DNA/RNA Co-Extraction Kits

<h2>What are Spin-Column Environmental/Microbial DNA/RNA Co-Extraction Kits?</h2>
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Spin-column environmental/microbial DNA/RNA co-extraction kits simultaneously purify genomic DNA and total RNA - including small RNAs 17-200 nt - from feces, soil, water, biofilm, swabs, plant material, and body fluids using bead-beating mechanical disruption with BashingBeads (0.1 mm + 0.5 mm) for unbiased lysis of all microbial cell types, followed by sequential Zymo-Spin column purification in a standard microcentrifuge. The ZymoBIOMICS DNA/RNA Miniprep Kit delivers DNA and RNA in separate fractions - the primary advantage over the combined total nucleic acid eluate of the MagBead format - enabling parallel metagenomic and metatranscriptomic library preparation from one undivided environmental input without post-extraction enzymatic separation steps. Choose the spin-column format when processing 1-24 environmental samples per run, when separate DNA and RNA fractions are required from the outset, or when automation infrastructure is unavailable.
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<h2 dir="ltr">What you will find:</h2>
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Quick-DNA/RNA&trade; Water Kit to isolate high-purity nucleic acids from water samples using specialized column purification
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Quick-DNA/RNA&trade; Pathogen MiniPrep Kit for rapid co-extraction of pathogen genomes utilizing robust spin-column technology
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ZymoBIOMICS&trade; DNA/RNA Mini Kit to ensure unbiased microbiome profile recoveries using an innovative lysis system&nbsp;
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<h2>How to Choose a Spin-Column Environmental/Microbial DNA/RNA Co-Extraction Kit</h2>
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Separate vs. Combined Fractions
The ZymoBIOMICS DNA/RNA Miniprep natively delivers separate DNA and RNA by column switching: gDNA binds the IIIC column while RNA flows through to the IC column. No post-extraction enzymatic treatment is needed to separate the analytes. This is the critical differentiator from the MagBead format, which requires DNase I treatment of the combined eluate to prepare an RNA fraction for RNA-seq.
PCR Inhibitor Removal Validation
Always measure A260/A230 on both eluates after extraction. Values below 1.5 indicate inhibitor carryover from humic acids (soil) or bile salts (feces) that will suppress PCR amplification and NGS library preparation. If A260/A230 &lt; 1.5, reduce input mass to 50-100 mg and add an optional pass through Zymo-Spin III-HRC Inhibitor Removal Columns on the RNA eluate before downstream use.
Bead-Beating Instrument
A vortex with a horizontal adapter (Vortex-Genie 2 at max speed x 5 min) validates for standard fecal and soil samples. A dedicated bead mill (Precellys, FastPrep-24) at 6,000-6,500 rpm for 40-60 seconds per cycle provides more consistent lysis for tough-walled Gram-positive organisms in high-diversity environmental samples; use 2-3 cycles with 30-second cooling intervals on ice to prevent RNA degradation from heat.
DNA/RNA Shield for Sample Stabilization
DNA/RNA Shield preserves microbial community RNA at room temperature for 30 days. Add Shield directly to the sample tube immediately after collection - before any transport or refrigeration delay - to capture the metabolic RNA expression state at the moment of collection. Shield-stabilized samples load directly into BashingBead Lysis Tubes without additional preparation.
Input Scaling for Low-Biomass vs. High-Biomass Samples
Standard input for feces: 250 mg. Standard input for topsoil: 200 mg. For low-biomass environmental samples (filtered water, air, oligotrophic deep soil): collect maximum biomass by filtering the largest feasible volume and add carrier RNA (5 ng per extraction) to the lysis step to improve column binding of trace nucleic acids. For high-biomass samples (feces, compost), reduce input to 50-100 mg to avoid column overloading and inhibitor carryover.
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<h2>Specifications Context</h2>
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Performance benchmarks for the ZymoBIOMICS DNA/RNA Miniprep Kit: DNA yield 2-15 ug from 250 mg feces (A260/A280 &gt;= 1.8, fragment size &gt;= 15 kb for standard input); RNA yield 2-10 ug from 250 mg feces (A260/A280 &gt;= 1.8, A260/A230 &gt;= 1.5, small RNAs 17-200 nt included). The kit uses Zymo-Spin column technology with OneStep PCR Inhibitor Removal Technology validated for feces, soil, plant material, water, biofilm, swabs, saliva, and body fluids, producing inhibitor-free nucleic acids ready for RT-PCR, arrays, sequencing, and microbiome analyses. The ZymoBIOMICS DNA/RNA Miniprep is widely used in gut microbiome and soil metatranscriptomics research at institutions including Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Vanderbilt University, and MD Anderson Cancer Center.
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For bulk pricing on ZymoBIOMICS DNA/RNA Miniprep kits, bead-beating instrument recommendations, or protocol guidance for low-biomass or high-inhibitor environmental samples,&nbsp;<a href="https://mbpinc.net/contact-us">contact the MBP team</a>.

