Genes, Proteins, and Disease

• Students will use normal and mutated DNA sequences to simulate/model transcription, translation, and resulting protein structure and function. Students tape together mRNA nucleotides transcribed from a DNA strip, then match tRNA templates to codons and determine the amino acid sequence represented by different colored beads. The beads are ordered on pipe cleaners and then folded into a functional protein. Students test the functionality of the normal and mutated proteins.

Items included in this lab are listed below.

Weigh Dishes, Large Marble, Bead Box, Beads of various colors, Student packet.