Microbial DNA/RNA Co-Extraction Kits for Paired Multi-Omics Analysis
Microbial DNA/RNA co-extraction kits simultaneously purify genomic DNA and total RNA from the same microbial sample—feces, soil, water, biofilm, swabs, and cultured bacteria and fungi—using bead-beating mechanical lysis and phenol-free silica-column or magnetic bead purification with PCR inhibitor removal steps. Both analytes elute in separate fractions for paired metagenomic and metatranscriptomic sequencing from one undivided input.
MBP carries Zymo Research ZymoBIOMICS DNA/RNA Miniprep and MagBead kits validated with the 8-species Microbial Community Standard, for registered vendors including Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Vanderbilt University, and MD Anderson Cancer Center. Request a quote for microbial DNA/RNA co-extraction kits supporting paired metagenomic and metatranscriptomic sequencing by contacting customerservice@mbpinc.net.
Microbial DNA/RNA
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What are Microbial DNA/RNA Co-Extraction Kits?
Microbial DNA/RNA co-extraction kits simultaneously purify genomic DNA and total RNA - including small RNAs >=17 nt - from the same microbial sample: stool, soil, water, biofilm, swabs, saliva, and cultured bacteria, fungi, and protozoa. A phenol-free lysis system combining bead-beating mechanical disruption with chaotropic salt buffers achieves unbiased lysis of Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria, and fungi from the same input, delivering both analytes in separate fractions for parallel metagenomic and metatranscriptomic workflows without splitting the sample. Use a microbial-specific DNA/RNA co-extraction kit, not a standard mammalian cell co-extraction kit, whenever your sample contains complex microbial communities where Gram-positive organisms and cell-wall-encased fungi require bead-beating lysis that standard column kits cannot provide.
What you will find:
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Quick-DNA/RNA HT: A high-throughput, automated solution optimized for rapid, large-scale recovery of total nucleic acids without cross-contamination.
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ZymoBIOMICS MagBead DNA/RNA: Reproducibility-tested technology designed for unbiased profiling and accurate representation of diverse taxonomic structures.
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Quick-DNA/RNA Pathogen MagBead: High-performance magnetic bead chemistry engineered for the ultra-pure isolation of infectious agent signatures from diverse biological samples.
How to Choose a Microbial DNA/RNA Co-Extraction Kit
Unbiased Lysis for Mixed Communities
The critical performance criterion for microbial community co-extraction is balanced recovery of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and fungi from the same lysate. ZymoBIOMICS DNA/RNA kits use both 0.1 mm and 0.5 mm BashingBeads; kits with only one bead size systematically under-represent either small Gram-negative rods (0.5 mm only) or hard-walled Gram-positive and fungal cells (0.1 mm only). Validate community representation with the ZymoBIOMICS Microbial Community Standard before adopting any kit in a new study.
Spin-Column vs. Magnetic Bead Format
The ZymoBIOMICS DNA/RNA Miniprep Kit (spin-column) processes 1-24 samples per run using a microcentrifuge and Zymo-Spin column technology. The ZymoBIOMICS MagBead DNA/RNA Kit processes 96 samples per run on KingFisher Flex, Tecan Fluent, or Hamilton STAR platforms. Choose spin-column for small batches; choose magnetic bead for microbiome cohort studies, clinical trials, and biobank processing where hundreds of stool or soil samples per week are typical.
PCR Inhibitor Removal
Stool, soil, and environmental samples contain inhibitors (bile salts, humic acids, polyphenols) that block PCR and NGS library preparation. Confirm the kit includes PCR inhibitor removal steps -- ZymoBIOMICS kits use OneStep PCR Inhibitor Removal Technology as part of the wash steps. Inhibitor carryover is signalled by A260/A230 < 1.5 or failed amplification of a reference gene at expected Ct values.
DNA/RNA Shield Sample Stabilization
Samples stabilized in DNA/RNA Shield are directly loadable into ZymoBIOMICS lysis tubes without additional preparation. For cohort studies collecting stool from participants at home, DNA/RNA Shield fecal collection tubes enable ambient-temperature sample shipping for up to 30 days, preserving both the microbial community composition and the RNA expression snapshot at the moment of collection.
Downstream Application: Metagenomics vs. Metatranscriptomics
For paired 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and metatranscriptomics from the same sample, co-extract both analytes, sequence the DNA fraction for community composition, and apply rRNA depletion to the RNA fraction before mRNA-seq. Confirm the RNA fraction is compatible with your rRNA depletion kit; residual inhibitors from stool or soil can impair enzymatic depletion reactions and require an RNA cleanup step between extraction and depletion.
Specifications Context
Performance targets for microbial DNA/RNA co-extractions: DNA A260/A280 >= 1.8, DNA fragment size >= 10 kb (for shotgun metagenomics); RNA A260/A280 >= 1.8, A260/A230 >= 1.5, RIN >= 6 from DNA/RNA Shield-preserved samples. The ZymoBIOMICS MagBead DNA/RNA kit is validated on the ZymoBIOMICS Microbial Community Standard - an 8-species mock community (4 Gram-positive, 2 Gram-negative, 2 fungi) at defined ratios - and elutes into >=50 ul of ZymoBIOMICS DNase/RNase-Free Water. Paired metagenomic and metatranscriptomic analysis of the human gut microbiome is a major research focus at institutions including the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and MD Anderson Cancer Center, with ZymoBIOMICS kits cited in published microbiome methods as the standard for unbiased microbial community nucleic acid extraction from stool.
Contact MBP Inc. today to fuel your microbial discovery with a custom quote.
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