Patent ID: 6037465
Filing Date: 2000-03-14
Classification: C12N

Abstract:
A universal process for isolating and purifying nucleic acids from extremely small amounts of highly contaminated biological starting materials bya) lysis of the biological starting materials containing nucleic acids, with buffers containing at least one chaotropic salt of high ionic strength,b) incubation with a highly disperse, non-porous, unstructured and homogeneous silica carrier, the silica particles having a particle size of 7 to 40 nm and an active surface area of 50 to 300 m.sup.2 /g,c) separation of the nucleic acids fixed to the carrier, from the lysate,d) washing the nucleic acids fixed to the surface of the carrier, with a washing buffer ande) eluting the nucleic acids from the carrier with a buffer of low salt concentration,wherein the biological starting materials are chosen from the group consisting of less and 0.5 mg of tissue material, less than 0.5 .mu.L blood or blood traces on clothing, less than 5 .mu.L of saliva, and fewer than 10.sup.3 cells of different biological starting materials.