MadSci Network: Biochemistry |
Dear Lucy, Buccal cells are a good source of DNA, and cheek brushes are probably the only good way for you to get the samples you want by mail. You can get cheek brushes that come already packed in a little mailing tube with instructions on the label. The subject breaks the seal on the tube, twirls the brush on the inside of their cheek for a minute, then puts it back in the tube and mails it to you. The ones we use are called Cytobrushes, and sometimes they are designated for cervical cell sampling. Check the large lab/medical supply catalogs, or ask a local hospital or gynecologist where they get theirs. We get plenty of DNA from one brush, but often ask the subject to do two brushes at once so we have a backup. I’m not sure of the exact yield, but I’d estimate that we get a few micrograms from each prep- enough for lots of PCR reactions, but not enough for Southern blotting the DNA without amplification. (The only way I know to get enough for Southerns is to draw blood). For the brushes, any standard DNA prep from cells will work, scaled down, or you can use one of the kits (we have used Qiagen). Hope this helps you out. Good luck with your study. Sharon Shriver
Try the links in the MadSci Library for more information on Biochemistry.