DNA Preparation and PCR Performance Development of a DNA extraction method feasible for field application. We modified a variety of publicly and commercially available DNA extraction methodologies and kits to be usable in the absence of liquid nitrogen. Our test results show that a commercial Plant/Fungi DNA Isolation Kit when used with
our unique modifications explained in the materials and methods (section 2.2) provided high quality and sufficient yield of genomic DNA from fungi and bacteria. With these modifications, we were able to improve the DNA yield close to the levels with either liquid nitrogen or chemical usage, obtaining 13 mg and 65 mg of DNA per 50 mg of fungal and bacterial biomass, respectively (Table 3). While the quantity of microbial genomic DNA extracted by the improved method is not as effective as conventional in-lab
protocols, the yield obtained was sufficient for PCR based
diagnostics.