Product Description

DNA evidence assists in criminal, missing persons, mass disaster, and paternity cases. It can be used to identify a perpetrator or exonerate the innocent. Using real DNA as evidence, your students play the role of crime scene investigator to figure out for themselves "Who done it?" The six DNA samples in the Forensic DNA Fingerprinting Kit are plasmids engineered to mimic the natural variations in DNA that exist between one human being and another. One DNA sample has been collected from a "crime scene" and five samples have been obtained from various "suspects." Each sample is digested using a mixture of two DNA restriction enzymes, which generates a distinct set of DNA fragments for each sample. The resulting DNA fragments are separated by agarose gel electrophoresis and visualized using Bio-Rad's revolutionary Fast Blast™ DNA stain.

1. Study DNA restriction enzyme function

1. Use electrophoresis to separate DNA fragments

1. Construct standard curves from student data

1. Make precise determinations of DNA fragment sizes

1. Complete in two 45 minute lab sessions