Patent ID: 8183054

Claim:
A nucleic acid collecting method using nucleic acid capturing tips attached to a device capable of aspirating and discharging a liquid by changing a pressure applied, the nucleic acid capturing tips having silica-containing fibrous solid phases enclosed therein in such a state that the silica-containing fibrous solid phases may come into contact with a liquid phase, the silica-containing fibrous solid phases having water-flowing regions, wherein at the water-flowing regions, the average interval among the silica-containing fibrous solid phases is 13-21 μm, the method comprising: a first step (Step 1) for mixing a first reagent for separating nucleic acids from samples with nucleic acid-containing samples to accelerate the separation of the nucleic acids; a second a step (Step 2a) for mixing a second reagent with a liquid containing the separated nucleic acids, then aspirating a resultant mixture into the nucleic acid capturing tips by changing the pressure applied, making the mixture into contact with the silica-containing fibrous solid phases, and finally discharging the mixture; a second b step (Step 2b) for aspirating the second reagent into the nucleic acid capturing tips by changing the pressure applied, then making the second reagent into contact with the silica-containing fibrous solid phases, and finally discharging the reagent to clean the silica-containing fibrous solid phases; a third a step (Step 3a) for aspirating a third reagent into the nucleic acid capturing tips by changing the pressure applied, then making the third reagent into contact with the silica-containing fibrous solid phases, and finally discharging the reagent to remove the first reagent and/or the second reagent remaining in the nucleic acid capturing tips; a third b step (Step 3b) for blowing air into the nucleic acid capturing tips to accelerate the removal of the third reagent from the nucleic acid capturing tips; a fourth step (Step 4) for aspirating a fourth reagent into the nucleic acid capturing tips by changing the pressure applied, then making the fourth reagent into contact with the silica-containing fibrous solid phases, and finally discharging the reagent to flush out the remaining third reagent; and a fifth step (Step 5) for aspirating a fifth reagent into the nucleic acid capturing tips by changing the pressure applied, then making the reagent into contact with the silica-containing fibrous solid phases, and finally discharging the reagent to elute the nucleic acids from the solid phases.