Module 1, Lab 04 - Detection of GM in crops

In this lab we will test corn and soy samples students collected in the Fall to see if they have been genetically modified (if they are Genetically Modified Organisms or GMOs). Our tool of choice for this test will be PCR.

We extracted DNA from corn and soy leaves, as well as from a certified non-GMO seed provided by Bio-Rad. We set up PCRs using primers that will amplify de 35S promoter of the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV 35S) and the nopaline synthase (NOS) terminator of Agrobacterium tumefaciens, which are present in about 85% of all modified crops in the U.S. As a positive control for the presence of DNA, we also used primers that amplify the photosystem II chloroplast gene, which should be present in all plants, regardless of genetic modification.

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