Real lab failures, root causes, and fixes — curated and bilingually annotated by our team.
Recovered DNA concentration is significantly lower than expected based on input amount. Spectrophotometric measurements may show unexpectedly low concentrations for UHMW DNA samples.
Lower than expected DNA yield despite using correct input amounts. Cell pellet may not be visible when working with low cell numbers or certain frozen blood samples.
Extracted DNA shows reduced fragment size on gel electrophoresis or pulse-field gel analysis. UHMW DNA appears degraded with smaller molecular weight distribution than expected.
DNA pellet or eluate shows poor solubility with visible aggregates or turbidity. DNA remains undissolved after standard elution protocol, requiring extended incubation.
Purified DNA shows poor A260/A230 ratio or visible turbidity. Solution may appear cloudy due to protein contamination, affecting downstream applications.
DNA recovery from tissue significantly lower than expected, particularly from muscle, brain, or metabolically active organs. Upper phase transfer yields less DNA than anticipated.
Unexpectedly high or low DNA yield that does not correlate with estimated cell count. Certain cultured cells appear clumped making accurate counting difficult.
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