Extract-it Kit™: Extract biopigments from bacteria

Extract the proteins and DNA products from the bacteria you engineered!

How do you extract your products, such as your colored pigments from cells? With this Extract-it Kit, whether you are extracting from your engineer-it kit results or your biomanufacturing kit culture, you will be able to find out, firsthand! Discover the Extract-it Kit, a biotechnology education kit that lets you break open your engineered cells to extract the proteins bacteria created for you - from colorful pigments to enzymes and smells!

You will learn:

• End-to-end Genetic Engineering: Students or groups can collect (pellet) cells, lyse the cells, and obtain sterile colored pigments
• Real-World Experience: undertake a miniature scale of what industry uses to make medicine and industrial products, and at the actual scale that researchers use for experiments.
• Multi-disciplinary: Students can then use the pigments in art class! A fun science meets art project.

While this is a kit that requires no prior experience, it is best if you have completed the genetic engineering experiment first - have a look at the Engineer-it kit for genetic engineering if you have not yet!

This STEM project kit is a perfect step in your journey in exploring the world of biotechnology, biohacking & genetic engineering. Compatible with Ch. 5 of Zero to Genetic Engineering Hero book to learn cell translation and transcription, and how to leverage them in biotechnology, synthetic biology, and for your science fair projects. 

A microcentrifuge with 13 000 x g or greater is required. This kit comes in 2 versions - look under the What's included tab for more information. 

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, set up and clean up, you can have a look at the instruction manual for the experiment linked in the Ressources 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 hesistate to reach out to us - contact us