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Home DNA Sequencing
An anonymous reader writes "Wired is running an article about high-tech gifts for Christmas, including a home DNA sequencing kit targeted at kids for under $100. What's next, the Fisher Price Cloning kit?"
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This basically extracts DNA and runs whatever natural fragments form across a gel - definitely not sequencing, but certainly cute.
As a biochemist I certainly appreciate the value of the kit in introducting kids to science. Think of it like you'd think of a build-your-own-microscope or build-your-own-electric-motor kit. Yeah, those do make things look bigger and they will turn in a wobbly sort of way, but they aren't useful as real microscopes/motors.
As far as the reference in the article to paternity testing goes - forget it. At the very least you'd have to use a restriction enzyme to generate a fingerprint pattern. This just makes visible the various small chunks of DNA visible which are created from mechanical handling of it.
Most likely you'll get a smear of some sort - not discrete bands like you get from any useful experiment. Also - if you do end up with any patterns you'll probably get a different one any time - hardly a "fingerprint". Then again, the discovery website lists a DNA stain fabricated to look like real DNA in its brief description - so if that is added to the well prior to electrophoresis you could get a pattern of bands - though this would not be from the DNA in your sample.
It is a cute concept though. Your girlfriend will probably appreciate it, although the results will be far inferior to anything she generates at work (assuming she actually works in the lab).
I wish I knew more about the contents of the kit. I'm curious as to what they're using for staining - the gold standard in the lab is ethidium bromide. However, I'm certain that isn't in the kit - it is a very powerful mutagen.
DNA quality would be poor... but good enough to be usable in the laboratory. It basic cell-lysis, seperation of organic/inorganic phases and alcohol-precipitation of DNA.
You could use this for PCR, and then do many things with it. You could potentially have a "deluxe" version of the kit for $1000 dollars, including:
1. Basic thermocylcer
2. Reagents/Enzyme for PCR
3. Primers for PCR
4. Reagents/Enzyme for restriction digestion
The kit could then be used for (basic, potentially problematic) paternity testing.