QIAsprint modular system: Magnetic bead DNA extraction from blood

The QIAsprint modular kit system is a high-throughput solution for genomic DNA isolation from blood. It combines flexible modular architecture with automated magnetic bead purification, allowing fully automated processing on the QIAsprint Connect system without manual intervention. 

For 384-well blood genomic DNA isolation, the system utilizes two primary reagent modules: 

• QIAsprint DNA Blood PrepSet (384): Optimized for sample pretreatment, this module provides Buffer AL for cell lysis and Proteinase K for thorough protein digestion.
• QIAsprint Essential Kit A (384): This module provides the paramagnetic particles and wash buffers required for DNA purification, ensuring high yield, reproducibility and recovery of high-quality DNA.

This platform is optimized for the automated processing of up to 384 samples, ensuring no hands-on time and reproducible performance for diverse research workflows.

The QIAsprint DNA Blood workflow enables efficient purification of high-molecular-weight genomic DNA from whole blood across a range of input volumes. Using the QIAsprint DNA Blood PrepSet together with Essential Kit A on the QIAsprint Connect, consistent DNA recovery is achieved from 50–300 µL blood samples with reproducible performance across replicates (see  DNA recovery from whole blood at increasing input volumes). The purified DNA provides reliable yield and quality suitable for downstream analyses such as qPCR and other molecular biology applications. 

In internal comparisons with alternative automated magnetic bead workflows, the QIAsprint DNA Blood workflow demonstrated competitive DNA recovery and strong amplification performance, supporting its use in demanding high-throughput laboratory environments (see  Comparative evaluation of DNA yield and qPCR amplification from blood sample).

The QIAsprint DNA Blood workflow uses a modular approach for efficient and flexible DNA purification on the QIAsprint Connect system. Sample pretreatment is performed with the QIAsprint DNA Blood PrepSet (384), where Buffer AL and Proteinase K digestion enable complete lysis of blood samples. The QIAsprint Essential Kit A (384) then provides the magnetic beads and buffers required for the automated bind–wash–elute steps. During processing, DNA binds to magnetic beads, contaminants are washed away and high-quality DNA is eluted for downstream analysis. 

If the workflow needs to be adapted for other applications, the QIAsprint modular kit system allows the DNA Blood PrepSet to be combined with other compatible Essential Kits. In addition, nearly all buffers and reagents used in the system are available as standalone items, providing further customization options for specialized workflows (see QIAsprint sets and consumables finder). 

The QIAsprint blood DNA workflow supports straightforward pretreatment and an automated purification process that requires zero manual intervention once the run starts (see  QIAsprint DNA blood workflow).

Standard protocol steps: 

• Sample lysis and digestion: Proteinase K is mixed with the blood sample and Buffer AL to enable enzymatic digestion and complete lysis.
• DNA binding: The lysate is combined with MagG Bead Suspension and isopropanol to promote efficient binding of DNA to the magnetic beads.
• Plate preparation: Wash plates and the elution plate are prepared according to the protocol and placed into the plate hotels.
• Automated purification: Plate hotels are loaded onto the QIAsprint Connect instrument and the selected protocol performs automated magnetic bead–based bind, wash and elute steps.

DNA purified with the QIAsprint DNA Blood workflow is highly suitable for RT-PCR, digital PCR (dPCR) or next-generation sequencing (NGS) as well as long-read sequencing applications (depending on the disruption and lysis method)