Exosome Analysis: RNA Isolation, Analysis & Profiling

High-Yield Exosome RNA Isolation

Circulating exosomes protect RNAs, miRNAs and other non-coding RNAs, from degradation, making them ideal biomarkers for liquid biopsy studies.

You can now efficiently capture exosomes, free of protein and genomic DNA contaminants, before amplifying exoRNAs to ensure reproducible biomarker discovery.

Key Products

Norgen EXTRAClean Plasma/Serum Exosome & RNA Isolation Kits: All-in-one spin-column system for exosome purification and sequential isolation of small and long RNAs from 50 µL–10 mL plasma or serum. Proprietary resin captures intact vesicles in 30 min, free of protein contaminants and ready for downstream qPCR or NGS.
SBI SeraMir Exosome RNA Amplification Kit: Go from purified exosomes to amplified exoRNAs in a single day—ideal for low-input biofluids (serum, plasma, ascites) and compatible with SYBR or probe-based qPCR.

Isolate and amplify exosomal RNA with unmatched yield and purity using our seamless workflows.

Workflow Highlights

Capture exosomes using Norgen’s spin columns, no ultracentrifugation.
Lyse gently to preserve small RNAs; include RNase-inhibitor for clean profiling.
Elute in as little as 20 µL for maximal concentration.
Amplify with SeraMir’s optimized primers for miRNA and mRNA targets.

Best Practices

Add synthetic spike-in controls (e.g., C. elegans miR-39) at lysis step to monitor recovery.
Run Bioanalyzer with a small RNA chip to verify size distribution before amplification.

Norgen EXTRAClean™

Enhance yield and purity by incorporating the Norgen EXTRAClean™ Exosome & RNA Isolation Kit:

Dual-Purification Workflow: Combines immunoaffinity capture of CD63-positive exosomes with spin-column–based RNA cleanup.
Higher Recovery: Proprietary ExtraClean resin delivers a 20–30% increase in small RNA yield over standard columns.
Advanced Contaminant Removal: Efficiently removes proteins, lipids, and residual inhibitors, improving downstream qPCR sensitivity.
Minimal Hands-On Time: Complete workflow in under 45 minutes, with eluates in 15–50 µL depending on input volume.
Kits available for: urine, plasma/serum and cell culture media (CCM)

SeraMir™ Exosome RNA Amplification & Profiling Kit

The SeraMir™ Exosome RNA Amplification & Profiling Kit integrates 3′ tailing with simultaneous 5′ and 3′ end tagging during first-strand cDNA synthesis. Included primers generate double-stranded cDNA suitable for T7 in vitro transcription—or direct qPCR on the SeraMir 384™ microRNA qPCR Profiler. This strategy maintains the original relative abundance of each RNA species, ensuring reproducible biomarker discovery across unamplified and amplified samples.

Kit Highlights

Exosome Capture: Precipitate vesicles from biofluids in 10 min.
Phenol-Free Lysis: Gentle buffer preserves small RNAs.
Spin-Column Binding: High recovery of RNAs ≥18 nt.
Tail & Tag Technology: Universal 3′ poly(A) tailing and end-tagging.
Amplification Options: cDNA for qPCR or T7 IVT for microarrays/NGS.

How It Works: From Exosomes to cDNA

Isolate & Lyse: Precipitate exosomes with ExoQuick, then add lysis buffer.
Purify exoRNA: Bind small RNAs to spin columns; elute in 20 µL.
Tail & Tag: Use the SeraMir enzyme mix to add a poly(A) tail and barcoded adapters.
cDNA Synthesis & Amplification: Generate double-stranded cDNA for downstream qPCR or perform T7 IVT for sequencing libraries.

Supporting Data: Superior qPCR Profiles

Comparative profiling of 380 human miRNAs demonstrates that SeraMir-prepared RNA yields higher purity and more consistent Ct values than traditional TRIzol extraction. The phenol-free lysis coupled with small RNA columns minimizes inhibitors, delivering tight replicate curves and expanded dynamic range on microRNA panels.

Direct qPCR Option

For rapid biomarker screening, the ExoCt™ RT-qPCR System enables one-step, real-time qPCR directly from crude exosome preparations—no RNA purification required. Ideal for high-throughput workflows, this kit streamlines detection of known miRNA targets in minute.

Frequently Asked Questions

RNase pretreatment digests external RNA while preserving vesicle-enclosed content; perform RNase I treatment before lysis to remove contaminating RNA without disrupting exosome integrity.

Synthetic spike-in controls (e.g., C. elegans miR-39) added at the lysis step provide consistent recovery metrics; alternatively, stable endogenous miRNAs like miR-16 can be used.

Loss of the pellet or low input volume is common; ensure ≥2 mL of biofluid, avoid over-washing, and verify that spin columns are not clogged.

They use a patented silicon-carbide (SiC) matrix that binds and elutes all RNA irrespective of size (including microRNA) or GC content, without bias. In practice, that means you recover long mRNA, fragmented RNA, and small RNAs together from scarce EV inputs, giving cleaner, more reproducible signals for qPCR, small-RNA-seq, and whole-transcriptome workflows.

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