ZyGEM Corp. Ltd. announced the availability of a new application note documenting that its prepGEM Bacteria DNA extraction kit is capable of producing high quality, ready-to-analyze DNA from a broad range of bacterial species, including mixed or unknown sample types. This addresses an important unmet need current DNA extraction methods typically require the use of different enzymes for each type of bacteria tested. The prepGEM Bacteria kit also uses a single closed-tube system that reduces extraction time and cost while protecting the sample from contamination and making the kit easily adaptable for automation.
The prepGEM Bacteria kit is extremely versatile data in the application note confirms that it can extract DNA from bacterial species in samples containing multiple and unknown species. This versatility results from the kit’s unique combination of enzymes that become active at different temperatures, providing the capability for multiple reactions in a single processing run. Data in the application note also demonstrates that prepGEM Bacteria can process low-volume samples containing low numbers of cells, allowing researchers to extract DNA directly from these samples without first having to conduct a concentration step, thereby significantly simplifying and speeding up the procedure.
“Data in the new prepGEM Bacteria application note confirms that our kits easily and rapidly extract DNA from sample types that typically pose problems for scientists, often requiring multiple steps that increase the time and cost of DNA extraction, while also increasing the risk of contamination,” said Paul Kinnon, CEO of ZyGEM. “The molecular detection of microbes offers major advantages over conventional approaches, yet the lack of a universal DNA extraction method has been a barrier to wider adoption of molecular-based technologies. The speed and ease-of-use afforded by our prepGEM Bacteria kit allows for rapid DNA-based detection and monitoring of different bacteria strains efficiently and reproducibly, without significant investment of time or hardware. These important advantages make the prepGEM Bacteria kit valuable for diverse applications, including infectious disease diagnosis and pathogen monitoring in a variety of settings, such as vaccine development and quality control.”
In the application note, ZyGEM researchers describe their experience using prepGEM Bacteria to extract DNA from a single sample of mixed bacteria containing Gram positive, Gram negative and polysaccharide-secreting bacterial species that would typically require separate extraction procedures. The prepGEM Bacteria kit extracted PCR-ready DNA from this diverse sample with a single temperature-controlled reaction using its unique combination of thermophilic enzymes and a buffer with proprietary agents that enhance cell lysis. Results showed that prepGEM Bacteria’s simple, two-step reaction in a single closed tube efficiently extracted high quality DNA from diverse bacteria sample types, greatly reducing the risk of contamination and providing a method that is easily adaptable for automation.
ZyGEM researchers also successfully extracted quality PCR-ready DNA from low-volume samples using prepGEM Bacteria kits, without the need for the concentration step that is often required before extracting DNA from small samples. This simplifies and speeds up the procedure while also reducing the possibility of sample contamination during the concentration process.
The prepGEM Bacteria kit is compatible with all PCR detection and amplification reagents, and the stability of the prepGEM reagents allows convenient storage at 4°C, reducing preparation time and increasing ease of use.