PSS Bio Instruments- Magtration FAQ Page: magnetic beads isolate DNA nucleic acid

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What are the magnetic beads composed of? Magnetic beads are usually made of silica impregnated with iron. What is the basis for DNA-magnetic bead binding? Under chaotropic conditions, DNA has an affinity for silica coated beads. The DNA is released from the beads by addition of a low ionic strength buffer and heat. What are paramagnetic beads? Compounds that posses magnetic quality only when exposed to a magnetic force. How large are typical magnetic beads? Generally 3-10 microns in diameter. Can the beads be re-used? We do not recommend re-use of magnetic beads. Can the beads be coated with other materials? Yes. For example, streptavidin coated beads may be used to isolate biotin labeled proteins. Can alkaline lysis protocols be used to release DNA? Yes, although some modifications may be required for compatibility with MAGTRATION Technology. What types of nucleic acids can be purified with MAGTRATION Technology? Genomic DNA, mRNA, total RNA, plasmids What types of samples can be analyzed? Whole blood, dried blood, buccal swabs, cell cultures, PCR clean up, dye terminator removal. How does one calculate the purity and quantity of a DNA sample? Quantity and quality of DNA is accomplished by measuring absorbance at A260 (DNA), A280 (protein) and A320 (background). For DNA quantitation: A260 – A320 = corrected DNA quantity. 1 absorbance unit at A260 = 50 ng/ml (be sure to correct for any dilutions) For DNA purity (protein carry over) measure A260-A320 / A280-A320. The final value should be between 1.7 and 1.9 Is MAGTRATION true walk away technology? Yes. Once the samples and reagents have been loaded onto the instrument, just start the protocol and no additional intervention is required through to collection of the purified nucleic acid. How does MAGTRATION differ from other magnetic bead based systems? PSS has patented a special pipetting tip that traps the bound DNA to the inner wall of the tip when a strong magnetic force is applied. This differs form other systems that collect the bound DNA on the bottom of a reaction well. The patented PSS technique facilitates washing and recovery of the target DNA. What are the power requirements for MAGTRATION systems? AC 100~120V or 200-240V, 400VA and 50/60Hz Is a computer included? No computer is supplied with the SX-6G, SX-8G or SX-96GC. What are the computer requirements? OS: Windows NT/98 or higher CPU: Pentium II/Celeron/AMD K6, 300 MHz or higher Memory: 128 Mbyte or higher recommended (64 Mbyte minimum) HDD: 100 Mbyte available space What is the strength of each magnetic? 3000 gauss What type of material is the deck made of? Aluminum What type of material are the tips made of? Polypropylene Are the tips disposable? Yes, to prevent cross contamination Is the system ventilated? Both the upper chamber and the power supply have an active ventilation system Do the instruments accept standard 48-and 96-well microtiter plates? The SX-6G accepts a PSS original design 42-well plate. The SX-8G and SX-96GC will accept standard 96-well microtiter plates Why are there cooling and heating blocks? Heating is necessary to release purified DNA from the magnetic beads (in conjunction with a low ionic strength buffer). Cooling is used to reduce evaporation of stored samples. How is heating and cooling achieved? Peltier devices What type of software runs the instrument? PSS’ HiMICO software is used for instrument programming and control Is there a graphical user interface? Yes. Can other applications be run while using HiMICO software? No. We do not recommend that any other applications be open or running while the HiMICO application is in operation. Return to top