As part of Science Week at Holy Family Catholic Primary School in July 2021, Dr Ana Costa-Pereira visited 120 Year 2 and Year 3 pupils (6-8 year-olds) to teach them about DNA.
The children resisted the temptation to eat the strawberries put in front of them, and instead extracted their DNA using water, salt and detergent with a little bit of alcohol. The kids were delighted to see a cloud of DNA fibers emerge at the top of the tube. played with it, commenting on how stringy and strong it felt.
"We extracted DNA from strawberries with Fiona's mum. At first, I thought the strawberry seeds were the DNA but then when we were doing our investigation I realised I was wrong. We mushed a strawberry to a pulp and added a buffer and then ethanol which was freezing cold. At the bottom of the test tube, we could see red juice but it got lighter and lighter and then bubbles came and then the DNA floated to the top. It looked like candyfloss. I used a toothpick to take it out and I could stretch and it went stretchier like slime. I liked this investigation because at the start I didn't even know what DNA was. Now I'm curious to find out what other ways people can extract DNA." Alan - Year 3.
