Kit Descriptions

DNA Biotechnology Kit

With the first kit developed for Biotech-in-a-Box, students are introduced to the basic techniques used in molecular biology. The kit contains all of the equipment and supplies needed for students to pour agarose gels and use electrophoresis to separate and visualize DNA fragments. The manual is complete with technical teacher guides and several real-world scenarios for analyzing student data.

Protein Electrophoresis Kit

The Protein Electrophoresis Kit contains all of the material needed to separate proteins based on size using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, known as SDS-PAGE. Based on the samples chosen for analysis, students can design several types of experiments for protein fingerprinting. Address evolutionary questions by comparing proteins from closely-related and distantly-related fish. Explore forensics by comparing proteins in an unknown sample to those of a known species. Analyze protein expression in different tissues, such as beef liver and beef muscle. 

Column Chromatography Kit

Column chromatography is a technique commonly used to purify proteins, both in research laboratories and in the biotechnology industry. Using the Column Chromatography Kit, students will use three types of columns to separate mixtures: gel filtration, which separates molecules by size; ion exchange, which separates molecules based on charge; and reverse phase, which separates molecules based on polarity. The manual provides theoretical background on the various types of column chromatography, student laboratory worksheets for each experiment, and an environmental scenario to determine the presence of a pollutant in groundwater runoff.

Caging the Blob: Studying Slime Mold Behavior Kit

Get a firsthand glimpse of the intelligent behavior and survival tactics of living organisms using the slime mold Physarum polycephalum. Students will use Lego blocks to construct mazes and then observe the movement of the slime mold as it navigates through the maze to a food source, while responding to the barrier in its environment. In an additional lab experience, students test the effectiveness of a unique static, invisible or dynamic barrier of their own experimental design.

Introduction to Immunology Kit

The kit features an immunological assay, the ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay), which is a technique routinely used in research laboratories, and in medical and forensic diagnostics. In the experiment, students share “germs” to simulate the spread of disease and use the ELISA as a diagnostic tool to determine whether they are carriers of an “infectious agent”. The manual provides background on basic immunology, with a focus on the antibody-antigen immune response, which forms the basis of the ELISA.