The DNA Starter Kit© is a schematic DNA model that transforms from the familiar ladder shape to the double helix with a simple twist. Your students can explore the structure of color-coded DNA bases showing purines and pyrimidines, which connect to a continuous sugar-phosphate backbone. Then they can explore the process of DNA replication and transcription. Using the DNA model kit’s individual gray sugar-phosphate pieces, they can synthesize a new strand of DNA – one base at a time – showing the semi-conservative replication of DNA. Finally they can synthesize mRNA – using the purple sugar-phosphate pieces – to show the process of transcription.

Each 1-group set includes 51 bases (12 red adenine, 12 yellow thymine, 12 blue cytosine, 12 green guanine, 3 white uracil), 4 continuous gray backbones, 24 gray sugar-phosphates and 12 purple sugar-phosphates.