Nucleic Acid Assessment

Before submitting samples to the core laboratory, please read the instructions or contact one of our staff to discuss requirements. The core team is available to consult on the specifics of sample preparation for your study.

The Core provides nucleic acid assessment services to quantify and determine purity and size of RNA and DNA isolated from nearly any biological source. The quality assessment (QA) service is supported with a variety of measurement instruments, including several UV spectrophotometers, a plate reader, a fluorimeter and state-of-the-art Bioanalyzer systems including the Agilent 2100 and TapeStation 4200.

Proper quantitation and size analysis of RNA and DNA samples prior to downstream processing provides useful insight into sample quality, purity, and integrity which can help ensure high quality data and improved reproducibility.

Our trained staff is experienced at analyzing both RNA and DNA quality and the core provides comprehensive assessment reports to aid investigators with interpreting their results.

RNA and DNA Sizing Instrumentation

Bioanalyzer 2100
Supports sensitive investigation of
different nucleic acid sample types

Nucleic Acid Quantification : Ultraviolet

NanoDrop One
Provides quantification and qualification for DNA, RNA, and protein samples

Nucleic Acid Quantification : Fluorescence

Qubit 3.0 Fluorometer
Quantifies RNA, DNA, protein, and oligo
concentration using specific fluorescent assays
TapeStation 4200
TapeStation
Provides separation and analysis of DNA
fragments and libraries up to 5000 base pairs
NanoDrop 8000
Provides multi-sample micro-volume
UV-Vis spectrophotometry for DNA, RNA,
and protein samples
SpectraMax i3x Multi-Mode Microplate Reader
Measures spectral-based absorbance,
fluorescence, and luminescence

Services offered

  • RNA (eukaryotic, prokaryotic, FFPE, small RNA) quality assessment
    • UV measurement at 260, 280, 230nm
    • Bioanalyzer assay of total or mRNA : Agilent RNA 6000 Nano or RNA 6000 Pico chips ; quantitative and qualitative threshold for the RNA 6000 Nano chip is 25ng/µl and for the RNA 6000 Pico chip, 50pg/µl 
    • Fluorescent assays 
      • RiboGreen RNA Quant-iT Assay Kit (Invitrogen)
      • Qubit fluorescent assay (ThermoFisher)
  • DNA (fresh, frozen) quality assessment
    • Tapestation analysis of genomic DNA and FFPE DNA from 200 > 60,000bp (10-100ng/µl)
    • Bioanalyzer analysis for low concentration DNA (ChIP for example)
    • UV and/or fluorescence measurements available
    • Fluorescent assay (PicoGreen, Life Technologies) - optional
  • Fragmented DNA and Library quality assessment
    • High Sensitivity DNA chip assay, minimum sensitivity 5-500pg/µl
    • Fluorescent assay (PicoGreen, Life Technologies) - optional

To request assessment services, please use the iLab system.

RNA/DNA

  • Intact
  • Degraded (FFPE)
  • Sequencing Libraries

Analysis platform

  • Agilent 2100 Bioanalyzer
  • 4200 Agilent TapeStation
  • NanoDrop Instruments (UV spec, Fluorimeter)
  • i3X SpectraMax Plate Reader 

Results

  • UV spec data, purity measurements
  • Fluorescence measurements (if requested)
  • Electropherogram Traces, RIN and DIN scores, DV200 values
  • Customized data report 
  • Troubleshooting assistance available