Year 7 Extension 

Our Year 7 Extension Science/Maths students continued their foray into Forensics on Monday with an experiment involving state of the art equipment from the forensic field.

Electrophoresis, also known as DNA fingerprinting, is a technique used to match crime scene evidence with DNA samples. Students compared suspect DNA with that left behind at the crime scene to see if they could match the sequence. The process involves pipetting DNA samples into an agarose gel and then running a current through them using the Electrophoresis machine. The current pulls the DNA samples from the negative electrode to the positive leaving behind a ‘fingerprint’ of the DNA. Students then had to deduce which culprit had left their DNA behind at the crime scene.

This week students had the opportunity to extract DNA from Strawberries. Following the experimental method students were able to use a pre-made buffer to separate the strands of DNA from the strawberries. Students then used microscopes to take a closer look at the DNA.

Dannyelle Gaiter | Science Teacher

Jacinta Murphy | Numeracy Teacher