Add to List

Advanced—For experienced high school and college classes; requires some technical skill.
This biology lab explores the engineering of a yeast that's genetically modified to produce ß-carotene. Use PCR to test the metabolic pathway of modified Saccharomyces cerevisiae as part of the engineering design-build-test pathway and investigate how to make it possible for users to bake vitamin A-enriched loaves of bread.

Advanced—For experienced high school and college classes; requires some technical skill.

• Introduce bio-engineering concepts
• Teach synthetic biology and microbiology techniques
• Allow students to experience real-world connections

This biology lab explores the engineering of a yeast that's genetically modified to produce ß-carotene. In the body, ß-carotene is converted to vitamin A, which is crucial for vision, the immune system, and other biological functions. Use PCR to test the metabolic pathway of modified Saccharomyces cerevisiae as part of the engineering design-build-test pathway and investigate how to make it possible for users to bake vitamin A-enriched loaves of bread. Kit includes enough materials for 24 students working in 6 groups.

Students will perform:

• Cell culture of the modified yeast on petri dishes
• DNA extraction from yeast colonies
• PCR to amplify genes from yeast
• Electrophoresis to visualize results (electrophoresis materials are included in the item #217009 BioBuilder® Golden Bread PCR Electrophoresis Pack)

This lab may be performed on its own or in conjunction with the BioBuilder® Golden Bread Transformation Kit (items #217006 and #217006P). PCR could be used to test for gene content of different colored colonies before and after transformation. The transformation kit inserts a second copy of one of the enzymes needed in the biosynthetic pathway of ß-carotene, scientifically addressing the importance of genetic redundancy when engineering synthetic systems.

Note: Kit includes a voucher to request perishable materials later at your convenience. Contact us or return the voucher to request delivery of perishable materials.