We have devised and implemented a module for an upper division undergraduate laboratory based on the amplification and analysis of a p53 polymorphism associated with cancer susceptibility. First, students collected a drop of peripheral blood cells using a sterile sting and then used FTA cards to extract the genomic DNA. The p53 region is then PCR amplified, and the PCR products are digested with the BstUI enzyme to detect the 72 codon polymorphism. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis is used to resolve the PCR products, and the results are statistically analyzed in the context of human population genetics. Blood samples in FTA cards were also collected from 50 women to detect the mutation in a wide range of ages and assess its relationship to familial cancer susceptibility. This module enables students to use materials and methods that are routinely used by scientific researchers to analyze polymorphisms. Therefore, it can be used for laboratory exercises in traditional biochemistry curricula as well as in the growing field of genomic science and education.Keywords: p53, mutation, cancer, polymorphism, genomic DNA, FTA cards, PCR, susceptibility.The p53 gene is a well-known tumor suppressor gene encoding a nuclear protein that induces growth arrest or apoptosis in response to cellular stress [1]. When the p53 pathway is inhibited, cancer progression accelerates and resistance to chemotherapy develops [2]. Indeed, p53 function is compromised in the majority of human cancers [3][4][5].There is increasing evidence that allele variants in some oncogenes and tumor-suppressor genes are candidates for genetic risk factors that may alter the clinical outcome of cancer.The participation of p53 alterations, including somatic mutations and germline polymorphisms, in tumor development has been well documented. A polymorphism in codon 72 (Arg/Pro allele) of p53 is widely distributed in various human populations [6,7]. One of the striking features of this polymorphism is the efficient degradation of the Arg-type gene product of p53 by the human papillomavirus (HPV) E6 oncoprotein; carriers of the Arg-type gene product are about seven times more susceptible to cervical cancer [8]. The high risk of cervical cancer associated with the Arg-type gene product of p53 has been supported by several epidemiological studies on European individuals [7,9]. However, studies on British [10], Japanese [11], and Korean [12] populations have not verified this risk. The distribution of the codon 72 polymorphic genotype varies according to ethnicity [6], and it is rather difficult to generalize conclusions obtained for any given population. Nonetheless, we considered it highly important that our students learn an easy technique to detect this polymorphism since cervical cancer is the main cancer in the Mexican population. Our learning objective was to teach students the biochemical principles that are at the root of detecting DNA polymorphisms and to provide a greater appreciation and understanding of its benefits and extensive applications in to...