NanoFacture this week commercialized the DRS (DNA Recovery System) for extracting DNA from small-volume samples of 1 to 10 μL.
The DRS integrates the company's patented electrohydrodynamic NTip technology into a compact automated device for DNA extraction from various sample types, including saliva, whole blood, and dried blood spots. The technology concentrates and purifies DNA samples onto the NTip, which is housed in a disposable cartridge using a combination of chemical affinity and capillary action. By eliminating microporous filtration and centrifugation, the DRS can be used on a full spectrum of nucleic acid targets, the company said.
The DRS instrument, which is about the size of a coffee maker and can run four samples simultaneously, is intended for rapid PCR-ready sample preparation for immediate use or long-term storage.
Greg Bruce, a researcher at the Seattle Children's Research Institute, said in a statement that the new product enables "rapid, reproducible isolation of viral DNA contained in a saliva sample. This normally requires overnight incubation followed by hours of processing, but NF DRS needed less than 10 minutes to do the same thing without the mess of phenol/chloroform. The resulting sample is compatible with PCR for a quick, reliable determination of viral load using a small volume sample."
NanoFacture said that additional protocols are in development including more biological samples (buccal swab, urine, and semen), agricultural samples, and RNAs.