Why Use Commercial Spin Kits
It’s not always necessary, but it can make your life easier. Spin columns for DNA extraction or RNA extraction can help you consistently get clean samples, accelerate your workflow, and generate repeatable results from your downstream assays. Using commercial spin kits to purify nucleic acids is particularly useful when your downstream application is sensitive to sample contaminants and reagents that are commonly used to precipitate DNA/RNA, such as ethanol, because the spin filter can effectively remove the contaminants and vendors provide optimized protocols.
Oftentimes scientists choose commercial spin columns for DNA extraction based on what their colleagues use or by sticking with the choice of columns or kits that their current vendor provides, which can lead to success. However, there may be better options for your specific application. There are numerous kits and spin columns for DNA extraction and RNA extraction to choose from. Here we offer key considerations on how to select the best option.
What to Consider
Most kits are easy to differentiate based on the target analyte (genomic DNA, plasmid DNA, total RNA, etc.), but it is important to also consider the following factors:
Sample Type
The biggest consideration, aside from target analyte, is the sample type. Commercial kits will often include all the reagents you would need to fully prepare your samples—from cell lysis through purification. While many of the reagents between kits may overlap, certain reagents are included based on the qualities of specific samples.
For instance, MP Bio’s FastDNA spin kit for Plant and Animal Tissue contains Lysing Matrix D and two different Cell Lysis Solutions (one for animal tissue and one for plant tissue), whereas the FastDNA Spin Kit for Feces includes Lysing Matrix E, different lysis solutions, and reagents and steps to specifically remove humic acids.
Conveniently, some kits will include reagents for isolating the same target analyte for different types of samples. MP Bio’s FastRNATM Win Kit for Plants contains two different lysis solutions, one to be used for phenol-containing plants and the other for polysaccharide-containing plants.
Vendor
When you begin your search for a nucleic acid purification kit, start with kits that have been widely used with proven success. These kits will be heavily cited in the literature and you likely already know the big name vendors—MP Bio being one of them, with many of our kits being cited in thousands of publications.
Literature
Oftentimes, individual labs have samples or downstream applications where the ideal spin column for DNA extraction is not obvious or the method has not yet been standardized. Occasionally, researchers will test multiple kits and protocols to identify the optimal choice and to standardize their workflow. For example, Eichmiller et al. tested multiple commercial spin kits to optimize techniques for extracting environmental DNA.
If the ideal choice of commercial spin kit (or protocol) is not overwhelmingly apparent, we suggest looking to the literature for use cases that are similar to yours.
High-Performance Options
With MP Bio’s FastPrep® Kits, we provide ready-to-use protocols for DNA, RNA, and protein isolation from any sample to ensure:
- Rapid and reproducible sample lysis and purification
- No cross-contamination with closed lysing matrix tubes
- Increased yields of high-quality DNA, RNA, and proteins
- Integrity and size of DNA, RNA, and proteins are retained
- Nucleic acids and proteins are ready-to-use in downstream applications
Learn more about MP Bio’s purification kits and get guidance on which kit is most suitable for your sample by exploring our Sample Preparation Brochure.
FastDNA™ Spin Kit for Soil, 50 Preps
Isolate high-quality DNA from soil and other environmental samples with our complete spin kit.
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