Skip to navigation or main content

SEAS: Student Experiments At Sea

Genetic analysis of deep-sea organisms

There follows a 2-column table. The first column contains a picture. The second contains descriptive text.

Spectrophotometer attached to a computer showing a graph of output

Cheking the sample for DNA

Before going any further, it's best to see if this is a decent sample. This saves time and money in the long run. Abby uses a mini-spectrophotometer to check for DNA. The spectrophotometer passes light through the sample and measures what wavelengths are absorbed. DNA absorbs light at a wavelenth of 260nm (nanometers). A computer attached to the spectrophotometer determines the purity and concentration of DNA in the sample. Looks like a good DNA sample!