Nucleic Acid Sample Preparation from Feces and Manure

Abstract

The investigator challenging molecular analysis on feces or manure is likely surrounded by a number of obstacles. The good news is, unlike RNA, DNA is a pretty stable biomolecule and has been successfully researched from feces samples of animal origin and our human ancestors even dating back to ice age. On the flipside, in many cases molecular investigations are often confronted by the wrong quantity and/or quality of DNA and/or target molecules and an involuntary blend of substances interfering with the target assay. Depending on the requirements of downstream analysis, a wide range of protocols to prepare nucleic acids from feces and manure exist. The extraction and preparation of DNA requires basic laboratory equipment including a set of pipettes, a heat/cold source, and frequently a centrifuge. Common materials for in-house manufactured DNA preparation can be found in most biochemical labs. Commercial DNA kits are available from a number of suppliers, but often dive deeper into finances. Depending on the assay, the time for DNA preparation can take anywhere from a few hours up to 3 days. Nontarget molecules can more often be co-extracted from manure then feces, subsequently interfering with enzyme-based assays or block recognition sites for reporter molecules.