Teenager astounds scientists by building a DNA testing machine in his bedroom - and he did it to discover why his brother is ginger

• Fred Turner, 17, from Yorkshire built a DNA testing machine in his bedroom
• Built the polymerase chain reaction machine from items he found at home
• Wanted to see if his brother had the mutated gene that causes ginger hair
• Experiment was a success and proved why his brother is ginger and he isn't
• Fred was named the UK's Young Engineer of the Year for his design
  

By Emma Innes

PUBLISHED: 05:16 EST, 5 April 2013 | UPDATED: 06:54 EST, 5 April 2013

A teenager has astounded scientists by building a DNA testing machine in his bedroom in an attempt to discover why his brother is ginger.

Fred Turner, 17, built the machine from items he found around his house, including an old video player, after becoming fascinated by why he has straight brown hair, while his younger brother Gus, 14, has a shock of ginger curls.

Fred from Brighouse, West Yorkshire, impressed scientists so much that he has been named the UK’s Young Engineer of the Year.

He said: ‘After years of jokes from my friends saying me and Gus have different dads, I built the machine to test once and for all why my brother is ginger and I’m not.

Fred Turner, 17, (right) built a DNA testing machine in his bedroom to establish why his brother, Gus, 14, (left) is ginger

‘The theory is that red hair appears in people with a mutated gene.

'They have two copies of a recessive gene which causes a mutation in the MC1R protein in DNA.

‘I built the machine so I could put that theory to the test and see for myself if Gus has that mutation, which would explain why Gus has ginger hair.’

Fred's machine, known as a polymerase chain reaction machine, cost him just £250 to build – compared to the £3,000 he would have had to fork out for a new one - and successfully tested the theory.

He explained: ‘I collected DNA from my brother's cheek using a swab so I could test to check if he had a mutated gene.

‘The machine makes copies of this DNA and you can test how it reacts under different temperatures.

‘Heating and cooling the sample allows you to separate the DNA so I was able to see whether my DNA was different to my brother's.

Fred built the machine from items he found around his house, including an old video player

The machine, known as a Polymerase Chain Reaction machine, cost Fred just £250 to build - compared to the £3,000 he would have had to fork out for a new one

‘I discovered that Gus does have the mutated gene, which explains why he is ginger and I'm not.’

Gus, who has a ginger afro, said: ‘It has taken a lot of work for him to get here; he has been working non-stop on it for about a year.

‘It was pretty odd being part of the experiment but it's nice to know there's a scientific reason as to why we look so different.’

Fred decided to build the machine after reading about a man in America who made his own.

FRED TURNER EXPLAINS HOW HIS MACHINE WORKS:

Scientists were so impressed that they named Fred the UK's Young Engineer of the Year

Speaking about his award winning invention, Fred Turner described it as a 'DNA photocopier'.

He explained that his first task was to extract buccal cells from his brother's cheek which he did by getting Gus to swirl saltwater around his mouth and spit it out.

He then added various chemicals and put it into the centrifuge of his machine.

He said: 'When you spin it really fast in this tiny tube all the cells collect in the bottom in what is called a pellet of cells.

'After taking it out and putting a solution in I heat the tube to 95 degrees centigrade, further breaking down the cells and releasing the DNA into the solution.

'There is a further centrifuge step which essentially removes broken bits of the cells that don't contain DNA, they go to the bottom of the solution.

'In an even smaller tube you put the solution, that has just got DNA in it, into the machine along with an enzyme and a primer and set the machine to go through the cycle.

'The cycle takes two hours and after, while there is nothing you can see because DNA is transparent, there is more DNA than you started with - you have effectively amplified the DNA.

'It is a DNA photocopier, amplifying the DNA you have to see what you've got.

'If you start with one copy you will end up with a billion copies after approximately 30 cycles (the two hour process).

'Once the cycle is finished you have two options depending on what gene you are targeting - sequencing and electrophoresis.

'To identify my brother's mutation I opted for sequencing which I couldn't do at home so I had to send the sample to a lab.

'The sequencing gives you a genetic code of As, Gs, Cs, Ts. The ginger mutation is just one letter different in the code, called an SNP, and when I sent Gus's sample away it was identified.

'I already knew what I was looking for because you can look up the genome on the internet so when I got my sample back I could see the mutation that causes Gus's ginger hair.'

Fred was able to use the machine to prove that Gus has the genetic mutation that causes ginger hair

‘I read how he had done it and I thought I could improve on his design,’ he said.

‘I used his model as a basis for my instructions and then, using a bit of home DIY, I made lots of tweaks and adjustments.

‘In the end I was just pleased that it worked.’

Fred will now go to Oxford University to study biochemistry

Fred started building his machine in May 2012 and has had to work on his design alongside his part-time job selling sofas and studying for five A-levels in biology, maths, further maths, physics and chemistry.

He has already scooped five As at AS-level.

The high-flying teen has now started getting calls from researchers who want to use his machine.

He was chosen to show off the genetic testing machine for judges at the Young Engineer of the Year awards in London and was crowned the winner.

Celebrity judge Ben Miller, TV star and comedian, said: ‘I passionately believe that engineering is vital to our future. This outstanding project by Fred shows how bright that future is in the UK and I can't wait to see what he does with his highly promising career.

‘I hope young people everywhere feel inspired to follow in his footsteps.’

Fred will now go to Oxford University where he has been offered a place to study biochemistry from September.

‘I'm not sure where I will be in ten years’ time but I would like to be running my own technology business,’ he said.

Fred says that he was inspired by his parents - account manager Louise, 49, and self-employed businessman David, 50 - who first fuelled his interest in science.

He said: ‘Both of them used to take me to science museums when I was younger. They have always encouraged my interests.

‘When I was little I built an electric motor and I had a chemistry set, so I did all the experiments in that.’