Method of RNA sample preparation from Ribonuclease-rich matrices

Researchers in Dr. Juan Santiago's lab have developed a quick simple method of RNA extraction that can be used with ribonuclease (RNase)-rich samples. RNA manipulations can be challenging as RNA is an extremely labile molecule that is easily hydrolyzed at elevated temperature and at either alkali or acidic conditions. Furthermore, RNA stability is significantly compromised by the abundance of RNases. Much care must be taken during RNA extraction and conventional methods are time-consuming, labor-intensive, tedious and involve toxic chemistries. This technology overcomes these limitations by providing a simple alkali-based extraction protocol with minimal manual steps.

Stage of Research
The inventors have used the method to extract 16S rRNA from bacteria suspended in whole blood and showed the rRNA was purified of PCR inhibitors and compatible with RT-qPCR. Furthermore, the inventors were able to detect the bacteria with a sensitivity of 0.03 bacteria per nanoliter of blood.