Spin-column

MSDS

Protocol

Quick-DNA/RNA™ Water Kit (50 Preps)

R2044 by Zymo Research is a 50-prep kit for simultaneous DNA and RNA recovery from water, wastewater, and sludge samples. It processes up to 1 L (low-biomass water) or 50 mL (raw wastewater), yielding up to 25 µg DNA and 100 µg RNA per prep at A260/A280 >1.8 without vacuum filtration. Industry scientists supporting wastewater surveillance, environmental virology, or drinking water monitoring benefit from the inhibitor-removal technology and ddPCR/RT-qPCR/NGS-ready eluates.

Sample Sources

Sample Size

DNA/RNA Purity

Yield

DNA/RNA Storage

Equipment Needed (user provided)

Manufacturer

Shipping Condition

Storage Condition

<h2>What are Magnetic Bead Microbial DNA/RNA Co-Extraction Kits?</h2>
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Magnetic bead microbial DNA/RNA co-extraction kits purify both genomic DNA and total RNA, including small RNAs &gt;=17 nt, from microbial community samples - stool, soil, water, biofilm, swabs, and body fluids using BashingBead mechanical lysis in a 96-deep-well plate followed by binding of nucleic acids to paramagnetic silica-coated beads, magnetic separation during successive wash steps to remove PCR inhibitors, and elution in &gt;=50 ul of ZymoBIOMICS DNase/RNase-Free Water. The entire purification phase requires no centrifugation and integrates directly with KingFisher Flex, Accuris IsoPure 96, and AllSheng AutoPure 96 liquid-handling platforms. Choose the magnetic bead format for microbial DNA/RNA co-extraction when processing 48+ community samples per session, when a compatible automation platform is available, or when reproducibility across hundreds of samples is required for a human microbiome cohort, environmental monitoring, or clinical trial.
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<h2 dir="ltr">What you will find:</h2>
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Quick-DNA/RNA HT Kit for high-throughput isolation of total nucleic acids from liquid clinical and biological specimens using a magnetic bead&ndash;based extraction system.
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ZymoBIOMICS MagBead DNA/RNA Kit for unbiased recovery of microbiome DNA and RNA without chemical bias, featuring an innovative lysis system.
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Quick-DNA/RNA Pathogen MagBead Kit for rapid isolation of viral, bacterial, and protozoan nucleic acids from challenging vector samples using an optimized buffer
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<h2>How to Choose a Magnetic Bead Microbial DNA/RNA Co-Extraction Kit</h2>
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Automation Script Availability
Confirm the kit manufacturer provides a validated, instrument-specific script for your platform before purchase. Zymo Research provides automation scripts for KingFisher Flex, KingFisher Apex, Accuris IsoPure 96, and AllSheng AutoPure 96; Tecan Fluent and Hamilton STAR scripts require adaptation. Script development and validation add 2-4 weeks; factor this into project timelines.
Combined vs. Separate Analyte Fractions
The ZymoBIOMICS MagBead DNA/RNA kit elutes a combined total nucleic acid fraction. For studies requiring separate DNA and RNA fractions from the same extraction (parallel metagenomics and metatranscriptomics), apply post-extraction enzymatic depletion (DNase I on the RNA aliquot, RNase A on the DNA aliquot) or use the ZymoBIOMICS DNA/RNA Miniprep kit, which uses column-switching architecture for native separation.
96-Well Bead-Beating Setup
