One of the many advantages to using yeast as a model system is that large quantities of biomacromolecules, including nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), can be purified from the cultured cells.

This video will address the steps required to carry out nucleic acid extraction. We will begin by briefly outlining the growth and harvest, and lysis of yeast cells, which are the initial steps common to the isolation of all biomacromolecules. Next, we will discuss two unique purification methods for the separation of nucleic acids: column binding and phase separation. Additionally, we will demonstrate several ways in which these methods are applied in the laboratory, including the preparation of nucleic acids for molecular biology techniques such as PCR and southern blotting, quantification of gene expression in response to environmental stimuli, and purification of large amounts of recombinant proteins.