Repository of biology practicals

Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) enzyme is of great commercial interest because it is related to the browning of fruits. In this practical spanning two weeks, we will use classical biochemical techniques to extract a PPO enzyme from a banana or apple, perform an assay for PPO activity and protein content, and assess data to discuss reproducibility in science.

We will discuss the roles that environmental sensors, such as the phytochromes and cryptochromes, play in the onset of flowering. We will use molecular genetic techniques to detect mutations and discuss how this approach can assist in unravelling biological problems.