Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => Cells, Microbes & Viruses => Topic started by: elegantlywasted on 01/04/2006 03:04:43

Title: extracting DNA
Post by: elegantlywasted on 01/04/2006 03:04:43
today I did a lab where i extracted DNA from a banana by using a mixture of soap, salt, and baking soda, then added isopropyl alcohol. I googled the lab to confirm the answers I gave were correct and found a similar lab for extracting human DNA by swishing water in your cheeks and following the same procedure. THe only difference was that they recommended using ethanol or methanol.

To be honest I'm not sure if rubbing alcohol is considered one of these types of alcohol.

I was wondering if rubbing alcohol will work, or is human DNA too fragile for it?

Also, what about vodka?
-Meg
Title: Re: extracting DNA
Post by: MayoFlyFarmer on 02/04/2006 22:36:52
either should work, but vodka would work better.  your best bet would be pure denatured ethanol.  You can buy that to put in your gas tank to prevent gas from freezing (product name=heet).  and alchohol should precipitate DNA, but the more pure the alcohol source the better it wilkl work.

good luck with your experiments.  i'm glad to see taht you enjoy your science classes so much that you are continuing them independantly at home.  you'll make a great, passionate scientist someday.  (should that be what you choose to do with your life)

Are YOUR mice nude? [;)]
Title: Re: extracting DNA
Post by: Cut Chemist on 16/05/2006 05:03:50
Rubbing Alcohol = isopropyl alcohol

not methanol or ethanol, but don't swish isopropyl around in your mouth, or methanol for that matter you would go blind and then probably get extremely sick or die. [xx(]

any of those should work for an extraction though...
Title: Re: extracting DNA
Post by: Atomic-S on 02/06/2006 04:57:41
quote:
today I did a lab where i extracted DNA from a banana by using a mixture of soap, salt, and baking soda, then added isopropyl alcohol.
Amazing. I would have thought this would have required no less than $1,000,000 worth of equipment.
Title: Re: extracting DNA
Post by: MayoFlyFarmer on 22/07/2006 03:00:34
nope, you just need detergent to lyse (bust open) the cells and alcohol to precipitate out teh DNA.  simple as that.  The fancy kits and protocols used in cutting edge labs  (not neccisarily $1,000,000  but often in the thousands) are based on the same principle, just optimezed for quality, quantity, and specificity of DNA needed for aplications down stream of the actual extraction.

Are YOUR mice nude? [;)]