Nucleic Acid Extraction and Quantitative PCR from formalin-fixed Umbilical Cord and Placenta Tissue

Genetic analysis of the newborn is often conducted via dried blood spot gDNA sequencing to study epidemiological data; however, placenta and umbilical cord samples also contain nucleic acids and are a sample matrix of interest to researchers. Similarly, genetic analysis of placenta and umbilical cord within the scope of environmental drug research is of particular interest to discover how chemical exposures during pregnancy affect both disease progression and carcinogenic mutation potential of newborn genetic material. 

Upstream of any genetic analysis methodologies is sample preparation, which is traditionally conducted manually, chemically or a combination of the two. Bead beating homogenization using the Omni Bead Ruptor Elite™ bead mill homogenizer is a quick and efficient way to overcome the harsh and time-consuming nature of alternative chemical or manual digestion methods, while still producing a homogenate suitable for downstream analysis. 

Herein, we outline sample preparation of fixed placenta and umbilical cord tissues on the Omni Bead Ruptor Elite bead mill homogenizer for downstream nucleic acid extraction and proof-of-concept qPCR amplification.

Table 2: Cq values obtained from qPCR amplifying 18S gene. For placenta and umbilical cord samples, Cq data was reported as an average of triplicate samples.