Researchers from CPSBB held a workshop demonstrating DNA extraction from fruits to students in Pazardzhik, 11-12 November 2024

The molecular biologists from CPSBB team, Dr. Nikola Staykov and Dr. Emil Vatov, took part in the First Scientific-Practical Conference “Green Education for a Sustainable Future”, which took place in Pazardzhik on November 11-12, 2024. The event was organized by the Education for Climate Coalition, the Union of Bulgarian Teachers and the Municipality of Pazardzhik.

CPSBB researchers were assisted by a volunteer student from the Professional High School of Food Technology in Plovdiv. The team demonstrated how DNA can be extracted from strawberries using household materials like liquid soap, salt, water and alcohol. The scientists made a step by step presentation, explaining the action of each of the ingredients for the successful DNA extraction.

Water is important in the initial step of the experiment because it acts as a medium that allows the interaction between the liquid soap, the salt and the plant material, diluting them and distributing them evenly in the solution.

The soap in combination with water forms micelles that dissolve lipids (fat molecules). The cell membranes of the plant fruit are destroyed and the DNA is released.

Salt contains sodium (Na⁺) and chloride (Cl⁻) ions. DNA molecules are normally negatively charged and sodium ions help to neutralize this negative charge. This is important for the process of DNA precipitation in solution. By adding salt, the sodium ions help neutralize the charges on the DNA, allowing the DNA to stick together and precipitate more easily when alcohol is added.

Ethanol (pure alcohol) drastically reduces the solubility of DNA, which is important for its visible precipitation and extraction. DNA is soluble in water but insoluble in alcohol. Because ethanol does not dissolve DNA, it causes the long DNA strands to stick together and form visible strands or precipitates. Ethanol also helps remove impurities from DNA. By causing the DNA to precipitate, it allows other substances (mainly salts and proteins) to remain dissolved in the liquid part of the solution.

Dr. Staykov and Dr. Vatov explained to students that climate changes affect biodiversity in numerous ways, including changes in plant distribution and genetic diversity. Understanding the genetic mechanisms of plants can help us assess how they may adapt to changing climates or how vulnerable they are to extinction.

Teaching students how to extract DNA from plants and fruits, even at home, inspired conversations about the importance of preserving the genetic diversity in plants and also led to discussions on genetic markers that can help track the resilience or adaptation of plants in response to climate stressors like heat, drought, or shifting seasons.