SARS-CoV-2 is a single-stranded RNA virus of COVID-19. For accurate and sensitive coronavirus detection viral RNA has to be isolated from the sample and analysed by RT-qPCR.

 

RNA extraction is a delicate process, both cells and the environment around them are full of enzymes that degrade the nucleic acids. The kits used to do these extractions contain sterile buffers, solutions that break open, or lyse cells, and a way of separating the RNA from the DNA, protein, and other macromolecules found in cells.

Magnetic separation uses a magnetic field to separate micrometer-sized paramagnetic particles from a suspension. In molecular biology, magnetic beads provide a simple and reliable method for purifying various types of biomolecules, including genomic DNA, plasmids, mitochondrial DNA, RNA and proteins.

One of the main advantages of using magnetic beads is that it is possible to isolate nucleic acids and other biomolecules directly from a raw sample, and from different types of samples, with minimal processing. This distinguishes magnetic beads from other nucleic acid isolation methods, which may have different protocols for different types of samples and require more handling time.