Validation of MO BIO’s PowerMag Soil DNA Isolation Kit on the Automated Liquid Handling VERSA 1100 Workstation

Purification of DNA from soil samples is a challenging process due to the presence of humic acid, fulvic acid, phenolics, and polysaccharides that inhibit the downstream applications including PCR, and NGS. Moreover, these inhibitors co-extract with the DNA template that makes the DNA purification ineffective. Therefore, the soil samples need special kit chemistry and equipment in removing these inhibitors before DNA binds to the magnetic beads.

 Keeping in view these challenges, automation of MO BIO’s PowerMagâ Soil DNA isolation Kit was performed on VERSA 1100 Workstation. The automation resulted in consistent yield of high quality DNA from contaminated soil types including garden soil known to contain high levels of humic acids and other inhibitors. The VERSA workstation automates the entire process (except centrifugation) from the soil samples to isolated DNA due to the presence of a powerful shaker-heater on its deck. VERSA thus offers merit over the other available systems that automate from the pre-processed soil extract carried off deck of such systems. The successful PCR carried on the DNA isolated from these soils indicated high inhibitor-free DNA with intact molecular size over 50kb.

 The study, although, carried on limited number of samples but demonstrated that VERSA Workstation and its modules on the deck are optimal in their performance. The system allows processing of 96 samples in a single run minimizing human error.