Join a nationwide monitoring program that tests for antibiotic resistance genes in environmental soil samples. Students will collect soil samples based on their own hypotheses about antibiotic resistance hotspots, extract total environmental DNA from soil, and use the molecular methods of PCR and gel electrophoresis to test their samples for evidence of tetracycline resistance. They will then contribute their data to a national database of antibiotic resistance surveillance.  This lab has been developed in conjunction with the PARE (Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistance in the Environment) project. The PARE project engages students to test and report the prevalence of tetracycline-resistant bacteria from soil at diverse geographic sites, engaging students in one of the great environmental and health challenges of our time. Learn more about the PARE project at https://sites.tufts.edu/ctse/pare Techniques: Micropipetting, eDNA extraction, PCR, gel electrophoresis Topics: Environmental monitoring, molecular biology, biotechnology Time required: This is a project-based activity that requires at leastthree to four class periods for completion Level: Advanced high school, college This is an advanced lab activity with unknown outcomes and is ideal for independent research projects. Students performing this lab should have experience following complex molecular protocols. For a case study approach to the same curriculum, try the Antibiotic Resistance Lab .