Extract-it Kit™: Extract biopigments from bacteria

How can you extract products like proteins and pigments from cells? With the Extract-it Kit, you can find out firsthand!

This biotechnology education kit lets you break open engineered cells, extract the colourful pigments they produce, and use them as bio-ink for painting. The kit includes pigment-producing cells, but you can also use your own engineered cells to extract the enzymes or proteins they've produced. The experiment offers a real-world experience, giving you a miniature version of the process industry uses to produce medicines and industrial products, at the same scale researchers use in experiments.

This experiment is a great step in your journey to explore biotechnology and genetic engineering. It aligns with Chapter 5 of Zero to Genetic Engineering Hero, which covers cell translation and transcription and how to apply these concepts in biotechnology, synthetic biology, and your science fair projects. While this kit requires no prior experience, we highly recommend completing the genetic engineering experiment first.

With this kit you will:

1. Make selective agar,
2. pour Petri dishes,
3. culture bacteria from the included stab or using your engineered bacteria from an Engineer-it kit
5. lyse bacteria,
6. filter-sterilize extract,
7. view/use results.

(1) Plate Extract-it Kit in Individual or Group size: if you will be extracting the pigment from cells, you have grown in a petri dish with your DNA Playground and Engineer-it Kit. Contents: Sterile water, 6cm Petri dish, LB agar, selection marker, lysis buffers, syringes, filter, streaking stencils, inactivation bag.

• Individual Kits: An individual kit with all the ingredients needed for completing one entire science experience. Great for an individual or a small group.

• Classroom/Group Kits: Four individually packaged kits with the needed ingredients to complete four entire science experiences. 1 shared resources bag containing the inactivation bags, which are shared between all participants. Great for the classroom, advanced AP biology, science fair projects, and iGEM teams.

• Instructions: a manual with easy-to-understand vocabulary and step-by-step procedures. See the Resources tab for a link!

To complete this experiment, you will need to have access to either the DNA Playground and the Amino Labs Microcentrifuge or, if you have your own laboratory equipment, a 37°C incubator, a hot water bath, crushed ice & ice bucket, and a microcentrifuge that spins to at least 13,000 x g.

Cleaning and safety supplies are not included in the kit. Necessary safety and cleaning supplies are latex or nitrile gloves and a chlorinated bleach cleaner or a 10% solution of chlorinated bleach in a spray bottle (you can make this by adding 9 parts water to 1 part bleach in a spray bottle). You can add a Mini Safety Set to your kit, which includes gloves and a reusable plastic apron to protect your clothes.

For more information about safety, setup, and cleanup, you can have a look at the experiment's instruction manual linked in the Resources section below and at the "Practicing safe science" page.

Shipping Times

Experiment kits are shipped 1-10 working days after you place your order. If you require yours for a specific date or event, please contact us before or with your order # so that we can try to make it happen for you! ☺︎ 

Storage

The experiment kit(s) must be refrigerated upon arrival for the best shelf life, and the little bag(s) identified with a "Freezer bag" sticker must be placed in a freezer until use. Note that the main kit bags should never be frozen - only freeze the small bag with the "Freezer" sticker.

If your kits stay at room temperature before you collect it from your mailbox/mailroom/etc, that's ok! Place the kit(s) in the refrigerator and the small bag in the freezer as soon as you can. If you do not have access to a refrigerator/freezer for storage, use as soon as possible, and place it in a cool dark place until use.

For any questions, don't hesitate to reach out to us - contact us