MP Biomedicals FastPrep family

MP Biomedicals’ FastPrep family is a suite of versatile homogenisers, interchangeable adapters, kits and lysing matrices (A–Z) suitable for purification of DNA, RNA, protein or metabolites. Designed to ensure thorough disruptions of a wide range of sample types, the FastPrep system has been used for the release of viable virus, lysis of tough Mycobacterium tuberculosis cell wall, elastic tongue tissue, complex plant tissues and hard shipwreck rusticles.

FastPrep-24 5G is a common choice and, coupled with all-metal sample holder, the instrument is suitable for work with highly infectious samples. The metal adapter can withstand temperatures up to 450°C, allowing for sterilisation by autoclaving. For high-throughput grinding, FastPrep-96 offers the widest variety of adapters (2 x 96 deep well plates, 96 x 2 mL, 48 x 4.5 mL, 24 x 15 mL, 8 x 50 mL and 2 x 250 mL flasks).

The use of the FastPrep instrument combined with FastDNA and RNA kits ensures an efficient lysis of the starting material and a simultaneous extraction of nucleic acid. The company’s three latest kits include the SPINeasy DNA Kit for Soil, which features spin column technology and proprietary lysis buffers to protect DNA and remove humic substances; the MagBeads FastDNA Kit for Feces, using magnetic beads with high selectivity for gDNA, which suits both automated extraction instruments and manual extraction using a magnetic rack; and the FastRNA Win for Plant Kit, which employs mineral carrier particles to separate gDNA from RNA to purify high-quality total RNA and simultaneously inactivate endogenous RNases from plant cells and tissues.