DNA purification is an important step in the sample preparation workflow. It removes enzymes and salts from lysed samples, or PCR products, before cloning and sequencing. It also eliminates unwanted PCR artifacts such as primer dimers or unincorporated nucleotides. DNA purification in molecular biology research is an essential step that requires careful planning to ensure quality, reliable results.
Purifying DNA can be accomplished in various ways. Traditional methods for DNA isolation involve various steps like leukocyte isolation or red blood cell lysis in order to remove heme proteins that block the PCR reaction, deproteinization, treatment with RNAse, ethanol as well as isopropanol precipitation, and then DNA elimination. These procedures require specialized equipment, such as an electrophoresis device and biosafety cabinets because of the intercalating dyes that are used in electrophoresis on gels.
Other methods for purifying DNA use spin columns or 96-well filter plates to separate out contaminants by adsorbing them to the surface of the plate or column. These techniques can be very laborious, especially when working with large amounts of samples or when the columns need to be filled manually with fresh chemicals.
Dipsticks drastically reduce the number of sample processing steps to only three. They bind nucleic acid using waxy cellulose-based materials and release them once water is present. This method is especially beneficial in low-resource settings like remote field sites or teaching laboratories. Its simplicity (30 s per sample) makes it suitable for diagnostic molecular tests such as disease detection and genotype screening.
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