider. After “tulip mania,” there was a period of time were tulips became worthless and blamed for economic downfall. Cannabis is controversial and there have been many different viewpoints, mainly negative without recognizing its positive potential in the medical field. In these cases there is change in value of the plant in different times and societies. Overall, there is a very intricate relationship between humans and plants represented in all four examples, a back and forth between human desires and plant evolution. Each plant- apple, tulip, cannabis, and potato- have thrived because they appeal to human desires. Humans will then manipulate these plants further to suit their needs and desires. Our desires shape the environment and our environment shapes our desires. The clear interconnection between the natural world and human populations is very interesting.
How does the human body really look like from the inside? During my AP Biology class, we dissected a fetal pig to learn more about the body systems as fetal pigs have a similar body system to us, humans. We were all required to submit a form rating our comfortability with certain tasks before getting assigned a group to be a part of. Then, each group was given a fetal pig to dissect with the proper lab equipments and handouts. Lastly, we were to identify each body system and match the body system to what was given in the Fetal Pig Dissection packet.
Overall the lab was very interesting and also somewhat, hard to watch. I personally did not touch the fetal pig because I was not comfortable with touching and dissecting, so I left that job to the rest of my group. I helped with reading the instructions on the lab packet and helping identify the structures in each body system. I found it very interesting how our anatomy is similar to that of a pig, though we are somewhat close in the phylogenetic tree. I also learned more about each body system, where each body system was located, and more about the the different structures of each body system. For example, I learned more about the circulatory system and the different structures in the system, like the aorta and the subclavian arteries. I learned the difference between a female and a male fetal pig, specifically in each pigs reproductive system. Each pig had different, visible reproductive parts. For example, the male had his testicles while the female had oviducts. I found it very interesting when looking at the differences between a male and a female fetal pig.
The main challenge we had to face throughout the lab was mainly trying to label each part of the body system of the fetal pig and trying to match which part was what, based on a diagram and some definitions of the organ structures. We managed to overcome these challenges by critical thinking and logic, using what we knew. We also made a guess on a few and checked them later. There was some struggle with cutting the pig, though we managed to bypass that. I have no curious questions about anything so far. Overall, the fetal pig lab was a fun lab to do. I really enjoyed learning about the different parts in the pig.
