The initial procedure for all downstream molecular biology applications is nucleic acid extraction. After a targeted organism’s DNA or RNA has been extracted, various standard molecular genetic assays and studies can be carried out. DNA/RNA isolation often entails the breakdown of a cell membrane, cell wall, or capsule, the deactivation of nuclease activity, the removal of proteins, the concentration of nucleic acids, and the proper preservation of the extracted DNA/RNA.
Extraction is composed of 4 main steps named as; lysis (release of DNA by degrading the cells and the structures bound to membrane, separation, and denaturation of the proteins), binding (binding of DNA/RNA on a surface), washing (removal of unwanted contaminants such as salt, protein, etc.) and elution (recovery of DNA/RNA from the surface-bound).
Anatolia offers several automated nucleic acid extraction systems operating using magnetic-bead extraction technology. Magnetic extraction technology is based on the separation of magnetic particle-bound DNA/RNA from cell components with the help of a magnet. The separation procedure, in which the magnetic particles are used as solid support, is an effective method adaptable to automated systems. It is faster and simpler compared to other methods. This method enables the ease of DNA/RNA extraction on a large scale. UNIO systems use cartridges or deep-well plate systems used on an automated backbone, which allows easy magnetization-demagnetization steps for rapid and contamination-free DNA/RNA isolation to be used for downstream analyses.
