Getting Started
The Wolbachia Project has moved to Penn State! Please visit our new website at: https://wolbachiaproject.org/
Join us to discover the microbes within! The Wolbachia Project is organized as a five-part lab series spanning arthropod collection to DNA extraction, amplification, and sequence analysis. Each Project Guide has been designed to facilitate inquiry-based research experiences and optimize student success in the classroom. Unless otherwise specified, all material is available under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license.
- Lab 1: Arthropod Identification
- Lab 2: DNA Extraction
- Lab 3: Polymerase Chain Reaction
- Lab 4: Gel Electrophoresis
- Lab 5: Bioinformatics
To get started, we recommend that you:
- Review materials list for each lab to ensure you have necessary equipment.
- Use the Wolbachia Project Calculator to determine classroom needs.
- Not sure which type of equipment to purchase? Check out the Resource Guide.
- Contact us to obtain insect controls (Wolbachia-infected and Wolbachia-uninfected), a Wolbachia (+) DNA control, and PCR primers.
- Download the list of Next Generation Science Standards aligned with this project.
- Download the journal article “Using the Wolbachia Bacterial Symbiont to Teach Inquiry-Based Science: A High School Laboratory Series.”
Resource Library
In some cases, teachers and collaborators have provided alternate protocols to accommodate availability of classroom resources. These resources, as well as previous versions of the labs, are available in the Resource Library.
Free Loaner Program
Are you interested in The Wolbachia Project but don’t have access to equipment or costly reagents? The Free Loaner Program will provide everything you need to get started!
Independent Student Research
The Wolbachia Project proudly supports independent research and after-school science clubs. Due to safety regulations, all student research requests must be facilitated by an adult mentor.
