FIMM HIPREP

FIMM HiPREP is a service core of the FIMM Technology Centre specialized in technologies for high-end sample preparations.

We offer high-quality RNA and DNA isolation, clean-up, quality control and normalization services for both academic and industry customers. We have developed workflows for various biological samples – particularly human clinical samples – to extract total, small and cell-free RNA, genomic and cell-free DNA and for dual extractions. HiPREP core functions in close collaboration with FIMM sequencing and single cell analytics units and also offers EV Core services in close collaboration with the EV Core Viikki. Check the overview of our services and functions in this poster.

New customers or projects

For more information on prices and quotes, please contact the HiPREP personnel

Services
  • Nucleic acid isolations by magnetic bead or silica-membrane -based methods.
    • Including pre-treatment steps such as pre-clearing, sample concentration, or enzymatic treatments
    • Dual extractions – RNA and DNA starting from the same sample
  • Nucleic acid integrity, fragment length profile and concentration measurements
    • We measure parameters needed to ensure proper quality in downstream analytics e.g. concentrations, DNA/RNA-% or RNA/DNA-%, RIN, DIN, cfDNA-%, DV200, A260/A280, A260/A230
  • Nucleic acid sample clean-up from contaminants, concentrations or buffer exchange
    • e.g. DNA removal from RNA samples
  • EV services including isolations and electron microscopy (minimum number of samples for EM is four)
Sample types
  • Tissue

    • Frozen tissue (fresh frozen or in RNAlater), including biopsies and tissue sections
    • Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples
  • Blood and other body fluids

    • PBMC (Peripheral blood mononuclear cells)
    • PaxGene Blood tubes
    • Tempus Blood tubes
    • Serum and plasma, cell free RNA (cfRNA) and cell free DNA (cfDNA)
    • Urine
    • Extracellular vesicles, see EV core
  • Other samples

    • Extracellular vesicles, see EV core
    • Laser capture microdissected cells
    • Cultured cells

The nucleic acid isolation schemes of the HiPrep core have been evaluated in three consequtive years (2020-2022) by the IBBL’s Biospecimen Proficiency Testing program as part of EATRIS-Plus (report from year 2020).

Tested and yield/purity/integrity -certified sample types:

  • Cell-free RNA (cfRNA) Extraction from Plasma
  • Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) Extraction from Whole Blood
  • RNA and DNA Extraction from Whole Blood
  • RNA Extraction from formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) Tissue Material
  • Total RNA, DNA and dual Extraction from Frozen Tissue
Equipment

Chemagic 360 (Perkin Elmer)

  • Nucleic acid isolation with magnetic beads
  • High-throughput processing up to 96 samples simultaneously

MaxWell RSC48 (Promega)

  • Nucleic acid isolation with magnetic beads
  • Medium throughput, processing up to 48 samples simultaneously
  • Uses Maxwell® RSC prefilled cartridges, which reduce variability and contamination risk in sample processing

TapeStation 4200 (Agilent Technologies)

  • Nucleic acid quality control, integrity/ fragment length analysis
  • Capacity up to 96 samples per run
  • Measures DV200, cfDNA-%, RIN and DIN values, concentration estimation

Bravo NGS workstation (Agilent Technologies)

  • Liquid handling / sample preparation
  • High-throughput processing up to 96 samples simultaneously

Victor Nivo plate reader (PerkinElmer)

  • Nucleic acid concentration by Quant-iTTM technology
  • Measures specific RNA and DNA concentrations, DNA/RNA-%, RNA/DNA-%

Nanodrop 1000 (Thermo Scientific)

  • Nucleic acid sample absorbance for concentration and purity
  • Measures concentration and absorbance ratios of 260/280, 260/230

Precellys 24 (Berting Techologies)

  • Tissue/cell homogenizer, beat beating
  • Capacity up to 24 samples per run
Personnel

Head of core

Laboratory manager