IDEA Kit — Inquiry Dye Electrophoresis Activity

IDEA Kit — Inquiry Dye Electrophoresis Activity

Overview

Introduce the skills required for agarose gel electrophoresis through an exercise with real-world relevance to the foods you eat. This kit uses food dyes to illustrate how visible molecules move through a molecular sieve.
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Description

Description

Agarose gel electrophoresis is a fundamental technique used daily in the molecular biology lab to assess DNA. Teach this skill in a fun way with inquiry!

Food for Thought
The IDEA kit — inquiry dye electrophoresis activity is the first dye electrophoresis laboratory activity that encourages inquiry by allowing students to explore and provide samples from everyday foods — candy! The kit covers the basic skills necessary to perform electrophoresis, including pipetting, making solutions, and casting and running agarose gels, and comparing unknown samples to the provided known samples to determine which dyes are in their candies. Students will discover how molecules move through the gel matrix, and how physical and/or chemical properties are linked to the distance molecules migrate. This kit will also open up the conversation about the use of food dyes, the different types of food dyes, and what is in the foods your students consume.

Features and Benefits

  • Inquiry-based hands-on laboratory
  • Kit can be completed in two 45-min laboratory sessions
  • Visible results
  • Real-world connection

Applications and Uses

This kit offers learning opportunities for all levels of instruction:

  • For secondary and college level instruction, lessons about agarose gel electrophoresis and its accompanying skills can be introduced or reinforced with this laboratory
  • For middle school instruction, the IDEA kit is a gateway to inquiry-based hands-on science experiences

More Information

The IDEA kit provides sufficient materials for eight student workstations with up to four students per workstation.

Specifications

Specifications

Blue 1 reference dye, µl
150
Yellow 5 reference dye, µl
150
Yellow 6 reference dye, µl
150
Red 40 reference dye, µl
150
Dye extraction solution, ml
25
Microcentrifuge tubes, 2 ml
72
50x TAE, ml
100
Certified molecular biology agarose, g
5
Curriculum
1 (includes teacher guide, student manual, and graphic quick guide)

Ordering

Ordering

items

Use the filters below to refine results!

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1665075EDU
Introductory agarose gel electrophoresis kit, includes reference dyes, extraction buffer, microcentrifuge tubes, agarose, TAE, curriculum; education use only
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166-5077EDU_tn.jpg
1665077EDU
Introductory agarose gel electrophoresis kit, includes reference dyes, extraction buffer, microcentrifuge tubes, agarose, TAE, fixed-volume pipets, tips, curriculum; education use only

Accessories

Accessories

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166-0512EDU_tn.jpg
1660512EDU
Pkg of 1, color-coded green micropipet, accommodates standard pipet tips; education use only
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166-0551EDU_tn.jpg
1660551EDU
Pkg of 1, 2–20 μl, adjustable-volume micropipet, includes digital dial, tip ejector, accommodates standard pipet tips; education use only
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1660506EDU_tn
1660506EDU

Pkg of 1, 2–20 μl adjustable-volume micropipet, includes digital dial micrometer, tip ejector, accommodates standard pipet tips, fully autoclavable; education use only

Refills

Refills

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166-5076EDU_tn.jpg
1665076EDU
Consumables refill kit for use with IDEA kit (1665075EDU) or STEM electrophoresis kit (1665080EDU, 1665090EDU), includes reference dyes, extraction buffer, microcentrifuge tubes; education use only
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161-3116EDU_tn.jpg
1613116EDU
5 g, general purpose agarose for nucleic acid electrophoresis, high gel strength, certified free of inhibitors, DNases, RNases; education use only
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161-3015EDU_tn.jpg
1613015EDU

8-well precast gel, TAE, 1.0% agarose, 7 x 10 cm; education use only

Documents

Documents

Number Description Options
6673
Map of AP-Aligned Bio-Rad Kits with Investigative Laboratories
6287
Instruction Manual, IDEA Kit — Inquiry Dye Electrophoresis Activity Quick Guide, Biotechnology Explorer
1665078EDU
Instruction Manual, IDEA Kit — Inquiry Dye Electrophoresis Activity, Biotechnology Explorer, Rev A
6287
Instruction Manual, IDEA Kit — Inquiry Dye Electrophoresis Activity Quick Guide, Biotechnology Explorer