Patent ID: 6136555
Filing Date: 2000-10-24
Classification: B01J,C07K,C12M,C12N,C40B

Abstract:
A method for continuous purification of nucleic acid from cells, which method comprises the following steps:(1) applying a crude cell suspension from a first chamber, delimited by a wall, to a filter to separate the cells from medium and resuspending the cells in the first chamber to form a cell suspension;(2) lysing the cell suspension in the first chamber to form a cell lysate containing nucleic acid;(3) applying the cell lysate to the filter to remove unwanted cells and cell debris;(4) contacting the filtered lysate with a solid phase matrix retained in or downstream of a second chamber, delimited by a wall, under conditions to bind the nucleic acid to the matrix;(5) separating the resultant filtered lysate from the matrix; and(6) applying liquid to the matrix through solution delivery means communicating with the second chamber so as to elute the nucleic acid from the matrix through an outlet which is provided downstream of the matrix;wherein the walls of the first and second chambers are continuous with one another;wherein the step of resuspending the cells in the first chamber comprises adding resuspension buffer to the cells and producing a pressure difference across the filter to resuspend the cells retained by the filter so as to form the cell suspension; andwherein the method does not include a centrifugation step.