Aqueous Biphasic System for Nucleic Acid Concentration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for nucleic acid purification from biological fluids are inefficient, requiring large sample volumes and failing to extract small DNA fragments, leading to insufficient yields and contamination issues.
Innovation Solution
An aqueous biphasic system comprising a polyether polymer with at least 16 ethylene oxide units and a hydrophobic portion, in combination with phase separation promoters, facilitates the concentration and enrichment of nucleic acids without complex instrumentation, achieving high yields and reducing contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional precipitation or ultrafiltration methods are used for nucleic acid purification, then the process is simpler to operate, but the extraction yield is lower and small DNA fragments are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the chemical parameters of the purification system by using specific salts (ammonium sulfate, sodium chloride) at optimized concentrations and adjusting pH levels to enhance nucleic acid solubility and selective precipitation, thereby improving extraction yield without requiring complex instrumentation
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs a composite approach by combining multiple purification mechanisms in one system: salt precipitation, selective binding to silica-based materials, and alcohol precipitation. This multi-component system achieves high recovery of small DNA fragments while maintaining operational simplicity
2Quantity of substance
If large volumes of biological fluids are processed to obtain sufficient nucleic acid quantity, then the target nucleic acid quantity increases, but the processing time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the purification process into distinct sequential stages: initial salt precipitation to remove contaminants, selective nucleic acid binding to silica particles, washing steps, and final elution. This segmentation allows each step to be optimized independently, reducing total processing time while handling large sample volumes efficiently
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces silica-based particles as intermediary carriers that selectively bind nucleic acids from large volumes of biological fluid. These particles concentrate the nucleic acids onto a small solid phase, enabling rapid processing and easy separation without requiring manual handling of large fluid volumes throughout the entire process
3Reliability
If commercial extraction kits are used to obtain purified nucleic acids, then the purity is improved, but the cost and sample volume requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality enhancement by using silica-based materials with specific surface properties that selectively interact with nucleic acids at the molecular level. The silica surface provides localized binding sites that preferentially capture nucleic acids while excluding other cellular components, achieving high purity without requiring large sample volumes or expensive commercial reagents
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method effectively concentrates and purifies nucleic acids from large volumes of biological fluids, enhancing the recovery of small DNA fragments and reducing sample volume requirements, facilitating early disease diagnosis and monitoring.
Implementation Method 1
an aqueous biphasic system comprising at least one polyether polymer... and one or more phase separation promoters
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a fast and efficient method of isolating nucleic acids in high yield and in high concentration from biological samples, using an aqueous two phase system without the need for instrumentation. The isolated nucleic acids can be used to facilitate the screening, prognosis and monitoring of disease progression.