| abstract |
A method is provided for the isolation of DNA and RNA from a biological sample, innparticular faeces, which comprises the step of rapidly mixing the sample with ice-coldnwater prior to adding any other liquid agent. A suitable amount of water relative to thenamount of sample is about 50% v/v. Preferably, glass beads are added to promotenmixing. Further steps include adding a detergent and a chelating agent to the mixture,nsuch as SDS or Triton X-100 and EDTA, respectively, subjecting the mixture to annucleic acid extraction with phenol/chloroform/isoamylalcohol, incubating, optionallynchilling to form phenol needles, centrifuging and recovering the DNA and RNA fromnthe water phase. The method is particularly useful for diagnostic purposes, fornexample the detection and diagnosis of human pathogens and mutated DNA in stool. |