Rat DRGs - extracting RNA - Best method to prep for RNA extraction (Oct/21/2008 )

Hi All

I've bought Qiagen's RNEasy Micro Kit and have some flash frozen rat DRGs which I will to prep to extract my RNA. Never done this before.

Is it enough to simply pass the DRG tissue through a syringe and 18 gauge needle a few times and then proceed with Qiagen's kit? If not, can someone suggest a simple but effective protocol? I have about 8 DRGs from adult rats which isn't much - they are all in a single 0.5ml microtube.

Thanks!
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What's DRG? If it is fibrious tissue, it may be hard to break up with needles. Can you use a Kontes homogenizer? If Qiagen doesn't work for you, try AquaRNA. Good luck!

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Hi Chessplayer,

DRG stands for dorsal root ganglia... I'm thinking of homogenizing with a mortar and pestle and then passing it through a needle and syringe. If my attempt doesn't work, I'll try AquaRNA - had never heard of it but it sounds quite easy to use.

Thanks!
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