MagIC Beads – The future of RNA capture kits

Based on a novel variety of Magnetic Nanoparticles, ElementZero have just launched a unique technology, allowing specific capture and enrichment of a broad variety of viral RNA (SARS-CoV-2, HIV, Ebola….), or any of your specific RNA or DNA targets. Discover these new products, now available at in Europe through tebu-bio.

MagIC (Magnetic Instant Capture) beads are the first products on the market to feature an array of custom-designed DNA hybridization probes covalently attached to the surface of nanomagnetic particles. Made of already designed probes for a broad range of targets (fig.1) such as viral RNA (SARS-CoV2 , HIV, Ebola, Chikungunya..) or specific transcripts (MALAT1, cdr1as..), custom probes can also be made to capture and enrich your specific target.

The MagIC beads can be employed for specific enrichment of your target up to 100 000 x versus non-specific or all other cellular RNA from a broad range of biological samples. This technology has been adapted by ElementZero for two different kinds of application:

1. RNA enrichment for sequencing studies: RNA Seq MagIC Beads
2. Interactome studies from the RNA Perspective: RNA Interactome MagIC Beads

MagIC Beads: Unmatched Enrichment Level

In comparison to classical RNA purification methods, the MagIC beads can be used directly from a cellular lysate (with or without cross linking) and under unprecedentedly strong denaturing conditions to obtain reproducible and unmatch enrichment level of your target RNA.

MagIC beads targeting specific transcripts (human GAPDH, LINC00086 and MALAT1) were incubated 30 minutes directly with a total RNA lysate (from HEK293 cells). After a washing steps and cDNA synthesis, level of 18S rRNA, GAPDH, ACTB and MALAT1 were measured with RT-qPCR. Finally results show that the target RNA MALAT1 is enriched from over 10 000 to over 100 000 fold over non-target transcripts, by MALAT1 targeting MagIC Beads but not by beads targeting other transcripts (fig.2).

Specific enrichment of SARS-CoV-2 RNA was also performed directly from total RNA extract, and results show a specific enrichment from over 1000 to over 10000 fold over non target transcripts by SARS-CoV-2 (fig.3).

The MagIC Beads can also be used directly on cross-linked tissue lysate, has made with mouse brain tissue for cdr1as enrichment with specific targeting MagIC beads (fig.4). As previously after incubation, washing steps and cDNA synthesis, the level of 18s RNA, GAPDH, and CDR1as were measured with RT-qPCR. A final enrichment of 100 000 to over 1 000 000 fold over non target transcripts was observed (fig.4).

As mentioned above this reproducible, fast and reliable technology has been used to develop two range of products for RNA sequencing or Interactome studies

RNA Seq MagIC Beads

Due to their capability to highly and specifically enrich a specific RNA, the MagIC Beads can be used for a broad range of applications:

• Targeted sequencing with NGS and 3rd Generation Sequencing
• Large scale isolation from cell lysate
• Pull Down analysis
• Epigenetic modification studies
• … and more.

Based on a simple and time saving protocol (only 3 steps to obtain viral RNA in less than 1 hour) (fig. 5), this sequencing approach is especially useful for low copy number transcripts, which cannot be efficiently sequenced without enrichment or in case of more typical transcripts simply to reduce overall costs of sequencing.

Advantages of RNA seq MagIC beads:

• Isolate your specific RNA instead of creating a generic pool
• Enrich the target RNA up to 100 000 X
• Capture up to 100% of the target molecule
• No molecular tag related biases
• Reproducible and consistent level of enrichment
• Purification can take place under very strong denaturing conditions, unlike biotin approaches
• Simple and time saving protocol

By isolating specific targets instead of creating a generic RNA pool, the MagIC beads approach can be employed in the study of the exact sequence of transcripts in question, the study of alternative polyadenylation sites, alternative transcription start sites, splicing variants, sequence variations, or RNA modifications. And it can be combined with low throughput biochemical methods to study RNA of interest in cases when the complexity of an RNA sample is interfering with the analysis.

RNA Interactome MagIC Beads

MagIC Beads technology has also been used by ElementZero to develop interactome studies tools for:

• Study of RNA- Proteins interactions
• Study of RNA-RNA interactions
• Study of RNA-DNA interactions

RNA interactome MagIC beads have been developed to rapidly and reliably enrich target transcripts directly from cellular or tissue lysate under unprecedentedly strong and denaturing, unachievable with Biotin based approaches. Without the need of prior DNAse treatment, sonication or RNA fragmentation, the RNA interactome MagIC beads are fully adapted to enrich RNA together with its in-vivo interactors (Protein, RNA, DNA) from cross linked samples with a simple procedure in less than one our (fig. 6).

Advantages of RNA Interactome MagIC Beads:

• Enrich specific RNA directly from a cellular lysate by over 100 000X.
• Biases originating from the use of molecular tags is fully eliminated.
• Reproducible and consistent level of enrichment.
• Enrichment take place under unprecedentedly strong denaturating conditions, unachievable with biotin based approaches.
• Simple and time saving protocol: Less than 1 hour.
• No DNase treatment or sonication of the sample required, no RNA fragmentation.
• No need for prior isolation, pre-processing or RNA fragmentation.

The MagIC Beads technology is fully compatible with any downstream analysis including high throughput sequencing and mass spectrometry. It is a perfect solution for any study of the interactome of the RNA of interest.

With all this technical advantages, the product offers a novel robust method of unbiased de-novo identification of molecular interactors of specific transcripts, bringing the RNA biology research field to a new level.

Don’t miss out on any of your RNA – use the MagIC beads technology for specific enrichment of your target, for all your sequencing and interactome studies.