A. Vortex

B. PowerLyzer

C. FastPrep

D. Precellys

E. All of the Above……

The answer is E! MO BIO Kits work with everything!

The tech tip for today is a great question!  Many people ask us about the adaptability of our kits with all the various bead beaters. Everything we make is compatible with any bead beater on the market. Read more…..

Hello,

I am interested to use the PowerSoil® DNA Isolation Kit. I want to use it with a FastPrep. Is that a problem? Are your tubes adapted for this machine as well?

Best regards,

PhD student

I am glad you asked. We have many references for the PowerSoil DNA Isolation Kit and the FastPrep. I’ve included a short list of papers at the bottom of this article that span the last couple years. The typical protocol using the FastPrep is a 45 second pulse at a setting of between 5 and 6. Just like we recommend with any new soil, it’s always a good idea to determine the best homogenization method for the soil, to see what setting gives the best yields with the least amount of sheared DNA.

In 2010 we launched a new version of the PowerSoil Kit with a glass bead tube. This was called the PowerLyzer PowerSoil DNA Isolation Kit. The original PowerSoil Kit and the PowerLyzer PowerSoil Kit are identical in their chemistry and protocol. The only difference is the bead tube. The glass bead tube in the PowerLyzer version of the kit contains 0.1 mm glass beads, ideal for lysis of microorganisms in soil using high powered bead beaters. The glass stays intact under the stronger forces and will increase the yield of DNA, depending on the soil type, as we saw in the article on homogenization mentioned above.

Both bead types work and can be used on high powered bead beaters. However, the PowerLyzer PowerSoil Kit was designed for this purpose, hence the name.

An in-depth study looking at the differences in microbial profiles between 6 different soil types homogenized on the vortex vs. the PowerLyzer, with garnet vs. glass beads can be found here.  The final conclusion was that the differences seen between the methods was more related to the soil texture and microbial load and less due to the method itself.

In summary, all of our 2 ml bead tubes supplied in the DNA and RNA kits can be used on other bead beaters.  A overview of the different bead types we offer and their uses can be found in this article on Choosing a Bead Tube.  And for RNA isolation, here is an article discussing Homogenization and Bead Tube Methods for RNA Work.

At MO BIO, we specialize in breaking down walls….  bacterial and fungal cell walls that is!

If you’re working with difficult to lyse samples and want help optimizing the best way to break them open and maximize DNA yields, give us a call!

References for using the PowerSoil Kit on the FastPrep instrument:

Shifts in Microbial Community Composition and Physiological Profiles across a Gradient of Induced Soil DegradationGuilherme M. Chaer, Marcelo F. Fernandes, David D. Myrold, and Peter J. Bottomley Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., Jun 2009; 73: 1327 – 1334.

Variations in Archaeal and Bacterial Diversity Associated with the Sulfate-Methane Transition Zone in Continental Margin Sediments (Santa Barbara Basin, California)Benjamin K. Harrison, Husen Zhang, Will Berelson, and Victoria J. OrphanAppl. Envir. Microbiol., Mar 2009; 75: 1487 – 1499.

Diversity of Basidiomycetes in Michigan Agricultural SoilMichael D. J. Lynch and R. Greg ThornAppl. Envir. Microbiol., Nov 2006; 72: 7050 – 7056.

Community Structure in the Sediment of a Freshwater Stream with Variable Seasonal FlowSteven A. Wakelin, Matt J. Colloff, and Rai S. KookanaAppl. Envir. Microbiol., May 2008; 74: 2659 – 2668.

Changes in Bacterial and Archaeal Community Structure and Functional Diversity along a Geochemically Variable Soil ProfileColleen M. Hansel, Scott Fendorf, Phillip M. Jardine, and Christopher A. FrancisAppl. Envir. Microbiol., Mar 2008; 74: 1620 – 1633.

Molecular Profiling of Rhizosphere Microbial Communities Associated with Healthy and Diseased Black Spruce (Picea mariana) Seedlings Grown in a NurseryM. Filion, R. C. Hamelin, L. Bernier, and M. St-ArnaudAppl. Envir. Microbiol., Jun 2004; 70: 3541 – 3551.http://aem.asm.org/cgi/reprint/70/6/3541

Mycobacterium aviumsubsp. paratuberculosis in the Catchment Area and Water of the River Taff in South Wales, United Kingdom, and Its Potential Relationship to Clustering of Crohn’s Disease Cases in the City of CardiffR. W. Pickup, G. Rhodes, S. Arnott, K. Sidi-Boumedine, T. J. Bull, A. Weightman, M. Hurley, and J. Hermon-TaylorAppl. Envir. Microbiol., Apr 2005; 71: 2130 – 2139.http://aem.asm.org/cgi/reprint/71/4/2130

Molecular Fingerprinting of the Fecal Microbiota of Children Raised According to Different LifestylesJohan Dicksved, Helen Flöistrup, Anna Bergström, Magnus Rosenquist, Göran Pershagen, Annika Scheynius, Stefan Roos, Johan S. Alm, Lars Engstrand, Charlotte Braun-Fahrländer, Erika von Mutius, and Janet K. Jansson Appl. Envir. Microbiol., Apr 2007; 73: 2284 – 2289.http://aem.asm.org/cgi/reprint/73/7/2284