M2: COMMON MOLECULAR BIOLOGY LABORATORY PROCEDURES Flashcards
Molecular test require ___ for accurate and consistent test results
optimal specimen handling and processing
Gloves are important, not only as a part of standard precautions in a molecular biology laboratory but also to ___
protect nucleic acids from nuclease degradation from contaminating DNases
How many patient identifiers should be used before collecting a specimen ?
at least two
ID errors can have serious consequences for patients including
missed or delayed diagnosis
incorrect or unnecessary treatment
patient injury
severe transfusion reactions
Reducing patient misidentification could be approached using
nontechnical methods
technical solutions
___ specimens may require a documented chain of custody
forensic specimens
Southern blot or long-range PCR methods that require relatively high-quality DNA are best analyzed from
fresh or frozen samples
Surgical specimens designated for molecular studies if not processed immediately should be ___
snap-frozen in liquid nitrogen
PCR and reverse transcription PCR amplification are routinely performed on
paraffin -embedded tissue samples
____ tissues generally yield lower-quality DNA and RNA
Fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues
This type of fixative induces DNA-protein and RNA-protein cross-links
Fromalin
Fixation in un-buffered formalin results in
significant decrease in the quantity of extracted DNA
Fixation in buffered formalin results in
less effective DNA detection
This type of fixative is an excellent fixative for preserving both high molecular weight DNA and RNA with little chemical nucleic acid changes
Ethanol and methanol
This type of fixative is one of the best fixatives for optimum maintenance of nucleic acids, especially high-molecular-weight RNA
Carnoy’s solution
Composition of Carnoy’s solution
60% ethanol
30% chloroform
10% glacial acetic acid
This type of fixative is appropriate for preserving tissue RNA regarding both efficiency of extraction and integrity of extracted total RNA
Methacarn solution
Composition of Methacarn solution
60% methanol
30% chloroform
10% glacial acetic acid
Severe DNA degradation is observed in these fixatives which contain heavy metals
Bouin’s, B5, and Zenker’s solution
It is not recommended to use ___ based fixative for nucleic acid isolation
mercury
This is a widely used fixative in electron microscopy
Glutaraldehyde
It has been shown that high molecular weight (>50 kb) DNA is preserved better in tissues fixed in ___ in comparison with 10% buffered formalin
0.2M phosphate-buffered 1% glutaraldehyde solution
What specimen and collection tube are preferred for molecular analysis ?
blood or bone marrow specimen
EDTA lavender-cap or ACD yellow cap
What evacuated tube is used for cytogenetic tests ?
Heparin (green cap)