What kind of Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) do you recommend using with MagMAX Plant DNA and RNA isolation kits since there are different kinds available?
For the MagMAX Plant DNA Isolation Kit, we recommend using PVP M.W. 40,000, Cat. No. J62417.A1 (https://www.thermofisher.com/order/catalog/product/J62417.A1).
For the MagMAX Plant RNA Isolation Kit, we recommend using Plant RNA Isolation Aid, Cat. No. AM9690 (https://www.thermofisher.com/order/catalog/product/AM9690).
What is the advantage of adding polyvinyl pyrollidone (PVP) or dithiothreitol (DTT) to Lysis Buffer A of the MagMAX Plant DNA Isolation Kit?
PVP adsorbs polyphenols, removing them from the final eluate. DTT, a reducing agent, protects the DNA from degradation by preventing the oxidation of polyphenols. We generally recommend adding PVP for woody, lignified, or polyphenol samples (branches, twigs, needles, and wax-coated leaves). DTT can be helpful when working with seeds. Some seeds (e.g., seeds with a pesticide coat) do benefit from addition of PVP to Lysis Buffer A. If DTT supplementation to Lysis Buffer A was already attempted and has not helped, try again with PVP instead.
The manual for the MagMAX Plant Isolation Kit recommends using 150 µL of elution buffer, but can I use less than that?
If higher DNA concentration is needed, the elution volume can be reduced to 50 µL when using the KingFisher Flex instrument. However, we have not tested this and the script may have to be changed accordingly.