Exopolysaccharide (EPS) production by the rhizobacterium "Sinorhizobium meliloti" is essential for root nodule formation on its legume host (alfalfa), and for establishment of a nitrogen-fixing symbiosis between the two partners. Production of EPS II (galactoglucan) by certain "S. meliloti" strains results in a mucoid colony phenotype. Other strains that are unable to produce EPS II display a dry phenotype, due to the presence of an insertion element in the gene "expR", a key regulator involved in many important cellular processes, including production of low-molecular-weight EPS II. We describe a series of three programmed undergraduate biochemistry laboratory classes teaching PCR and electrophoresis procedures to detect non-functional "expR" loci in "S. meliloti". (Contains 3 figures and 2 tables.)