high-throughput DNA extraction

[Elsbeth Walker]

Dear Pat:  would you mind posting a compilation of replies to this post--I
think many of us would really like to hear it!

We don't do thousands, but we often do hundreds using micropestles in a
"Dellaporta" microprep.  We drive the micropestles with a cordless drill.
We have found that freezing the tissue is not necessary if the DNA is only
to be used for PCR--we simply grind right in the extraction buffer.  Also,
I have no idea if this would work for you, but we find that the easiest
"tissue" to use for this is embryos from imbibed kernels--they grind much
more easily than leaves.

Elsbeth

At 8:11 AM -0600 11/25/98, Patrick S Schnable wrote:
>We need to isolate DNA (for PCR) from many thousands of maize plants.
> so far we haven't had good luck grinding fresh tissue in a
>paint shaker.
>
>Has anyone worked out a reliable, easy protocol from fresh tissue?



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Elsbeth L. Walker
Biology Dept
University of Mass, Amherst
Amherst, MA 01003
(413) 545-0861 voice
(413) 545-3243 fax