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Advanced—For experienced high school and college classes; requires some technical skill.
Explore the connection between Mendelian genetics and molecular biology through the analysis of the mutation responsible for the non-purple stem trait in Fast Plants®. Students predict phenotype and genotype for stem color in the F₂ generation of a monohybrid cross and propose an explanation as to why the anl allele leads to a non-purple stem phenotype, whereas the ANL allele leads to the purple stem phenotype.

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

Making a genotype-to-phenotype connection using Wisconsin Fast Plants®

This lab explores the connection between Mendelian genetics and molecular biology through the analysis of the mutation responsible for the non-purple stem trait in Wisconsin Fast Plants®. Students predict the phenotype and genotype for stem color in the F₂ generation of a monohybrid cross and propose an explanation as to why the anl allele leads to a non-purple stem phenotype, whereas the ANL allele leads to the purple stem phenotype. Students finally plant F₂ seeds on a monohybrid cross that will be used for phenotypic and molecular analysis. This lab also requires students to familiarize themselves with bioinformatics programs in which they practice analyzing sequence data of purple stem and non-purple stem alleles of the anthocyaninless genes. They then translate the sequences and discuss how the mutations found in non-purple stem alleles impact gene function. Kit uses GelGreen® DNA stain and equips 24 students working in groups of 4. Kit also comes with free 1-year access to digital resources that support 3-dimensional instruction for NGSS. Note: Kit includes perishable materials when shipped.