TABLE 5.
Comparison of costs, processing times, sample volumes, and required materials of automated and manual DNA extraction methods
| Extraction method | Cost/extraction (U.S. dollars)a | Time (h:min)b | Recovery vol (μl) | Required reagents | Additional equipment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MagNA Pure Compact | 6.88 | 1:48c | 100 | None | None |
| MagNA Pure LC | 1.97 | 2:00c | 100 | None | Consumables |
| IT 1-2-3 | 3.83 | 1:05 | 100 | None | Vortex adapter |
| MasterPure | 1.44 | 2:25 | 50d | 100% Isopropanol, 75% ethanol | None |
| QIAamp | 2.11 | 1:34 | 200 | 100% Ethanol | None |
| UltraClean | 1.90 | 2:05 | 50 | None | Vortex adapter |
The cost per extraction was calculated by dividing the cost of each DNA extraction kit, based on the manufacturer's list price in early 2009, by the number of samples that could be processed by each kit.
The total processing time was determined for a 21-sample run. Timing began with the addition of the first reagent and concluded with the recovery of DNA. For automated methods, timing began at the start of DNA extraction on the instrument platforms.
Processing time included a 30-min incubation for performing an external lysis protocol.
The elution volume for this kit was increased from 35 μl (manufacturer's recommendation) to 50 μl to obtain replicates sufficient for statistical analyses.