Patent ID: 8729252

Claim:
A method for isolating a nucleic acid from an aqueous solution utilizing magnetic particles comprising the steps of: a) adding silica-coated magnetic particles to an aqueous solution comprising the nucleic acid in the presence of a salt and a hydratable additive, which is selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, polyalkylene glycol, cyclodextrin, carageenan, dextran, dextran sulfate, xanthan, cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, amylose, 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin, agar agar or a mixture thereof, wherein the concentration of the additive is in the range of from 2% (w/v) to 7% (w/v) and is selected to prevent substantial clustering of the magnetic particles during the performance of the method and wherein the concentration of the salt is sufficiently high to cause the nucleic acid to adhere to the particles but not so high as to substantially denature or degrade the nucleic acid or to cause the nucleic acid to precipitate, b) incubating the aqueous solution of step a) to allow the particles of step a) and the nucleic acid of step a) to adhere, reversibly bind or absorb to the particles of step (a), c) applying a magnetic field to said solution to separate the magnetic particles from said solution, d) optionally washing the separated magnetic particles of step c); and e) exposing the magnetic particles from step (c) or (d) to an elution buffer under conditions in which said nucleic acid is eluted from said magnetic particles.