Cartagen launches new kit for
extracting plant leaf DNA for amplification.
SEATTLE, WA – September 8, 2004
- Cartagen Molecular Systems, Inc. announced
today the launch of the Rapid Homogenization
Kit for the extraction of DNA from Plant
Leaf Tissue. This unique product is designed
specifically for plant leaf samples and
enables investigators to quickly and inexpensively
process a sample, yielding a solution
containing DNA ready to be amplified using
Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) without
additional cleanup. Furthermore, the kit’s
PCR compatible buffer system lets researchers
use their own optimized PCR protocols,
eliminating the need for additional PCR
protocol optimization or purchase of special
reagents.
Homogenization, or grinding, of plant
leaf samples is often employed in agricultural
labs as a first step in the experimentation
process. However, most experiments are
complex and costly, and a researcher would
benefit from preliminary, often referred
to as “quick and dirty”, experiments,
prior to committing to further experiments.
Until now, there were few commercially
available kits that enabled a researcher
to perform these preliminary experiments.
Cartagen’s new Rapid Homogenization
Kit offers a convenient, economical solution
to manually homogenize plant leaf samples
through the use of a compact, high strength
homogenizing tool. The homogenate is prepared
in a PCR-compatible buffer and spin filtered
to remove excess debris. This enables
the researcher to quickly access the DNA
extracted in the homogenate with any standard
PCR protocol or system. The protocol takes
less than ten minutes to complete.
“Enabling researchers to quickly
and efficiently obtain DNA from agricultural
samples is an ongoing need,” commented
Steven Kirsher, President and CEO of Cartagen.
The so called ‘quick and dirty’
experiment is vital in the research process
since it allows the scientist to quickly
and inexpensively access the quality and
functionality of a sample before performing
more in-depth, and costly experiments.
Our new kit provides the means to perform
these preliminary experiments while improving
the quality of PCR results through our
PCR compatible buffer system.”
The Rapid Homogenization Kit for Plant
Leaf DNA Amplification is another in a
series of Cartagen products being licensed
from Investigen DNA Biotechnologies, of
Hercules, CA. Future products anticipated
from this collaboration include kits designed
to homogenize and extract DNA from plant
seed, root, and other agricultural or
food and animal tissue samples for immediate
use in PCR. The Rapid Homogenization technology
is also being incorporated into existing
Cartagen DNA and RNA Isolation Kits.
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