<p>Scientists have developed a new hand-held device that can extract human DNA from a swab of saliva and make it ready for analysis and genome sequencing within minutes.<br /><br /></p>.<p>University of Washington engineers and NanoFacture, a company in Bellevue, Washington, have created a device that can extract human deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) from fluid samples in a simpler, more efficient and environmentally friendly way than conventional methods.<br /><br />The device will give hospitals and research labs a much easier way to separate DNA from human fluid samples, which will help with genome sequencing, disease diagnosis and forensic investigations.<br /><br />"It's very complex to extract DNA. When you think of the current procedure, the equivalent is like collecting human hair using a construction crane," said Jae-Hyun Chung, a UW associate professor of mechanical engineering who led the research.<br /><br />Separating DNA from bodily fluids is a cumbersome process that's become a bottleneck as scientists make advances in genome sequencing, particularly for disease prevention and treatment.<br /><br />Conventional methods use a centrifuge to spin and separate DNA molecules or strain them from a fluid sample with a micro-filter, but these processes take 20 to 30 minutes to complete and can require excessive toxic chemicals.<br /><br />UW engineers designed microscopic probes that dip into a fluid sample - saliva, sputum or blood - and apply an electric field within the liquid.<br /><br />That draws particles to concentrate around the surface of the tiny probe. Larger particles hit the tip and swerve away, but DNA-sized molecules stick to the probe and are trapped on the surface. It takes two or three minutes to separate and purify DNA using this technology.<br /><br />"This simple process removes all the steps of conventional methods," Chung said.<br /><br />The hand-held device can clean four separate human fluid samples at once, but the technology can be scaled up to prepare 96 samples at a time, which is standard for large-scale handling.<br /><br />The tiny probes, called microtips and nanotips, were designed and built at the UW in a micro-fabrication facility where a technician can make up to 1 million tips in a year, which is key in proving that large-scale production is feasible, Chung said.<br /><br />Engineers in Chung's lab also have designed a pencil-sized device using the same probe technology that could be sent home with patients or distributed to those serving in the military overseas.</p>
<p>Scientists have developed a new hand-held device that can extract human DNA from a swab of saliva and make it ready for analysis and genome sequencing within minutes.<br /><br /></p>.<p>University of Washington engineers and NanoFacture, a company in Bellevue, Washington, have created a device that can extract human deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) from fluid samples in a simpler, more efficient and environmentally friendly way than conventional methods.<br /><br />The device will give hospitals and research labs a much easier way to separate DNA from human fluid samples, which will help with genome sequencing, disease diagnosis and forensic investigations.<br /><br />"It's very complex to extract DNA. When you think of the current procedure, the equivalent is like collecting human hair using a construction crane," said Jae-Hyun Chung, a UW associate professor of mechanical engineering who led the research.<br /><br />Separating DNA from bodily fluids is a cumbersome process that's become a bottleneck as scientists make advances in genome sequencing, particularly for disease prevention and treatment.<br /><br />Conventional methods use a centrifuge to spin and separate DNA molecules or strain them from a fluid sample with a micro-filter, but these processes take 20 to 30 minutes to complete and can require excessive toxic chemicals.<br /><br />UW engineers designed microscopic probes that dip into a fluid sample - saliva, sputum or blood - and apply an electric field within the liquid.<br /><br />That draws particles to concentrate around the surface of the tiny probe. Larger particles hit the tip and swerve away, but DNA-sized molecules stick to the probe and are trapped on the surface. It takes two or three minutes to separate and purify DNA using this technology.<br /><br />"This simple process removes all the steps of conventional methods," Chung said.<br /><br />The hand-held device can clean four separate human fluid samples at once, but the technology can be scaled up to prepare 96 samples at a time, which is standard for large-scale handling.<br /><br />The tiny probes, called microtips and nanotips, were designed and built at the UW in a micro-fabrication facility where a technician can make up to 1 million tips in a year, which is key in proving that large-scale production is feasible, Chung said.<br /><br />Engineers in Chung's lab also have designed a pencil-sized device using the same probe technology that could be sent home with patients or distributed to those serving in the military overseas.</p>