Students in AP Biology participated in a gel electrophoresis lab March 9-10. Gel electrophoresis is a technique that scientists use to separate and analyze segments of DNA. In the previous week, students prepared agarose gels that were used for the lab. 

“[The lab] allows you to see how different genes, or even just segments of DNA, differentiates between different organisms,” science teacher Adam Durham said. 

In the lab, students were given four different patients with various symptoms. Their task was to analyze the gel electrophoresis and determine which disease each patient had based on the size of the DNA fragments.

“The purpose of this lab is to practice your science skills using gel electrophoresis as well as to analyze your data in DNA strand length,” Durham said. “[Students were] able to diagnose patients based on different viruses they have.”

The lab allowed students to gain experience using micropipettes. In some cases, students have already performed gel electrophoresis in previous science classes, such as in Principles of Biomedical Science. 

“It was really cool to see the actual bands on the gel,” Elizabeth Hung (11) said. “I already had some experience with micropipettes from PBS.”

Overall, students were able to apply their knowledge of biology through a hands-on lab. The lab also exposed students to real-world medical scenarios and the process of diagnosing patients.

“My favorite part of this lab is that a lot of people are interested in the field of medicine,” Durham said. “It’s neat when you have patients come in with possible diseases, and you get a chance to diagnose them. You get to see the process of what it’s really like to be a nurse or doctor.”