Wheat Germ DNA Extraction

Materials

    250 ml beaker

    Baking soda

    Hot plate

    Adolph's natural meat tenderizer

    Non-roasted wheat germ

    Ice cold 95% ethanol

    Thermometer

    15 ml test tube

    PH meter

    Glass stirring rod

    Palmolive

    Detergent

    Distilled water

    Test tube rack or 250 ml beaker

    Graduated cylinders (10ml and 100ml)

Solutions

Baking soda solution:

    Add baking soda to distilled water until a pH of approximately 8.0 is reached.

Protocol

    Add 100 ml distilled water to a beaker and heat to 50-60oC.

    Add 1.5 g wheat germ and mix until dissolved.

    Add 5 ml detergent. Maintain 50-60oC temperature and stir for 5 minutes.

    Add 3 g meat tenderizer.

    Add baking soda solution to bring the pH to approximately 8.0.

    Maintain the 50-60oC temperature and stir for 10 minutes.

    Remove from heat.

    Add 6 ml of the solution to a test tube and cool to room temperature.

    Pour 6 ml ice cold ethanol carefully down the side of the tube to form a layer.

    Let the mixture sit undisturbed 2-3 minutes until bubbling stops.

    The DNA will float in the alcohol. Swirl a glass stirring rod at the interface of the two layers to see the small threads of DNA.

Modified from: "Wheat Germ DNA Extraction" Judy Brown