A method for extracting nucleic acid components of a biological sample, comprising: (i) in a container, reversibly binding at least one nucleic acid component of the biological sample to at least one paramagnetic particle, said paramagnetic particle being an iron oxide particle in an acid environment; (ii) separating the at least one paramagnetic particle bound nucleic acid component from unbound components of the biological sample; (iii) washing the at least one paramagnetic particle bound nucleic acid component; (iv) separating the at least one paramagnetic particle bound nucleic acid component from the wash; (v) removing the at least one nucleic acid component from the at least one paramagnetic particle by a two-step elution and neutralization process comprising - eluting the at least one paramagnetic particle bound nucleic acid component with a basic pH elution buffer solution consisting of potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide, thereby yielding an eluted sample; and - followed by neutralizing the eluted sample by subsequently adding a neutralizing buffer selected from bicine, Tris, 2-(cyclohexyl-amino)ethanesulfonic acid (CHES), N,N-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-aminoethanesulfonic acid, 4-morpholinepropanesulfonic acid (MOPS) or phosphate, thereby yielding an optimized buffer, (vi) followed by separating and removing the paramagnetic particles after neutralization of the sample while the pH-optimized solution containing the unbound nucleic acid is transferred for further manipulation, wherein the removing step is separate from the neutralizing step. (i) in a container, reversibly binding at least one nucleic acid component of the biological sample to at least one paramagnetic particle, said paramagnetic particle being an iron oxide particle in an acid environment; (ii) separating the at least one paramagnetic particle bound nucleic acid component from unbound components of the biological sample; (iii) washing the at least one paramagnetic particle bound nucleic acid component; (iv) separating the at least one paramagnetic particle bound nucleic acid component from the wash; (v) removing the at least one nucleic acid component from the at least one paramagnetic particle by a two-step elution and neutralization process comprising - eluting the at least one paramagnetic particle bound nucleic acid component with a basic pH elution buffer solution consisting of potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide, thereby yielding an eluted sample; and - followed by neutralizing the eluted sample by subsequently adding a neutralizing buffer selected from bicine, Tris, 2-(cyclohexyl-amino)ethanesulfonic acid (CHES), N,N-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-aminoethanesulfonic acid, 4-morpholinepropanesulfonic acid (MOPS) or phosphate, thereby yielding an optimized buffer, - eluting the at least one paramagnetic particle bound nucleic acid component with a basic pH elution buffer solution consisting of potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide, thereby yielding an eluted sample; and - followed by neutralizing the eluted sample by subsequently adding a neutralizing buffer selected from bicine, Tris, 2-(cyclohexyl-amino)ethanesulfonic acid (CHES), N,N-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-aminoethanesulfonic acid, 4-morpholinepropanesulfonic acid (MOPS) or phosphate, thereby yielding an optimized buffer, (vi) followed by separating and removing the paramagnetic particles after neutralization of the sample while the pH-optimized solution containing the unbound nucleic acid is transferred for further manipulation,