Porous Material Nucleic Acid Isolation via Aqueous Two-Phase System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for isolating and purifying nucleic acids are time-consuming, costly, and often require hazardous organic solvents, with limited capacity for handling large samples and compatibility with automation, leading to suboptimal results for downstream biotechnological applications.
Innovation Solution
A solid-liquid phase system utilizing a modified porous material with cationic groups on its surface and pores, combined with an aqueous two-phase system, effectively captures and concentrates nucleic acids by differential distribution between phases, allowing for high-purity and high-concentration isolation without the need for complex instrumentation or hazardous solvents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional nucleic acid extraction methods are used, then nucleic acids can be isolated, but the process is time-consuming and tedious
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a porous material with cationic groups that can rapidly bind nucleic acids from the sample. The porous structure provides large surface area and high binding capacity, enabling fast nucleic acid capture without time-consuming steps. This directly addresses the contradiction by maintaining isolation effectiveness while dramatically reducing extraction time.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the chemical parameters of the extraction system by using an aqueous two-phase system with specific pH and ionic conditions that favor rapid nucleic acid partitioning. By optimizing these parameters, the method achieves fast separation and purification without requiring lengthy processing steps, thus improving productivity while minimizing time loss.
2Reliability
If conventional extraction methods are used, then nucleic acids can be purified, but hazardous organic solvents are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent fundamentally changes the extraction medium from organic solvents to an aqueous two-phase system consisting of polymer and salt solutions. This parameter change eliminates hazardous chemicals while maintaining effective nucleic acid purification through differential solubility and phase partitioning, thus preserving reliability without exposing samples to harmful factors.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention converts the traditionally harmful organic solvent extraction process into a benign aqueous system. By using naturally occurring polymers and salts that form immiscible aqueous phases, the method achieves the same separation effectiveness without the harmful effects of organic solvents, turning a potentially harmful process into a safe one.
3Quantity of substance
If conventional methods are used, then nucleic acid isolation can be performed, but the capacity to handle large amounts of samples is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The porous material used in the invention has high binding capacity and can be scaled up to handle large sample volumes. The cationic groups within the porous structure provide numerous binding sites, allowing simultaneous processing of large amounts of nucleic acids without saturating the system, thus increasing both quantity handling capacity and productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The aqueous two-phase system combined with porous material creates a universal extraction platform that can handle various sample types and volumes. The system's scalability allows it to process from small research samples to large clinical volumes using the same fundamental mechanism, enhancing both quantity capacity and productivity across different application scales.
4Reliability
If conventional extraction protocols are used, then nucleic acids can be isolated, but the process is costly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses inexpensive porous materials and common aqueous phase components that can be readily prepared or replaced. These materials provide effective nucleic acid isolation without the high costs associated with proprietary commercial kits, achieving reliable isolation at lower cost by using economical, easily obtainable reagents and materials.
Solution Approach 2:
By changing from expensive organic solvent-based systems to aqueous phases with polymers and salts, the invention reduces material costs significantly. The optimized pH and ionic conditions achieve effective purification using inexpensive reagents, maintaining isolation reliability while dramatically reducing process cost.
5Reliability
If conventional methods are used, then nucleic acid purification can be performed, but automation compatibility is low
Solution Approach 1:
The porous material provides consistent, reproducible nucleic acid binding that is well-suited for automated liquid handling systems. The uniform pore structure and cationic groups ensure reliable capture across multiple samples, enabling automation while maintaining high purification quality through standardized, scalable processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The aqueous two-phase system with porous material creates a universal platform that can be integrated into automated extraction instruments. The system's straightforward phase separation and lack of complex manual steps make it highly compatible with robotic liquid handlers and automated workstations, enhancing automation compatibility without compromising purification quality.
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
This method significantly increases the concentration of nucleic acids (up to 10 to 1000 folds) while maintaining their integrity, enabling efficient and rapid purification suitable for various biotechnological applications, including forensic, diagnostic, and therapeutic uses, and is adaptable to automation.
Implementation Method 1
The modified porous material comprises a surface and a plurality of pores, where the surface and pores comprise a plurality of cationic groups... effectively capturing and holding the nucleic acids
Implementation Method 2
an aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) as a liquid phase... comprising a first phase and a second phase
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a method and a system for the isolation and purification of nucleic acids from nucleic acid-containing material using a modified porous material containing cationic groups in a solid-liquid phase system. In some embodiments, the present invention is capable of obtaining nucleic acids with sufficient purity and quantity in a relatively simple way to enable accurate subsequent analysis or processing. In some embodiments, the liquid phase comprises an aqueous two-phase system (ATPS), comprising a first phase and a second phase, and the solid phase comprises a porous material, wherein the two phases travel through the porous material. In some embodiments, the nucleic acids enter the pores of the porous material and subsequently travel through the porous material while preferentially partitioning into one of the phases.