Does anyone have an opinion on the utility of dilute HNO3 (~2-3%) for removing residual DNA and proteins from glassware and stainless steel lab tools. Our water is very hard here (>35 grains hardness), so we use HNO3 to periodically clean lab glassware from hard water deposits in large dunk tanks.
Our experience in our tace metals and DNA lab suggest nitric acid is far less damaging to polyethylene and polypropylene plastics, glassware with painted volumetric markings and stainless steel tools than dilute NaClO (chlorine bleach) solutions. We have used HNO3 for years to digest tissues and metalloproteins prior to ICP-MS analysis where we are trying to release incorporated trace metals, and I wonder if it might be equally as effective as NaClO for removing DNA and RNA on labware used in forensic DNA and/or protein applications. There are many papers that discuss the method of action of HNO3 on organic molecules, but I haven't seen anybody specifically referencing its effect on DNA/RNA. Any opinions? John -- John Dudgeon, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology Director, Center for Archaeology, Materials and Applied Spectroscopy (CAMAS) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Idaho State University, 921 S. 8th Avenue, Stop 8005, Pocatello, ID 83209-8005 Phone: (208) 282-3862 - FAX: (208) 282-4944 http://anthropology.isu.edu/dudgeon.shtml http://www.isu.edu/camas/ _______________________________________________ Methods mailing list [email protected] http://www.bio.net/biomail/listinfo/methods
