NZYol is a ready-to-use reagent combining a blend of phenol and other components for the isolation of total RNA from cells and tissues. NZYol disrupts cells exposing cellular components and maintains the integrity of the extracted RNA. Biological samples are homogenized or lysed in NZYol and then separated into organic and aqueous phases. RNA remains in the aqueous phase and is subsequently recovered by precipitation with isopropyl alcohol. Isolated RNA is suitable for any downstream application such as RT-PCR, hybridization assays, or in vitro translation.