Nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) and proteins are routinely resolved by electrophoresis, which separates molecules based on size and/or charge. Following electrophoresis, the molecules need to be extracted from the electrophoresis medium for use in downstream applications and experiments.…

Proteins are the building blocks of life and there are estimated to be almost 1 million different proteins in a normal animal cell.  Each protein has very different and unique physical properties. The Physical Properties of Proteins kit is a lab activity that enables students to investigate…

Recent proteomic studies have led scientists to estimate that there are almost a million different proteins in a single human cell.  The function and properties of these proteins are highly distinct ranging from structural proteins involved in cell integrity, including hydrophobic cell…

A comprehensive program that prepares adults and teenagers for a variety of post-secondary options including community or career college biotechnology certificate programs, four-year biotechnology degree programs, and industry workplaces. The vast text and laboratory curriculum was development…

Following restriction enzyme digestion of DNA molecules, researchers need to rejoin the ends of the DNA to generate recombinant DNA, a process known as ligation.  Ligation of DNA is achieved with the bacterial enzyme T4 DNA ligase, which catalyzes the formation of phosphodiester bonds. …

Lab activity that teaches use of specific lock-key matching properties of antigen-antibody for detection and characterization of antibody or antigenic proteins in complex samples. One such widely used method is known as Western Blot analysis. Western Blot analysis involves electrophoresis…

Zymography is an electrophoretic technique that includes a substrate copolymerised with the polyacrylamide gel for the detection of enzymes and their activity. Samples are prepared without denaturing the active enzymes present in the samples. Following electrophoresis, the gel is placed in an…

Determination of protein concentration is an essential technique in all aspects of protein studies and proteomics.    The Assays for Protein Quantification kit includes three of the most widely used protein assays and allows for a direct comparison of the three assays that teaches…

A hands on lab activity to study immunoaffinity chromatography and use a specific antibody to purify antigenic proteins from complex samples. This technique involves performing a chromatography procedure using antigen or antibody immobilized on a chromatographic resin.   The solution…

Genomic DNA isolation is a crucial technique in molecular biology, genetic manipulation and biotechnology.  To carry out these exciting and innovative sciences, researchers require an original source of DNA, which is easy to acquire as it is found in every living organism.  Genomic DNA is…

An interesting hands-on lab activity that teaches students the skills required for the isolation of bacteria from test samples. This kit teaches aseptic handling techniques and cultivation of bacteria.   Using bacterial culture techniques, students discover and isolate the bacteria…

Determination of protein concentration is an essential technique in all aspects of protein studies and proteomics.    The Assays for Protein Quantification kit includes three of the most widely used protein assays and allows for a direct comparison of the three assays that teaches…

This kit is designed to teach 8 groups of four students the principles of Protein Electrophoresis. The kit contains the reagents to allow students to: Conduct a serial dilution of a stock amylase solution Prepare samples for PAGE electrophoresis Separate and distinguish proteins by…

The Quantitative Precipitin Technique is a simple technique that is routinely used in the analysis of antibody and antigen interactions and for the estimation of the antibody or antigen content in a sample. The technique is based on the interaction of antibody and antigen to form a large protein…

Antibiotics play a crucial role in the manipulation, screening and killing of bacteria in a range of biotechnology processes.  This kit specifically teaches the basic principles of antibiotics, bacterial resistance and susceptibility. Students learn and understand the use of antibiotic…

Determination of protein concentration is an essential technique in all aspects of protein studies and proteomics.    The Assays for Protein Quantification kit includes three of the most widely used protein assays and allows for a direct comparison of the three assays that teaches…

This Biotechnology Basics™ kit by Ellyn Daugherty is designed to teach students about RFLP (restriction fragment length polymorphisms) and its use in crime scene investigations. Students will use restriction enzyme digestions of victim, suspect and crime scene DNA and then visualize the…

Ion exchange chromatography is used to separate charged molecules from complex biological samples. The charged molecules bind to a solid support carrying an opposite charge to the molecule. Proteins contain regions of charged groups on the surface which interact with the ion exchange groups…

Size exclusion chromatography (SEC), also called gel filtration chromatography or gel-permeation chromatography (GPC), uses porous particles to separate molecules of different sizes.  It is generally used to separate biological molecules and to determine molecular weights and molecular weight…

This kit is designed to teach 8 groups of four students the principles of ELISA (Enzyme Linked ImmunoSorbent Assays).   The kit contains the reagents to allow students to: Conduct a serial dilution of a stock amylase solution to create standards of known concentration Bind known…

This Biotechnology Basics™ kit by Ellyn Daugherty is designed to teach the basic principles of a gel box, specifically horizontal agarose gel electrophoresis. The kit is supplied with all the reagents necessary to conduct 4 gel box science experiments, each using a gel box (not supplied). …

Bacterial plasmids, the non-genomic transferable DNA, can easily be purified from bacteria using numerous techniques.  The purification of DNA is important for genetic research as it provides a source of transferable DNA and allows researchers to isolate large amounts of recombinant DNA. …

Determination of protein concentration is an essential technique in all aspects of protein studies and proteomics.  The Assays for Protein Quantification kit includes three of the most widely used protein assays and allows for a direct comparison of the three assays that teaches students…

This Biotechnology Basics™ by Ellyn Daugherty is designed to teach students the basic principles of measuring small volumes (<500µl) using micropipettes. The kit is supplied with all the reagents to allow 8 groups of 4 students to learn about P-1000, P-200 or P-100 and P-20 or P-10…

This kit is designed to teach 8 groups of four students the principles of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)   The kit contains the reagents to allow students to: Set up multiple PCR reactions using pAmylase plasmid DNA and bacterial genomic DNA templates Set up a PCR negative…

Water pollution is a major problem throughout the world, raising severe concerns about health and sanitization issues.  A common problem in polluted water is the presence of bacteria, particularly coliform bacteria from fecal matter, which can directly result in disease, as well as act as a…

Agarose gel electrophoresis is a routinely used tool for separating nucleic acids.    Nucleic acids are negatively charged molecules, which when loaded onto the solid agarose matrix, migrate in the presence of an electric field, separating the nucleic acids by size.   …

An important and essential tool in protein analysis is electrophoresis.  Protein electrophoresis allows researchers to separate complex protein samples by their molecular size and/or net charge on polyacrylamide gels.  The proteins can be subsequently visualized with various protein…

This lab activity is designed to study highly specific lock-key matching properties of antigen-antibody and how this highly specific interaction can be exploited as a tool for research and analysis. This study involves the use of an immunodiffusion technique in which antigen and antibody are…

Hydrophobic chromatography is based on the fact that protein molecules can have extensive hydrophobic regions.  These hydrophobic regions, in media favoring hydrophobic interactions, such as an aqueous solution with high salt concentration, can bind to hydrophobic ligands coupled to an…

Today’s media routinely covers forensic stories of criminals captured and innocents released using the powerful DNA fingerprinting technique. This kit allows students to carry out their own criminal investigation by comparing DNA samples collected from suspects to DNA collected at a…

This kit is designed to teach 8 groups of four students the principles of Ion Exchange Chromatography and protein purification.  The kit contains the reagents to allow students to: Equilibrate a DEAE agarose column Load a protein sample on the column (amylase, lysozyme or a mixture of…