Promega has launched the Maxwell CSC instrument and integrated reagent kits for blood DNA and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded DNA.
The Maxwell technology extracts nucleic acid using paramagnetic particles which allows optimal capture, wash, and elution of the target material. Because there are no tubes or pipette tips involved, there are no clogs, drips, splashing, or aerosols, greatly reducing any contamination risk.
Depending on which specific Maxwell CSC kits are used (for blood or FFPE tissues), the instrument can purify DNA from up to 16 samples in less than 45 minutes, providing high-quality nucleic acids appropriate for downstream analysis in amplification-based assays, Promega said.
The Maxwell CSC system's Windows 7-based touchscreen interface enables laboratories to easily track samples, instrument self-check reports, kit lot number and expiration dates, and operator usage, and to document parameters and protocols.
Promega said that it developed and manufactured the new products in compliance with the US Food and Drug Administration's Quality System Regulation, and that they are intended for use as in vitro diagnostic devices.
Amresco has introduced the Yeast Genomic DNA Purification Kit.
The new kit uses a proprietary, non-enzymatic lysis buffer and a simple protocol to yield high-quality, high molecular weight DNA in less than an hour, the company said. Amresco said that the kit yields an average of 1.5 µg of DNA per 5 x 107Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells, and that the resultant DNA is compatible with downstream applications such as, PCR, restriction enzyme digestions, and Southern blotting. The protocol may be scaled for larger or smaller samples.
The four-component kit is compatible with both liquid cultures and colonies. Performance is optimized for S. cerevisiae, although other fungi may also be used. The kit does not use expensive enzymes, glass beads, hazardous phenol and chloroform, or capacity restrictive columns. The only pieces of equipment required are a centrifuge and a heated water bath, the company said.