QIAamp DSP Virus Spin Kit (50)

From QIAGEN, this kit provides silica-based copurification of viral DNA and RNA from human plasma and serum, intended for in vitro diagnostic use. The spin procedure follows four steps — lyse, bind, wash, and elute — and yields purified nucleic acids in less than one hour, with eluates ready for downstream applications or storage at –20°C. The workflow supports simultaneous processing of multiple samples and is designed to minimise cross-contamination.

The kit can be used with a microcentrifuge for manual workflows, and purification can also be fully automated on the QIAcube Connect MDx instrument. The manufacturer notes that automation may process fewer samples than manual use due to dead volumes, evaporation, and additional reagent consumption from automated pipetting.

Because the kit copurifies both RNA and DNA, small amounts of either may be difficult to measure spectrophotometrically. QIAGEN indicates that fluorometric measurements — using nucleic acid binding dyes such as RiboGreen for RNA and PicoGreen for DNA — or quantitative RT-PCR and PCR are more sensitive and accurate methods for quantifying low amounts of RNA or DNA.