Genotype-Phenotype Connection Extraction and Amplification Kit (with perishables)

Looking for a great way to introduce your students to a new model organism while building their inquiry skills and advanced molecular techniques? In this activity, students use the model microbe Halobacterium sp. NRC-1 to perform deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) extractions, polymerase chain reactions (PCR), and gel electrophoresis. The activity is designed in inquiry format to allow students to observe and experience the Archaeon and extreme halophile (salt-loving) microorganism, Halobacterium sp. NRC-1, along with a stable mutant derivative, Halobacterium sp. KBT-1. Students identify the phenotypic differences between these colonies and use PCR to analyze DNA from either a mutant (KBT-1), a wild type (NRC-1), or a sectored colony, further cementing the genotype-phenotype connection. Kit contains teacher's manual with reproducible student guide and materials for 25 DNA extractions and PCR reactions.