RNA extraction services

RNA extraction services [Human Blood/FFPE tissues]

RNA extraction from human blood is a fundamental technique in molecular biology and clinical research. It involves isolating high-quality ribonucleic acid (RNA) from blood samples to study gene expression, diagnose diseases, and understand cellular responses. Due to the complexity of blood components—such as cells, proteins, and nucleases efficient and careful extraction methods are essential to preserve RNA integrity and purity. The extracted RNA serves as a critical starting material for downstream applications like reverse transcription, quantitative PCR, and RNA sequencing. RNA is extracted by lysing fresh or frozen blood with Buffer RLT Plus and β-mercaptoethanol to disrupt cells and inactivate RNases. Ethanol is added to the lysate to promote RNA binding to the silica membrane in the spin column. After centrifugation, RNA binds to the column while impurities flow through. Wash buffers (AW1 and AW2) remove contaminants, and RNA is eluted with RNase-free water. RNase-free conditions and quick handling are essential to prevent RNA degradation. Purity and yield are assessed post-extraction.

RNA from FFPE Tissues

Extracting RNA from FFPE (formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded) cells involves several key steps to overcome the challenges of RNA fragmentation and chemical modifications caused by fixation.

The Qiagen RNeasy FFPE RNA Kit protocol begins by deparaffinizing FFPE tissue sections using deparaffinization solution to remove paraffin. After drying, the tissue is lysed with Buffer PKD and Proteinase K digestion at 56°C, followed by incubation at 80°C to reverse formalin crosslinks. The lysate is then treated with DNase to remove contaminating DNA. Ethanol is added to the sample to facilitate RNA binding to the silica membrane in the RNeasy spin column. The column is washed with provided buffers to remove impurities, and finally, pure RNA is eluted in RNase-free water. The procedure requires careful handling with RNase-free reagents and is optimized to recover partially degraded RNA typical of FFPE samples.