Can You Solve the Crime?: Can You Solve Crime?!: Using Agarose Electrophoresis to Identify an Unknown Colored Protein

Abstract

The authors created a lab that introduces agarose electrophoresis techniques and basic information about proteins to middle school and high school students. Built around a scenario in which the students must solve a “crime,” the lab has real-world applications that should spark student interest.

Key Words:

• agarose electrophoresis
• molecular
• proteins
• scenario based

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Stephanie Martin

CYNTHIA L. WILTFONG is pursuing a bachelor's degree in ecology, evolutionary and population biology, and environmental science at Purdue University. EMILY CHESTER studies biology at Purdue. FAITH ALBERTIN, a biology major at Purdue, works at a developmental/neurobiology lab where she studies the development of the inner ear in mice. JULIA SMITH works in the Department of Entomology at Purdue. While pursuing a bachelor's degree, she is learning about pest management. JUDITH C. HALL studies intracellular transport in neurons. She plans to complete her biology degree requirements within the next year. EMILY C. ARTH is pursuing a bachelor's degree in biochemistry at Purdue. STEPHANIE MARTIN is majoring in psychology and minoring in biology at Purdue. She currently works as a mental health technician at a group home. Ms. Martin plans to get her doctorate in psychology to be able to establish her own practice.