Custom Science

Welcome to the Kujifunza High School Program

Kujifunza is Swahili for "Teach Oneself"

Here are the additional 20 pre-made Learning Labs that can be run with the Berkhut kits.

Learning Lab	Description
miniPCR® Crime Lab: Missy Baker Missing™	Missy Baker is missing and police have two suspects. Knowing that Missy Baker has cystic fibrosis, students will test DNA evidence from both suspects’ cars to see if it matches a person with a CFTR deletion. This lab provides an excellent overview of genetic technologies and connects their uses, from identification to genetic diagnosis, in an engaging and accessible format. With reliable results and a straightforward procedure, Missy Baker Missing is an excellent lab to introduce students to PCR and gel electrophoresis lab techniques. Can be completed in two 45-minute class periods or one 90-minute class period.
Food Safety Lab: Mars Colony at Risk!	Identify the source of pathogenic bacteria in space food bound for Mars! This applied biotechnology investigation addresses a foodborne illness outbreak using the same real-world methodologies that public health and surveillance authorities use here on Earth. Get hands-on experience with important molecular microbiology techniques and engage in a real-world problem with public health and economic impacts.
GMO Detection Lab	Humans have been modifying plants since the dawn of civilization through the domestication of crops. Modern biotechnology and genetic engineering allow scientists and breeders to rapidly confer very specific traits by introducing particular genes directly into plants. Test for genetically engineered elements from foods and plant tissues using PCR.
Genotype to Phenotype: PTC Taster Lab	Explore how small genetic changes can change our ability to perceive the world around us. The TAS2R38 taste receptor gene can confer the phenotypic ability to taste the chemical phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) and other bitter flavors. Test your own taste receptor gene and determine whether you have taster or non-taster alleles of the gene. Use these results to correlate your genotype with your ability to taste PTC and foods that contain related chemicals, such as broccoli.
miniPCR Sleep Lab™ - Lark or Owl?	Students will test their own genotypes at the circadian clock gene Per3that has been associated with sleep behavior preferences in humans. This gene’s coding region contains a VNTR (variable number tandem repeat) that is polymorphic (variable) across individuals. Different variants of this VNTR have been associated with a preference for evening or morning activity–whether you are a morning or evening type. Students will assess their own genotypes, while also assessing their sleep phenotypes through a simple circadian questionnaire, with the ultimate goal of learning about circadian clocks and the study of genetic associations. Participate in an authentic open inquiry investigation on the genetic underpinnings of sleep.
Forensics Lab: Analysis of the D1S80 VNTR	Students will use PCR to amplify their own DNA and compare it to a sample obtained from a hypothetical crime scene to try to rule themselves out as a suspect. Variable number tandem repeats (VNTRs) are regions in a genome that contain short stretches of DNA repeated a number of times. The number of repeats in a particular VNTR can vary from individual to individual. In this way, genetic variation in VNTRs can be used as markers for personal identification. This hands-on activity lets students explore molecular biology in personal identification and forensics, as well as inheritance, human genetics, DNA polymorphisms, and genetic diversity.
Agricultural Monitoring Lab: A Case Study in Antibiotic Resistance	This lab (formerly known as "miniPCR Antibiotic Resistance Lab: Monitoring resistant organisms in the environment") presents a fictional case study of a very real problem. Epidemiologists have traced an outbreak of antibiotic-resistant bacteria to one farm. Students will use PCR to determine if the antibiotic-resistant bacteria have spread to neighboring areas. This case study introduces students to how molecular analyses can serve as a tool in environmental monitoring and surveillance. Produced in collaboration with PARE – The Prevalence of Antibiotic-Resistance in the Environment project at Tufts University. No harmful samples are used in this lab.
Plant Genetics Lab: Taking Mendel Molecular with Wisconsin Fast Plants®	Investigate the genotypic basis of an observable phenotype using Rapid Cycling Brassica rapa (RCBr), also known by the trademark name Wisconsin Fast Plants. Wild-type plants grow with a distinctive purple stem due to the pigment anthocyanin. In some RCBr plants, a mutation disrupts the anthocyanin production pathway and leads to green stems. The gene responsible for the purple vs. green color is named Anthocyaninlessbecause the mutant form leads to decreased production of the pigment anthocyanin. Test the Anthocyanin gene from different plants to link genotype to phenotype.
