It was a yummy connection to a science badge. Nearly 50 Girl Scouts from southern Wisconsin extracted DNA from strawberries during two “Biochemistry in the Kitchen” workshops led by graduate students and postdoctoral fellows with the Integrated Program in Biochemistry’s Student–Faculty Liaison Committee. The scouts used salt water and dishwashing detergent to extract DNA from mashed-up strawberries, and then added rubbing alcohol to make its spaghetti-like strands visible. As a keepsake, the girls got to bring their results home in test tubes.

This article was posted in Communities, On Henry Mall, Spring 2011 and tagged Biochemistry, DNA, Girl Scouts.