Looking for a fun DIY project to try this weekend? How about extracting your own DNA? I know what you are thinking: "I don't have the necessary equipment or the expertise to attempting something as complex as extracting DNA." Wrong. All you need is a shot glass, saliva, dish soap, salt, pineapple juice, and chilled alcohol.
According to Popular Science: "Mac Cowell, an advocate for open-source biotechnology, created a set of simple instructions that lets anyone isolate her own DNA in mere minutes. The rough-and-ready procedure uses basic kitchen supplies, including the best possible container: a shot glass. This DIY process won't create the cleanest sample, but avid biohackers can purify the DNA after it's extracted. Once you have a pure sample, you can try sorting the DNA fragments by size or building a DIY DNA-copying machine."
About the Author
Alexis Gajewski
Senior Content Strategist
Alexis Gajewski has over 15 years of experience in the maintenance, reliability, operations, and manufacturing space. She joined Plant Services in 2008 and works to bring readers the news, insight, and information they need to make the right decisions for their plants. Alexis also authors “The Lighter Side of Manufacturing,” a blog that highlights the fun and innovative advances in the industrial sector.