Agarose-DNA purification

[Ted Michelini]

Millipore ultra free MC spin filters work well for DNA recovery from 
gels. I'm sure the newer Amicon ones do too, although I haven't used 
them. One advantage to the Millipore ones is that they can take a freeze 
thaw cycle to improve yield (tough membrane) and can be spun at max G's 
in a microfuge, although yields are better if you have a lower speed 
setting. There is a fairly nice write up of this procedure in the 
Millipore Web site. I am currently poor, however, and am using a bit of 
polyester aquarium filter fluff in a 0.6ml tube with a 21G needle hole 
in the bottom. I sit this in a 1.7ml tube and spin in a table top 
~4000rpm for 15min. I do a freeze thaw and crush the gel, as well as 
wash with warm TE. This works fine and is very fast/cheap. 

regards
Ted Michelini
Institute of Molecular Biology
University of Oregon