This review summarizes Valto Biocontrol’s move toward a high-throughput (HT) nucleic acid extraction solution utilizing Promega Maxwell® HT simplyRNA Kit, Custom. This project was initiated by Dr. Menno Westerdijk, Head of Laboratories at Valto Biocontrol, who established a molecular laboratory onsite. The Promega Field Support Scientist team assisted Dr. Westerdijk to develop an automated nucleic acid solution using their existing KingFisher™ Flex robot. Dr. Westerdijk’s extensive experience working with KingFisher robots in the agricultural sector combined with expert guidance from Promega Field Support enabled a seamless implementation of the Maxwell® HT chemistry for his laboratory.
Dr. Westerdijk highlights: “The Maxwell® technology helped us isolate viral RNA of very high quality and high throughput. This made screening high numbers of samples easy and reliable. … . “… A huge benefit is that we can isolate both RNA and DNA or a mix using the same kit.”.”
Automated Nucleic Acid Extraction for Increased Throughput
Valto Biocontrol is dedicated to developing, producing, and selling biological control agents to assist crop growers with plant disease management. One of their hallmark product innovations is V10, a cross-protection agent designed to naturally immunize crops such as tomato against Pepino mosaic virus (PepMV). V10 is composed of two mild variants of the virus: VX1 (Peru/EU strain) and VC1 (Chili strain). By vaccinating young plants with non-aggressive strains of PepMV, crops are protected against aggressive strains of PepMV.
Dr. Westerdijk’s lab continuously improves existing products and evaluates mild virus strains for cross-protection against plant pathogens for new product development. His research involves determining plant infection status, quantifying viral load, and identifying specific viral variants. Therefore, it is imperative for his team to possess comprehensive knowledge of the viral strains under investigation, employing qPCR, genotyping, and sequencing in their downstream analytical processes.
Typically, their laboratory processes approximately 20,000 plant samples each year. Therefore, the Valto team needed an efficient and robust method to isolate high-quality viral nucleic acid in a high throughput setting to support downstream processing.
Meeting the Challenge of a Sample-to-Data High-Throughput Workflow
Prior to working with Promega, Dr. Westerdijk’s team outsourced their nucleic acid extraction needs. The aims for bringing nucleic acid extraction in-house included money savings, more control over the extraction processes, and improving their ability to serve their customers. Ultimately, their goal was to manage the process from nucleic acid extraction to PCR in a 96-well format and accommodate the desired high-throughput workflow.
Through the integration of Promega’s Maxwell® HT nucleic acid extraction chemistries, Dr. Westerdijk’s lab considerably shortened their workflow from nucleic acid purification to PCR to data analysis — from two weeks to one day.
How Promega Helped
Promega client Representative, Duddy Oyib, and Promega Field Support Scientists, Rhys Cooper and Nans Bodet, helped Dr. Westerdijk automate their processes using the Maxwell® HT simplyRNA Kit, Custom and the lab’s existing KingFisher™ Flex instrument. Promega HT nucleic acid extraction chemistries enabled Dr. Westerdijk’s lab to significantly shorten their workflow from nucleic acid purification to PCR to data analysis from two weeks to one day. This improvement allowed Dr. Westerdijk’s lab to better serve their external customers and internal teams for quality control of Valto’s products while maintaining more control over the process and saving money. Dr. Westerdijk also appreciates that “all data generated are owned by Valto, in Valto’s control, and managed by Valto (not a third party).”
Dr. Westerdijk notes: “Promega’s Field Support Scientist team was open to converting protocols to be used on this isolation robot, from the custom dispensing of the consumables to a software file ready for the KingFisher itself.”
Downstream Analysis
Following high-throughput viral nucleic acid extraction, Dr. Westerdijk’s team proceeds to downstream analysis via qPCR and genotyping allowing them to discern and quantify specific viral strains studied in their lab.
Additional Promega Application Examples for Plant DNA and RNA High-throughput Extraction:
Learn more about automation support and how the Promega FSS team can help you achieve your automation goals.
Learn more about the Promega Maxwell® HT simplyRNA Kit, Custom system here.
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