eDNA Project: Sampling Soil for Antibiotic Resistance	Start a nationwide monitoring program that tests for antibiotic resistance genes in environmental soil samples. Students can collect soil samples based on their own hypotheses about antibiotic resistance hotspots, extract total environmental DNA from soil, and use the molecular methods of PCR and gel electrophoresis to test their samples for evidence of tetracycline resistance. They will then contribute their data to a national database of antibiotic resistance surveillance. This lab has been developed in conjunction with the PARE (Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistance in the Environment) project. The PARE project engages students to test and report the prevalence of tetracycline-resistant bacteria from soil at diverse geographic sites, engaging students in one of the great environmental and health challenges of our time. Learn more about the PARE project at https://sites.tufts.edu/ctse/pare Techniques: Micropipetting, eDNA extraction, PCR, gel electrophoresis Topics: Environmental monitoring, molecular biology, biotechnology Time required: This is a project-based activity that requires at leastthree to four class periods for completion Level: Advanced high school, college This is an advanced lab activity with unknown outcomes and is ideal for independent research projects. Students performing this lab should have experience following complex molecular protocols. For a case study approach to the same curriculum, try the Antibiotic Resistance Lab .
Mushroom ID Project: Fungal DNA Barcoding Kit	This kit contains the materials needed to uniquely identify fungal species using DNA technology. There are hundreds of thousands of known species of wild mushrooms and other fungi in the world. And millions more that we are yet to discover! Fungi can be found in virtually all known ecosystems, yet many species look similar to each other, making them difficult to identify by eye. Start with your own samples, from the mold on your overripe tomato to wild-harvested fruiting mushrooms. Once you have extracted their DNA, you will be able to amplify 80 unique fungal DNA barcodes by PCR and, with the help of an add-on kit and a sequencing service, obtain DNA sequences for up to 40 of them. Techniques: Micropipetting, DNA extraction, PCR, gel electrophoresis, bioinformatics Topics: Biodiversity monitoring, DNA barcoding, species identification Time required: This is a project-based activity that requires at leastthree class periods for completion Level: Advanced high school, college, independent research This is an advanced lab activity with unknown outcomes and is ideal for independent research projects.
Fungal Sequencing Add-On	This kit is an add-on to the Fungal DNA Barcoding Kit (KT-1014-01). It contains primers, nuclease-free water, and tubes aimed to facilitate submission of amplified ITS PCR products for Sanger sequencing. Contents: ITS1 Primer, 5 µM (200 µL) ITS4 Primer, 5 µM (200 µL) Nuclease-Free Water 12 strips of 8 PCR tubes and caps Sanger DNA sequencing services are not included and must be obtained from a third party
P51™ qPCR Lab: Principles of Quantitative PCR	Perform quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) in a directly observable format and understand molecular diagnostics. qPCR monitors the amount of PCR product produced in real-time using fluorescent dyes or probes, and it is the gold standard for the detection of viral infections including COVID-19. In this lab, students use low-cost equipment to observe the change in fluorescence first hand, without the need for a qPCR machine. Students directly follow the increases in fluorescence that accompany PCR cycles, understanding how exponential DNA amplification works. They then use their measurements to quantify nucleic acids. This lab grounds students in the principles and practice of qPCR, the gold standard technique in the molecular diagnosis of infections including SARS-CoV-2. An optional extension allows students to compare results of real-time qPCR and end-point PCR using gel electrophoresis.
COVID qPCR Lab: Detecting SARS-CoV-2 Infection	This lab demonstrates the power that molecular techniques bring to managing infectious disease outbreaks. In this case study students act as healthcare providers at an airport screening facility and test fictional patients for infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Students use PCR and a fluorescence viewer to diagnose their patients. The data for this lab can be collected two ways: endpoint detection or qPCR time point observations. Endpoint detection allows your students to use a single observation of fluorescence to diagnose their patients, in a single class period and without the need to run a gel . For longer classes, students can monitor their PCR samples over time to model the principles of qPCR, the gold standard for diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Techniques: Micropipetting, qPCR, fluorescence visualization, gel electrophoresis (optional) Topics: Infectious disease, molecular diagnostics, biotechnology Time required: One or two class periods (depending on approach) Level: General high school, advanced high school, college Disclaimer: no pathogenic materials are used. This experimental protocol engages students in a simulated patient diagnosis exercise. None of the materials provided in this lab kit pose a pathogenic risk. For educational use only. Not for diagnostic use.