You Can Extract Your DNA From Cheek Cells
(Using Products Lying Around The House)
Equipment/ Materials
Table Salt
Dishwashing Liquid
2 glass beakers (or normal drinking glasses)
Bottled water
Distilled Water (This can be bought at the local supermarket in the car section)
2 test tubes (or thin glasses, champagne flutes would work equally as well)
Test Tube stopper (I used cling wrap)
A glass rod
A drinking glass
Rubbing Alcohol (Methylated spirits or isopropyl alcohol)
Kitchen Scales
Measuring cup/ syringe
Method
Gather all your materials and equipment required. This will make it quicker and easier to move from step to step, without having to search around the house for some salt and remembering you were supposed to buy some last time you went shopping!
Place your beaker on your scales. Zero the scales then add 8 grams of salt into your beaker. Add 92mL of distilled water to the beaker and stir until the salt is dissolved. This will now be called the saline solution.
In your second beaker, combine 25mL of dishwashing liquid with 75mL of distilled water. I used palmolive dishwashing liquid which was successful but any dishwashing liquid should work. This solution is now called the lysis buffer. (Lysis = breaking down your DNA molecules)
Pour 1mL of the saline solution into test tube 1.
Spit the water back into your glass and pour the contents into test tube 1 which already contains the 1mL of saline solution.
Add 1mL of the lysis buffer to test tube 1.
Cover the top of your test tube with a stopper and gently mix the contents by turning it upside down. Dont shake it too much otherwise you will cause bubbles! I used cling wrap over the test tube for this. If you are trying to do this with a champagne flute maybe try to swirl the contents instead of inverting it!
Add 5mL of rubbing alcohol (methylated spirits containing ethanol or isopropyl alcohol) Make sure you pour it down the side of the glass on an angle so it sits on top of your DNA solution.
Wait 5 minutes and your DNA will start forming a cloud which will float to the top :)
If you wish to remove your DNA for further examination, pour 1 mL of rubbing alcohol into test tube 2 and use the glass rod in a circular motion to pick up the strands of DNA and place it into test tube 2.
If more DNA is required. Simply repeat the procedures until you have reached your desired amount!
