Abstract: A nucleic acid isolation apparatus and method enables nucleic acid isolation from a nucleic-acid-containing sample quickly with high nucleic acid yield and purity. A nucleic acid isolation instrument 11 is supported by a stand 41 via a rib 19 (A). A solution is loaded into a first container 15 via a first opening portion 14 with a loading pipette tip 42. A pressurizing/depressurizing device 43 for controlling the pressure inside the first container 15 and the second container 13 individually is closely fitted in the first opening portion 14 and the second opening portion 12 via a connecting member 44 (B). The pressurizing/depressurizing device 43 pressurizes the inside of the first container 15 while it depressurizes the inside of the second container 13 so as to move the solution from the container 15 to the container 13 via a solid phase 16 (C).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a technique for efficient isolation of long nucleic acids and short nucleic acids from a sample containing long nucleic acids and short nucleic acids via safe and convenient operations. Specifically, long nucleic acids and short nucleic acids are isolated from a sample containing nucleic acids by mixing a chaotropic agent with the sample containing nucleic acids, allowing the mixed solution to pass at least twice through a first solid phase containing silica that has passage pores having predetermined pore sizes, allowing the mixed solution to pass at least twice through a second solid phase containing silica that has passage pores having pore sizes smaller than those of the first solid phase containing silica, and separately recovering nucleic acids that have bound to the first solid phase containing silica and those that have bound to the second solid phases containing silica.

Abstract: In a nucleic acid isolation method for a solid biological sample, since two or more kinds of instruments are used for biological sample disruption and nucleic acid isolation, the operations are complicated, thereby increasing the operating labor, prolonging the operation time, and deteriorating the property of a nucleic acid associated with the prolonged operation time. A sample stuck to the instrument for disruption during the sample disruption operation is not brought to the subsequent nucleic acid isolation operation, thereby causing a problem of reducing the nucleic acid isolation efficiency. In the present nucleic acid isolation method, a step of disrupting a biological sample and a step of isolating a nucleic acid released from the disrupted sample are conducted with one instrument. The nucleic acid isolation efficiency can be improved without losing a sample stuck to an instrument for sample disruption, and the operability can be improved by simplifying the operations.

Abstract: It is an objective of the present invention to isolate RNA from a sample containing nucleic acid by safe and convenient operations. As a result of intensive studies, inventors of the present invention have found that DNA is precipitated out by adding an organic solvent to a mixed solution of a sample containing DNA and RNA and a chaotropic agent, so that RNA remains soluble. The present invention relates to a method whereby a sample containing nucleic acid, a chaotropic agent, and an organic solvent are mixed, DNA is precipitated out, and the precipitate is separated from the mixed solution, such that RNA is isolated from the residual solution. In addition, in accordance with the present invention, RNA is allowed to come into contact with a silica-containing solid phase so as to be bound to the silica-containing solid phase without the addition of a reagent or the like to the residual solution. Further, it is also possible to isolate DNA from the precipitate.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method which makes it possible to extract both a liquid sample for a biochemical examination and an immunological test and a blood cell sample for a nucleic acid test from one blood sample. Isolation of blood cells is carried out for the blood obtained by blood collection. To the isolated blood cell component, a solution is added, and furthermore, which is suspended. Thus, the obtained blood cell sample is freeze-preserved, or used for extraction of nucleic acid. A nucleic acid test is carried out with the use of the extracted nucleic acid. On the other hand, the isolated plasma component is freeze-preserved, or provided for a biochemical examination and an immunological test.

Abstract: Methods for the recovery of nucleic acids from a nucleic acid-containing material are provided, by which nucleic acids can be rapidly and easily recovered at a high purity without deteriorating the yield. The methods are composed of a step for promoting the release of nucleic acids from a nucleic acid-containing material, a step for mixing the released nucleic acids with an accelerator substance for the binding of nucleic acids to a solid phase, a step for making the mixture in contact with a solid phase bondable to nucleic acids, a step for isolating the solid phase from a liquid, a step for washing the solid phase with a solution containing a salt, and a step for eluting the nucleic acids from the solid phase. Accordingly, nucleic acids at a suitable purity for genetic tests or gene analyses can be rapidly and easily recovered without the use of hazardous substances.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to release and isolate nucleic acid from a biological sample readily and in a short time. The present invention relates to a technique for isolating nucleic acid by which a biological sample including cells is caused to pass through a solid substance carrier to isolate the cells, a mixture of the cells and a cell lysis reagent is caused to pass through the solid substance carrier to disrupt the cells and release nucleic acid therein, and a mixture of the released nucleic acid and a nucleic acid binding reagent is caused to pass through the solid substance carrier to bind the nucleic acid to the solid substance carrier. Examples of an instrument comprising such solid substance carrier include an instrument comprising a syringe having a solid substance carrier fixed therein.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to further stabilize the efficiency of isolating nucleic acid concerning an apparatus for isolating nucleic acid. The present invention relates to an apparatus for isolating nucleic acid, the apparatus being provided with a meshed solid substance for binding nucleic acid. By employing the meshed solid substance for binding nucleic acid, fluid resistance can be reduced upon allowing a sample that includes nucleic acid to pass the solid substance for binding nucleic acid, while securing solid-phase volume that is sufficient for binding a large amount of nucleic acid. Consequently, even when the sample is allowed to pass the solid substance for binding nucleic acid at a high aspiration/dispense speed, force added to the solid substance for binding nucleic acid is small and the solid substance for binding nucleic acid is almost undistorted.

