Decontamination solution and its use for denaturation, modification, degradation, solubilisation and removal of proteins, nucleic acid molecules and microorganisms

Abstract

The invention concerns a three component system comprising surface-active substances, vitamins and metal ions for efficient destruction and removal of contaminating proteins, nucleic acids and microorganisms from surfaces like for example laboratory benches, floors, equipment and instruments. These non-corrosive and non-toxic solutions for removal of proteins, nucleic acids and microorganisms are applied by spraying, rubbing or immersion of contaminated surfaces thereby destroying, solubilizing inactivating and removing proteins and nucleic acids. In that way also microorganisms are killed with high efficiency and at the same time all genetic information is inactivated.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This is a divisional application of U.S. application Ser. No. 11 / 913,094 filed May 2, 2006, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety and which is the U.S. national stage of International application no. PCT / DE2006 / 000758, filed May 2, 2006 designating the United States claiming priority to German application no. 10 2005 020 327.2, filed Apr. 30, 2005.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]The invention concerns a decontamination solution for the treatment of surfaces that are contaminated by unwanted proteins, nucleic acid molecules or microorganisms. The invention further concerns the use of said decontamination solution and a suitable buffer system.[0003]The dynamic developments in molecular biology stresses the importance of new methods and techniques for detection and amplification of DNA molecules or proteins. [Sambrook, J. et al., eds (1989) Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, 2nd Ed., Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Pr...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent describes a new three-component system that can be used to efficiently kill microorganisms and degrade their genetic material. This system uses natural anti-oxidants in combination with metal ions and detergents. The solution has a pH range of 2 to 8.5 and is effective over a wide range of pH values. The system is stable over a long period of time and is skin-compatible. The combination of vitamins with metal ions and detergents results in a synergistic effect and a rapid and massive degradation of biomolecules. The solution uses a buffer system with carbonate and derivatives of succinic acid which ensures efficient decontamination.

Problems solved by technology

Therefore already for a longer time many different decontamination solutions exist that use aggressive chemical agents like for example formaldehyde, alcohols, phenols, sodium azide, sodium hypochloride against microorganisms or strong oxidizing agents like for example hypochloride, bleaching substances or mineralic acids that denature proteins and modify nucleic acids thereby rendering them inappropriate for amplification methods like for example the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), nick translation by the klenow polymerase, strand-displacement amplification, ligase chain reaction, transcription-mediated amplification, rolling-circle-amplification and many others more.

The major disadvantages of these solutions and methods are the only selective actions against proteins, DNA or microorganisms and the incomplete removal of all nucleic acids molecules, the remaining modified molecules, the only partial degradation and the corrosive effect of the applied chemicals against equipment, instruments, surfaces and also against skin and mucous membranes of the customer.

A limited improvement of the efficiency of these methods was achieved by combining the agents in the solution with surface-active chemicals like detergents.

Still the problem of the aggressive chemical substances and the incomplete destruction and removal of nucleic acids, proteins and microorganisms remains.

The disadvantages of the currently known decontamination solutions and methods are their only limited action against different biological molecules like proteins or nucleic acids or only anti-microbial actions and the highly corrosive and aggressive chemical potentials in combination with harmful properties that cause severe health problems.

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