chemagic Magnetic Separation Module I: Technology
Classical methods of DNA and RNA isolation are based on column or precipitation methods. These techniques require centrifugation or vacuum steps and often have lengthy processing times as well as volume limitations, complicating their integration into automated high throughput processes. Additionally, the automated processing of these methods may cause cross contamination of the purified nucleic acids making this method useless for many diagnostic purposes.
Another problem applying automated magnetic bead based separation technologies is the insufficient or ineffective resuspension of the magnetic bead pellets after magnetic separation to enable sufficient washing and elution steps. This ineffectiveness results in lower yields and purity of the isolated nucleic acids.
The chemagic MSM I uses a unique technology to avoid these emerging problems. In the chemagic system, magnetic separation is achieved through the use of an electromagnet and separation heads with magnetizeable rods. The metal rods are immersed into the magnetic bead suspension. When the electromagnet is switched on, the rods become magnetic and the beads are separated. To resuspend an once separated magnetic bead pellet, the magnet is switched off and a stirring motor to which all rods are connected is switched on. This leads to a very effective and gentle resuspension process resulting in separation products with both highest yields and purities (see animation).
While screening the existing technologies chemagen identified and solved the following obstacles of automated nucleic acid separation:
- Restricted working volumes
chemagen: fully scalable- Limited to special reaction vessels
chemagen: all standard vessels- High throughput applications cannot be realized
chemagen: up to 4,000 samples/d- Additional high costs of disposables
chemagen: transparent costs