Abstract: A method to extract RNA with high purity from biological materials containing RNA in a safe, rapid, and simple procedure and a method to analyze it are provided. The procedure includes the steps of mixing a biological material containing RNA with a predetermined concentration of a chaotropic agent and a predetermined concentration of an organic solvent, allowing the mixed solution to contact a nucleic acid-binding solid phase, washing the nucleic-acid binding solid-phase to which RNA is bound, and eluting RNA from the nucleic-acid binding solid-phase having the bound RNA. Furthermore, the obtained RNA is analyzed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) or the like.

Abstract: The present invention absorbs and captures nucleic components from various specimens by a single stationary phase and finally recovers the nucleic components by eluting the captured nucleic components from the stationary phase. This invention enables recovery of nucleic components without reducing the concentrations of nucleic acids and detection of specific nucleic components such as specific viruses.

Abstract: Provided herein are an apparatus and a method for efficiently recovering nucleic acids from a nucleic acid-containing solution by causing the nucleic acid-containing solution to come into stable contact with a solid phase in a nucleic acid-capturing tip.

Abstract: The present invention absorbs and captures nucleic components from various specimens by a single stationary phase and finally recovers the nucleic components by eluting the captured nucleic components from the stationary phase. This invention enables recovery of nucleic components without reducing the concentrations of nucleic acids and detection of specific nucleic components such as specific viruses.

Abstract: A process for recovery of nucleic acids comprises a first step of bringing a sample containing ribonucleic acid and deoxyribonucleic acid into contact with a nucleic acid-binding solid phase; and a second step of bringing a first eluate at not lower than 4° C. and not higher than 20° C. into contact with said nucleic acid-binding solid phase, which has captured ribonucleic acid and deoxyribonucleic acid contained in said sample, thereby causing at least deoxyribonucleic acid to be eluted into the first eluate.

Abstract: An instrument and a method for conveniently collecting nucleic acids from a biological nucleic acid-containing sample are provided. A nucleic acid-capturing tip having silica-containing solid phases enclosed therein in such a state as being capable of coming into contact with a liquid, wherein the solid phases have a water-flowing regions and the average interval among solid phases in the water-flowing regions is regulated to 25 &mgr;m or less.

Abstract: Methods for the recovery of nucleic acids from a nucleic acid-containing material are provided, by which nucleic acids can be rapidly and easily recovered at a high purity without deteriorating the yield. The methods are composed of step 1 for promoting the release of nucleic acids from a nucleic acid-containing material, step 2 for mixing the released nucleic acids with an accelerator substance for the binding of nucleic acids to a solid phase, step 3 for making the mixture in contact with a solid phase bondable to nucleic acids, step 4 for isolating the solid phase from a liquid, step 6 for washing the solid phase with a solution containing a salt, and a step 6 for eluting the nucleic acids from the solid phase. Accordingly, nucleic acids at a suitable purity for genetic tests or gene analyses can be rapidly and easily recovered without the use of hazardous substances.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for the recovery of nucleic acids from a nucleic acid-containing material by which nucleic acids can be rapidly and easily recovered at a high purity without deteriorating the yield. The methods are composed of step 1 for promoting the release of nucleic acids from a nucleic acid-containing material, step 2 for mixing the released nucleic acids with an accelerator substance for the binding of nucleic acids to a solid phase, step 3 for bringing the mixture in contact with a solid phase bondable to nucleic acids, step 4 for isolating the solid phase from a liquid, step 5 for washing the solid phase with a solution containing a salt, and a step 6 for eluting the nucleic acids from the solid phase. Accordingly, nucleic acids at a suitable purity for genetic tests or gene analyses can be rapidly and easily recovered without the use of hazardous substances.

Abstract: A sample and a binding enhancer are supplied to a treating container using a pipette tip connected to a connecting nozzle. A mixture in the treating container is sucked into a nucleic acid trapping pipette tip, and nucleic acid in the mixture is trapped by a solid phase substance contained in the pipette tip. After the solid phase substance is washed with a washing solution, an eluting solution is sucked into the nucleic acid trapping pipette tip, and a liquid containing the eluted nucleic acid is discharged to a purified product container.

Abstract: A sample and a binding enhancer are supplied to a treating container using a pipette tip connected to a connecting nozzle. A mixture in the treating container is sucked into a nucleic acid trapping pipette tip, and nucleic acid in the mixture is trapped by a solid phase substance contained in the pipette tip. After the solid phase substance is washed with a washing solution, an eluting solution is sucked into the nucleic acid trapping pipette tip, and a liquid containing the eluted nucleic acid is discharged to a purified product container.

Abstract: The present invention absorbs and captures nucleic components from various specimens by a single stationary phase and finally recovers the nucleic components by eluting the captured nucleic components from the stationary phase. This invention enables recovery of nucleic components without reducing the concentrations of nucleic acids and detection of specific nucleic components such as specific viruses.

Abstract: A rectangular-shaped holder containing sample solution is moved within a temperature adjusting box by a feeder. Then, the holder is moved by another feeder to the direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the holder by a length equal to the width of the single holder. The holders thus sequentially fed within the temperature adjusting box are disposed within the box in a closely contacted state from one another. There are three holders within the temperature adjusting box in advance and four holders are stayed within the box. Rectangular-shaped four heaters are disposed within the temperature adjusting box such that the heating temperature thereof is controlled by a temperature adjusting controller. A compensation heater controlled by a temperature compensating controller compensates for a heat quantity shifted to the holder having been newly housed within the temperature adjusting box from the holders already housed within the temperature adjusting box.