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Exercise no. 8
DNA ISOLATION FROM STRAWBERRIES

I. INTRODUCTION

In 1953, James Waston and Francis Crick proposed a molecular model of DNA
( Deoxyribonucleic acid) after a year and a half of joint work at Cambridge University.
So completely was their model substantiated by subsequent investigations that team
shared a Nobel Prince in 1962 with Maurice Wilkins.
The basic unit of structure of the DNA molecule is the nucleotide. This is also
the basic unit incorporated in DNA during synthesis. The nucleotide consists of three
parts: A phosphate, a sugar, and nitrogenous bases.

II. OBJECTIVES:
At the end of the experiment, each student will be able to:

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III. MATERIALS
1-3 strawberries (about the volume of a golf ball). Frozen strawberries
should be thawed at room temperature.
10 ml DNA Extraction Buffer (soapy salty water)
About 20 ml ice cold 91% or 100% isopropyl alcohol
1 Ziploc TM bag, 3- test tubes, test tube brush, test tube holder, test tube
rack, 1 Funnel ,1 Coffee stirrer or transfer pipette, 10g baking soda, 2g NaCl
Microscope, glass slide, cover slip, triple beam balance, 1-10ml graduated
cylinder, 2-water bath, White cloth, toothpick

IV. PROCEDURE

1. Remove the green sepals from the strawberries.

2. Place strawberries into a Ziploc TM bag and seal shut.
3. Squish for a few minutes to completely squash the fruit.
4. Add 10 ml DNA Extraction Buffer (soapy salty water) and squish for a few more
minutes. Try not to make a lot of soap bubbles. (buffer must be chilled /place with
an ice)
Buffer solution: 120ml water, 1.5g NaCl, 5g baking soda
 5. Filter through a moistened paper towel set in a funnel, and collect the liquid in a
clear test tube. Do not squeeze the paper towel. Collect about 5 ml of liquid.
6. Add the alcohol gently to the top of the solution about an inch and a half above the
solution.
7. Add 2 volumes ice cold isopropyl alcohol to the strawberry liquid in the tube. Pour
the isopropyl alcohol carefully down the side of the tube so that it forms a separate
layers on top of the strawberry liquid.
8. Watch for about a minute. What do you see? You should see a white fluffy cloud
at the interface between the two liquids. That’s DNA!
9. Spin and stir the coffee stirrer or transfer pipette in the tangle of DNA, wrapping
the DNA around the stirrer.
10. Pull out the stirrer and transfer the DNA to a piece of saran wrap or clean tube. The
fibers are thousands and millions of DNA strands.
11. To view in a microscope, put the glob on a clean slide and gently tease/stretch apart
using 2 toothpicks or dissecting pins. The fibers will be easier to see the teased-
apart area.
12. Rinse your funnel. Put the Ziploc TM bag and white cloth in the garbage.

V. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

1. Where you able to isolate DNA fragment from your sample? If yes, what is the
evidence of your isolates?

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2. Fill out the table below:

Purine bases Pyrimidine bases

Pair with
Pair with

3. Draw the structural formula of the DNA molecule and properly label its three
components: Nitrogen base, phosphate group, and sugar. Determine also which
type of bond that link between nitrogen base pairs, sugar and phosphate group.

VI. CONCLUSION

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