RNases are a family of enzymes that are ubiquitous in our environment. They degrade ribonucleic acid (RNA).
For molecular diagnostic tests measuring for the presence of RNA – such as the RT-PCR test used to detect the presence of SARS CoV-2 – the absence of RNase is critical.
Any RNase present in pipette-tip production or packaging environments, or contributed by human contact during production, can jeopardize test results. Since any successful molecular diagnostic test for the presence of SARS CoV-2 is dependent upon the presence of intact SARS CoV-2 RNA, it is critically important that such tests be carried out with pipette tips that have been certified to be free of detectable RNase.
The BioClean UltraTM cleanliness standard
Rainin tests its pipette tips for an array of contaminants, including RNase and PCR inhibitors. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) is used to test tip batches for the presence of any contaminant that could potentially reduce the fidelity of RT-PCRs.
Many Rainin competitors simply designate their tips as being either “RNase Free’ or “Free of” RNase, without providing any test criteria to support these assertions.
Find out more about Rainin BioClean Ultra and get the RT-PCR diagram (See below).
