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BiotechnologyActivity for Kids

Biotechnology With Brussel Sprouts DIY

Duration: 5-10 min
Difficulty: Easy
Cost: $0 to $10

Learn how biotechnology can make Brussel sprouts taste good.

Visit The Full Lesson Download Instructions as PDF

Material List

1Vial of PTC paper (can be found online for a few dollars)
1Small Bowl of Brussel Sprouts

Instructions

1Taste a strip of PTC paper. Does it taste bitter or do you taste nothing at all? Write down your observations.
2Ask some friends or family to do the same and see if they taste bitterness or nothing.
3Go through the same process with tasting the Brussel sprouts. Are the results similar or different?

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How It Works

PTC paper contains a chemical that tastes bitter to some people, while others can’t taste it at all. A very similar chemical is responsible for making Brussel sprouts taste bitter to some people. As we learned earlier in the lesson, biotechnology is when we use our knowledge of biological processes to solve problems. Currently, scientists are trying to use biotechnology to remove bitter chemicals from Brussel sprouts, so over time, biotechnology might make Brussel sprouts your next favorite vegetable!