Using PCR to Amplify the TAS2R38 Gene
In this virtual lab, a user performs a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) experiment to amplify their TAS2R38 gene to determine whether they have 2 copies of the taster allele, 2 copies of the non-taster allele, or 1 copy of each of the taster and non-taster alleles. This lab is designed at an introductory level and emphasizes the reagents and steps necessary for PCR. (Prior knowledge of DNA structure, micropipetting, and gel electrophoresis is helpful.)
Topics
- DNA template
- PCR
- polymerase chain reaction
- DNA polymerase
- amplify
- gene of interest
- region of interest
- Taq DNA polymerase
- primers
- forward primer
- reverse primer
- thermocycler
- anneal
- denature
- elongate
- annealing temperature
- denaturation temperature
- elongation temperature
- gel electrophoresis
- run agarose gel
- protocol simulation
- virtual lab simulation
- mutation
- melting temperature
- TAS2R38
- taster
- non-taster
- weak taster
- phenotype
- genotype
- single nucleotide polymorphism
- SNP
- substitution mutation
- point mutation