Doing DNA Extraction at home is a fun thing! Students can directly learn DNA extraction and explore fundamentals of genetics, while parents can teach their children the same. Hence, this guide is for both school students and parents!
While researching on the Internet, we found only a single way to do that. But let me tell you, many household things can be used for the same purpose. For instance, instead of dishwashing soap, you can use shampoo.
Furthermore, various physical lysis techniques have been used in the extraction process, each having different results.
In this DIY (Do It Yourself) guide, I will give you 5 techniques with 5 different sets of homely available utilities to extract DNA from strawberries.
Ready to be a scientist at home. Wear a lab coat and gloves! Let’s do it.
By the way, if you want to learn the science behind strawberry DNA extraction, go and check out our previous article.
| Lysis | Detergent | Salt | Alcohol | Precipitation |
| Plastic Bag + Tapping | Dish soap | NaCl (Table salt) | Rubbing alcohol | With a straw |
| Mortar & Pestle | Laundry detergent | Baking soda | Hand sanitizer | Shaking |
| Blender/Mechanical Mixer | Shampoo | Epsom salt | Whiskey | Simple shaking and tapping |
| Manual Squeezing | Body wash | Rock salt | Ethanol | Simple mixing |
| Lab way | Lysis buffer | Nacl | Isopropanol | Inverting |
Key Topics:
Technique 1: Plastic Bag + Tapping
This is the most popular and widely accepted technique for home or school DNA extraction from strawberries. In this, we place strawberries in a zip bag and gently tap it or squeeze it with an object for mechanical lysis.
In addition, we use dish soap, salt and water for lysis buffer preparation and rubbing alcohol for precipitation.
Materials:
2-3 fresh strawberries, 1 resealable plastic or zip bag, 3 tablespoons of water, 1 tablespoon of dish soap, ½ teaspoon of table salt, 5 tablespoons of chilled rubbing alcohol and a straw or skewer
Steps:
- Place the strawberries in the plastic bag and mash them thoroughly with your hands or tap with an object for about 2 minutes until fully pulped.
- Add 3 tablespoons of water, 1 tablespoon of dish soap, and ½ teaspoon of table salt into the bag. Seal it and gently mix by tapping the bag for 1 minute.
- Cut a small corner of the bag or open the zip and filter the mixture through a sieve or cheesecloth into a glass.
- Tilt the glass and slowly pour 5 tablespoons of chilled rubbing alcohol down the side to create a separate layer.
- Let the solution sit for 2-3 minutes until white, stringy DNA forms at the alcohol layer.
- Use a straw or skewer to spool the DNA.
Technique 2: Using Mortar & Pestle
Using the mortar and pestle for mechanical lysis is routinely used for plant DNA extraction, and it’s effective as well. We can use a small or ‘housley’ available mortar and pestle for tissue lysis.
In addition, we use laundry detergent and baking soda for lysis buffer preparation and hand sanitizer for precipitation.
Materials:
2-3 fresh strawberries, 1 mortar and pestle, 2 tablespoons of laundry detergent, ½ teaspoon of baking soda, 5 tablespoons of hand sanitizer, cheesecloth or sieve
Steps:
- Place the strawberries (1 to 2 pieces) in the mortar and grind them with the pestle for 2-3 minutes until fully mashed.
- Add 2 tablespoons of laundry detergent and ½ teaspoon of baking soda to the mortar, and grind for another minute.
- Strain the mixture through cheesecloth or a sieve into a glass/beaker or test tube.
- Add 5 tablespoons of hand sanitizer slowly, avoiding mixing the layers.
- Wait for 2 minutes until the DNA clumps appear, then collect with a skewer or stick.
Technique 3: Blender/Mechanical Mixer
In this technique, we will use a blender or a mixture to prepare the strawberry lysate and use the blender as a mechanical lysis technique. We also use shampoo and Epsom salt for lysis buffer preparation and whiskey for precipitation.
Note: Alcohol (whiskey) should only be used under the observation or guidance of the parents.
Materials:
3 fresh strawberries, ½ cup of water, 1 tablespoon of shampoo, ½ teaspoon of Epsom salt and 5 tablespoons of whiskey (or any high-proof alcohol).
Steps:
- Blend the strawberries with ½ cup of water for 30 seconds until a smooth pulp forms.
- Add 1 tablespoon of shampoo and ½ teaspoon of Epsom salt to the pulp and simply mix it. Note: Using shampoo directly during blending can generate foam; avoid that.
- Strain the mixture through a sieve or cheesecloth into a glass.
- Slowly pour 5 tablespoons of whiskey into the glass to create a separate layer.
- Gently tap or shake the glass; the DNA will appear as a white layer that can be spooled with a skewer.
Technique 4: Manual Squeezing
In this technique, we will use manual squeezing with our hands, and body wash + rock salt for lysis buffer preparation. Now, here we use pure ethanol for precipitation.
Materials:
2 fresh strawberries, cheesecloth or muslin, 2 tablespoons of body wash, ½ teaspoon of rock salt and 5 tablespoons of chilled ethanol.
Steps:
- Place the strawberries in a zip pouch and squeeze by hand.
- Add 2 tablespoons of body wash and ½ teaspoon of rock salt to the pulp. Mix gently to combine.
- Strain the mixture through a sieve or cheesecloth into a glass.
- Slowly add 5 tablespoons of chilled ethanol, and mix it gently.
- Wait for 1-2 minutes until DNA forms a white layer, and extract it using a skewer or toothpick.
Technique 5: Lab Way
In this technique, we will extract DNA from strawberries using a lab method. We perform physical lysis using the mortar and pestle. We also use a ready-to-use DNA extraction or lysis buffer and NaCl, and precipitate using isopropanol.
Materials:
2-3 fresh strawberries, 5 ml of lysis buffer (Tris-HCl, EDTA, and SDS mix), ½ teaspoon of NaCl, 5 ml of chilled isopropanol
Steps:
- Mash the strawberries in a mortar and transfer them to a test tube.
- Add 5 ml of lysis buffer and mix thoroughly by inverting the tube 5-6 times.
- Add ½ teaspoon (or 10th volume) of NaCl and invert the tube gently to mix.
- Centrifuge it or strain the mixture through a sieve or cheesecloth into a glass.
- Slowly pour 5 ml of chilled isopropanol into the tube to form a separate layer.
- Invert the tube gently 5 times to help DNA precipitate, then spool the DNA with a glass rod, if needed.
Safety precautions:
- Wear gloves and eye protection.
- Handle chemicals like detergents and alcohol; do not let them contact your eyes.
- Use mild soap and avoid highly concentrated and harsh chemicals.
- Use only 70% ethanol or isopropanol. Handle them with care.
- Keep alcohol away from open flames.
- Handle kitchen equipment like a blender with care.
- Avoid spillage or bursting.
Wrapping up:
These are the 5 ways you can extract DNA using strawberries at home, and utilizing only household things. What do you learn from the present module?
- Different techniques for physical lysis and why it is important.
- Different household detergents or washing materials for lysis buffer preparation.
- Different kitchen salts and their efficiency.
- Different types of alcohol and their effectiveness.
This article is designed to expand students’ vision on DNA extraction, protocol optimization and how to use different chemicals and concentrations to improve the output.
Hope parents and students gain important insights into home DNA extraction. Do share this article and subscribe to Genetic Education.
