Let your students isolate, amplify and predict their ability to taste PTC paper.

• Students isolate and analyze their own DNA
• Total time (with stop-points) approximately 4 hours
• Perishable component refills available

The objective of this experiment is to identify the presence of the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in an amplified segment of the PTC gene that links detection of the characteristic taste of PTC paper.

This is a set of five modules that starts with (I) extraction of DNA from buccal cells (II) amplifying the segment that contains the polymorphic nucleotide (III) digestion of the amplified fragment with the restriction enzyme that recognizes the SNP (IV) analysis by gel electrophoresis (V) tasting the PTC paper to confirm the results obtained.

Time Required: Extraction - 30 min; PCR Setup - 10 min; PCR - 2 hours; DNA Digest - 1 hr; Electrophoresis - 30 min.; Staining - 5 min.