AquaStool™

AquaStool™ is a multifunctional aqueous solution for DNA and RNA isolation and purification from fecal biospecimens. This single solution functions to stabilize, preserve, extract fecal DNA/RNA, and remove contaminating PCR and RT-PCR inhibitors abundant in these biospecimens. It streamlines stool collection, stabilization, preservation, DNA/RNA extraction, and molecular analysis. Approximately 150-200 µg total nucleic acids can be isolated from 50 mg of human feces.

Features

• Extract both Fecal DNA and RNA
• Extract DNA and RNA of the Host and Microbes in the Feces
• Not only for Fecal Specimens

Enabling Technology
Stool is a readily accessible, abundant, under-utilized, and noninvasive source of biospecimen. It contains trillions of microorganisms living in our aerodigestive and gastrointestinal tracks, millions of human cells sloughed from these organs every day, and numerous macrophages and lymphocytes migrating between our gut lumen and blood circulation. It can be an unmatched and excellent barometer of our health and diseases, in particular, gastrointestinal cancers, infections, inflammations, and microbiome. However, stool is one of the most difficult and challenging biospecimens to obtain high-quality DNA and RNA for molecular analysis due to its containing of large amount of digestive enzymes that destroy the DNA and RNA prior to and during their extraction, and numerous DNA and RNA contaminants that interfere with subsequent molecular analysis. AquaStool™ technology will facilitate the growth of stool-based sciences and accelerate the drive toward personalized medicine.

Multifunctionalities
AquaStool™ combines the functions of biospecimen stabilization, preservation, DNA/RNA extraction, and PCR inhibitor removal in a single solution. It streamlines biospecimen preservation, DNA/RNA extraction, and molecular analysis. It makes fecal DNA/RNA extraction simple, fast, economic, and convenient.
AquaStool™ extracts both fecal DNA and RNA from the same fecal specimen, enabling noninvasive genotyping and RNAtyping for the identification of transgenic animals; monitoring wildlife animals; diagnosis of gastrointestinal disorders, and the study of RNA expression and its relationship to genetic variation.
AquaStool™ extracts total nucleic acids in feces, including DNA and RNA from the host, commensal bacteria, any invasive viruses, fungi, or parasites, and incompletely digested foods, enabling forensic identifications; the study of human and animal microbiome; and diagnosis of bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic infections.
The challenges we face in DNA and RNA extraction from fecal specimens exceed the challenges we will encounter in most other biospecimens. Therefore, AquaStool™ protocols can be readily modified and adapted to DNA and RNA preservation and extraction from other biomaterials, such as microbes, culture cells, animal and plant tissues, and even insects, making AquaStool™ a universal reagent for the study and correlation of genetic mutation and gene expression of any life form.