ARS | Publication request: A comparison of two methods of eluting insect DNA from flinders technology associates cards

Submitted to: Florida Entomologist
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: June 18, 2012
Publication Date: September 1, 2012
Citation: Dickey, A.M., Shatters, R.G., McKenzie, C.L. 2012. A comparison of two methods of eluting insect DNA from flinders technology associates cards. Florida Entomologist. 95(3):790-793.

Interpretive Summary: Flinders Technology Associates (FTA) technology releases and stabilizes DNA for room-temperature storage in a single step but it has been infrequently used with arthropods. One possible reason is the cost of recovering the DNA. This report compares two inexpensive protocols for recovering sweetpotato whitefly DNA from FTA cards including a new quick boil method. The quick boil method recovers DNA from the FTA card in five minutes while the cold elution method recovers higher quality DNA.

Technical Abstract: Flinders Technology Associates (FTA) technology lyses cells and stabilizes DNA for room-temperature storage in a single step but it has been infrequently used with arthropods. One possible reason is the paucity of quick and inexpensive protocols to subsequently elute the DNA from the card matrix. This report compares two such protocols for eluting sweetpotato whitefly DNA from FTA' cards including a new quick boil method. The quick boil method elutes DNA from the FTA card in five minutes while the cold elution method recovers higher quality DNA.