1. Bellwork 1. What do you think the word gel electrophoresis means? 2. Who can move most quickly through a thick, dense forest: a human, a dog, or a rabbit? 3. Why do you think that?

2. In the lab Go to the lab and set up your gel box. The flat side of the black wedge should face inwards. The comb must go in the middle. Raise your hand. A biotechnology student will check your set-up and pour your gel when you group is ready COMBCOMB

3. Copy into your lab book: Title: Gel Electrophoresis Lab Questions (write on your lab paper)- What is the relative size and charge of the dyes today? What dyes are in the unknown sample (X)?

4. What is DNA’s charge? If DNA is negative, what happens when we turn the electricity on?

5. How does gel electrophoresis work?

6. Look at the gel below Which colors are negative? Positive? Which are large? Small? + _

7. While the agarose hardens…. Write an if-then-as measured by hypothesis Mention size and charge in your prediction: Example: If dye #97 moves a short distance towards the positive pole…

8. Make a record of what goes where!! 1. Draw a picture of your gel and indicate where each sample will go (remember there are 8 wells and 6 samples) 1 2 3 4 5 X

9. Load and run YOUR gels!! 1. Use the yellow pipettor with a fresh tip to load each dye sample. 2. Raise your hand to have a biotech student add the buffer when you are done 3. Connect cables and run the gel at 150 volts for 10 minutes. Note the starting time. 4. While you wait, make quantitative & qualitative observations and lab notes. (Note any dye spills or over flow. Did your pipettor tip puncture the gel? Can you see any thing happen in the box?)

10. Conclusions- 1-2P in notebook 1. What conclusions can you make about your gel? Which dyes are smallest? Largest? Positive? Negative? 2. What dyes make up the unknown (X sample)? 3. Compare the relative size of one of the positively charged dyes, to one of the negatively charged dyes. Identify dyes in this comparison by number and color. Use the side (+ or -) the dye move towards, and measure the distance from the center for this analysis. 4. How about your hypothesis?...(Supported or refuted? Explain)