DNA extraction- exploring our heritage

We had a lesson on our heritage- both familial and biological. We extracted DNA using the process below, and during some of the waiting steps, told stories from family histories.

If your daughter needs to do a pedigree chart to help fufill one of the requirements for the Faith in God program, I recommend using Family Search. You'll need their confirmation number (which you can find if you log in to your lds.org account directory).

We used the following process for the DNA extraction:

Materials
drinking water,
clear dish soap,
food coloring,
table salt, and
70% isopropyl alcohol
clear disposable cups,
pipettes,
glass pendants & lids,
jump rings, and
necklace(chain or string) to hang pendant from.

Step 1: Mix 500 ml drinking water with 1 tbsp salt (premixed)

Step 2: Stir until salt is dissolved. Then transfer 3 tbsp of salt water into a clear cup

Step 3: Swish the salt water around your mouth for 1 minute. [You really have to encourage the girls to move the water around in their mouths. I would suggest even lightly "biting" the insides of their cheeks to loosen more of the dead skin cells. Most of the girls got very few DNA strands because they weren't agitating the water in their mouths enough.]

Step 4: Spit the water back into the cup. Now your cheek cells are suspended in the salt water.

Step 5: Gently stir the salt water with one drop of soap. (Avoid bubbles as much as possible). [I had them using their pipettes that will later be used to transfer the DNA necklace as a stirring stick here.]

Step 6: In a separate cup, mix 100 ml isopropyl alcohol and 3 drops of food coloring. (premixed)

Step 7: Tilt the salt water cup and gently pour the alcohol so that it forms a layer on top (about 2 cm thick).

Step 8: Wait about 2.5 minutes. You should see white clumps and strings forming.
That's your DNA!

Step 9: use the pipette to gently extract the DNA from the alcohol and then squeeze it into a glass vial used to make necklace.

***Ivy's and my necklace pendants both evaporated through the cork lid. This could be remedied with a different type of vial and lid (one that seals better) or by replenishing the colored alcohol on days the necklace is to be worn, since the DNA did not evaporate and is still in the vial.

Turkish Delight was Delightful