The lysis step requires a 96-well bead mill compatible with ZR-96 BashingBead Lysis Racks. Validated instruments include GenoGrinder 2000, Retsch MM400 with a 96-tube rack adapter, and Bertin Precellys. The bead-beating step is the primary manual step in an otherwise automated workflow; confirm the lab has a compatible bead mill before adopting the kit.
Inhibitor Load by Sample Type
Stool samples have moderate inhibitor loads (bile salts, starch metabolites) that ZymoBIOMICS wash steps reliably remove. Soil samples -- especially high-humic tropical or peat soils - carry heavier inhibitor loads that may require reducing input mass to 10-50 mg per well and validating A260/A230 &gt;= 1.5 on initial test extractions. If A260/A230 remains below 1.5, apply an additional cleanup step with Zymo OneStep PCR Inhibitor Removal Columns before library preparation.
DNA/RNA Shield Sample Collection
For multi-site human microbiome cohort studies, use DNA/RNA Shield fecal collection tubes (Zymo R1101) as the collection device. Samples stabilized at room temperature for up to 30 days in Shield are directly loadable into the ZR-96 BashingBead Rack, streamlining the pre-extraction workflow and enabling consistent RNA preservation across diverse collection sites.
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<h2>Specifications Context</h2>
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ZymoBIOMICS MagBead DNA/RNA kit produces total nucleic acid eluted into &gt;=50 ul with A260/A280 &gt;= 1.8, A260/A230 &gt;= 1.5, and DNA fragment sizes suitable for 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and shotgun metagenomics. Input specification: approximately 2 &times; 10^8 bacterial cells, 2 &times; 10^7 yeast cells, or ~40 mg human stool per well. A published 2024 high-throughput fecal microbiome DNA extraction study demonstrated that bead-beating at &gt;=3,000xg significantly improves detection of hard-to-lyse Gram-positive genera - Blautia, Bifidobacterium, and Ruminococcus compared with no bead-beating, confirming that mechanical lysis is non-negotiable for unbiased community co-extraction. ZymoBIOMICS MagBead workflows are used in NIH-funded human microbiome research and are the standard extraction approach for multi-site gut microbiome cohort studies at institutions registered with MBP, including Howard Hughes Medical Institute and MD Anderson Cancer Center.
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<a href="https://mbpinc.net/contact-us">Contact the MBP team</a> and get high-yield mag bead systems for your high-throughput extraction workflows.

Mag Beads

DataSheet

ZymoBIOMICS MagBead DNA/RNA

R2135 by Zymo Research is the ZymoBIOMICS&#8482; MagBead DNA/RNA kit for simultaneous co-purification of DNA and total RNA from complex microbiome samples in a 96-well magnetic bead format. With a binding capacity of 15 µg DNA/RNA per 30 µl beads and elution in 50 µl, R2135 delivers NGS-ready nucleic acids (A260/A280 &gt;1.8) from fecal, soil, water, biofilm, and swab samples, with compatibility for automated liquid handling platforms and robotic processors.

Binding Capacity

Equipment Needed

Purity

Recommended Materials

Sample Preservation

Sample types

Size Limits

Storage

ZymoBIOMICS™ 96 MagBead DNA/RNA Kit (96 Preps.)

ZymoBIOMICS™ 96 MagBead DNA/RNA Kit (4 x 96 Preps.)

ZymoBIOMICS™ DNA/RNA Mini Kit (50 Preps.)

The ZymoBIOMICS™ DNA/RNA Miniprep Kit by Zymo Research simultaneously co-purifies DNA and total RNA (≥17 nt, including miRNA) from feces, soil, plant, and environmental samples in 50 preparations. The Zymo-Spin™ IIICG column binds up to 100 µg with a minimum 50 µl elution at A260/A280 >1.8. Also available in an RNA-only format. Kit components stored at room temperature.