Black DNA from earthworms

[mccallo at rand]

<sjames at miu.edu>, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa writes:
>I would like to know if anyone has encountered a similar phenomenon with
>other critters.  When we do any of several standard DNA preps, we get a
>very dark brown to black pellet that turns out to be DNA.  

*cut*

Plasmid DNA from Bacillus megaterium is often yellow-orange;  also does not cut
well.  Even with repeated CsCl bandings it would still be colored.  I found
that Qiagen columns fix the problem;  its white and it cuts. 

Owen McCall
Abbott Laboratories
Abbott Park, IL USA