THE GENOME SEQUENCING LAB BENCH
Follow the 6 real laboratory steps to sequence, assemble, and decode the creature's genome!
Step 1: Cell Lysis & DNA Extraction
To read DNA, we first have to free it from inside millions of cells! Just like in a real kitchen strawberry DNA extraction, soap dissolves the fatty cell membrane, and alcohol makes the DNA float up.
Step 2: The Fragmentation Station (Why We Chop)
The Big Problem: High-speed sequencing machines can only read 150 to 300 letters at a time. An uncut 3-billion-letter chromosome is like a 10-mile-long scroll!
The Solution: Shotgun sequencing! We shatter the long strand into thousands of short overlapping puzzle fragments.
Step 3: Sequencing by Synthesis
Inside the flowcell chip, polymerase adds fluorescent-tagged letters. Each base flashes its own color under a laser!
ATG!
Step 5: Decoding the Gene
The letters in DNA are read in 3-letter words called CODONS. Each codon calls for a specific amino acid bead. String them together, and they fold into a working 3D protein!
Step 6: The Mutation Sandbox (Nature's Variations)
What happens when a single letter changes? Click on any letter in the gene below to test how mutations shape living things!