Patent attributes
In detecting a nucleic acid by using the nucleic acid amplification method, it is intended to shorten the time required for the measurement so as to systematically and efficiently examine a gene, etc. To achieve this object, use is made of a method of directly amplifying a nucleic acid by treating a collected biological sample wherein a means of inhibiting the degradation activity of the nucleic acid is introduced during or after the step of homogenizing the biological sample and thus the nucleic acid is directly amplified without isolating/purifying the nucleic acid component from the biological sample. In this method, the means of inhibiting the degradation activity of the nucleic acid is introduced at an acidic pH value (more specifically, from pH 2.5 to pH 5) with the use of a salt interacting with a substance inhibiting the nucleic acid amplification reaction and/or the nucleic acid component so as to directly amplify the nucleic acid without isolating/purifying the nucleic acid component.
