Extracting High-Quality Nucleic Acids from Challenging Tissue Samples

In this webinar we will present protocols and data for automated RNA and DNA extraction from tissue fixed with standard formalin or with the innovative formalin-free PAXgene Tissue System. We will demonstrate nucleic acid extraction from fixed tissue, from fibrous, fatty and enzyme-rich tissues, and from sections of paraffin-embedded tissue (FFPE and PFPE).

FFPE tissues are still the standard for histomorphological analysis. However, cross-linking is problematic for downstream molecular analyses, and formaldehyde carcinogenicity is serious environmental risk. Cryopreserved tissue specimens offer the possibility for sophisticated molecular analysis, but the histomorphology is less well-preserved, and handling is more complicated. We will present alternative solutions that address these challenges. We will also discuss the benefits of automating nucleic acid purification on the QIAcube and provide options for analyzing histomorphology from the same sample.