The phenol-free magnetic bead workflow includes DNase treatment to optimize cfRNA recovery for downstream sequencing and amplification

IPSWICH, Mass., Aug. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — New England Biolabs (NEB^®) announces the release of the Monarch Mag Cell-free RNA (cfRNA) Extraction Kit, which enables isolation of low-abundance, circulating cell-free RNA (cfRNA) and exome-associated RNA from biofluids including plasma, serum, urine and cerebrospinal fluid. The kit complements the Monarch Mag Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) Extraction Kit and NEB’s sequencing and amplification solutions to support end-to-end workflows for cell-free nucleic acid profiling.

“While cfDNA has been the standard nucleic acid analyte in liquid biopsies, cfRNA carries information cfDNA cannot: which tissue a signal came from, and how pathology is changing over time,” stated Anagha Kadam, Applications and Product Development Scientist II at NEB. “This kit offers researchers consistent recovery of low abundance cfRNA and removal of DNA contamination so they can assess this valuable but under-investigated analyte.”

The kit addresses two persistent technical challenges in total circulating RNA extraction: DNA carryover and loss of small RNAs. Chaotropic salt-based chemistry, in combination with magnetic silica beads, offers a quick, gentle and robust alternative to phenol-based and vacuum manifold workflows. Addition of lyophilized DNase minimizes contaminating DNA, which can confound downstream results. The result is a pure cfRNA signal across the full-size range of circulating RNA, including long non-coding RNAs, small RNAs and microRNAs.

Through lyophilization of temperature-sensitive reagents, the kit can be shipped in one box at ambient temperature, simplifying operations for researchers while aligning with the Monarch portfolio’s sustainability commitments. Flexibility in kit size, automation compatibility and scalability to a higher input volumepromotes efficient utilization of reagents.

James Deng, Senior Product Marketing Manager for NEB, highlighted the importance of sample-to-result solutions and technical support for cfRNA applications that are new and rapidly evolving. “Researchers come to our technical support with challenges that span steps of their workflow and questions about emerging applications, such as specific extraction of cfDNA and cfRNA,” he explained. “Because we support every step of extraction, downstream sequencing and amplification, our Technical Support team can be both holistic and innovative.”

The Monarch Mag Cell-free RNA (cfRNA) Extraction Kit pairs with the NEBNext UltraExpress^® Library Prep Kit (NEB #E3330) for total transcriptome analysis, the NEBNext^® Low Bias Small RNA Library Prep Kit (NEB #E3420) for small RNA profiling, and digital PCR for amplification-based workflows.

For more details about the Monarch Mag Cell-free RNA Extraction Kit, or to view performance data, visit www.neb.com/T4080

About New England Biolabs:

For over 50 years, New England Biolabs (NEB) has pioneered the discovery and production of innovative products tailored for molecular biology research. Our commitment to scientific discovery is evident in all that we do, including our ever-expanding product portfolio, investment in our basic and applied research program, and support of customers’ research in academia and industry, including cutting-edge technologies for use in molecular diagnostics and nucleic-acid vaccines development. Guided by our founding principles, NEB proactively invests in efforts to improve the well-being of our employees, surrounding communities, as well as the future of our planet. NEB remains a privately held company with global reach, supported by our headquarters in Ipswich, MA, USA, subsidiary offices in 11 countries, and over 60 distribution partners around the world. For more information about New England Biolabs, visit www.neb.com.

NEB^®, NEW ENGLAND BIOLABS^®, NEBNEXT ULTRAEXPRESS^®, NEBNEXT^® and MONARCH^® are registered trademarks of New England Biolabs, Inc.

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SOURCE New England Biolabs, Inc.