Online Genetics Labs

My students use Illumina Sequencing to identify the plant species contained in herbal supplements, and compare the actual ingredients to those on the label. Students extract DNA, PCR amplify it, run agarose gels to see if their PCRs worked, clean the PCR product, and add indices and sequencing primers for Illumina sequencing. They send their samples to the UAF genomics core lab for Illumina sequencing. They then analyze their data and write a paper about their results.

To prove that they did each protocol, I asked students to submit photos showing themselves doing the lab work.