On-Orbit DNA, RNA, and Protein Extraction

Genova Engineering proposes to develop and demonstrate a toolset of discrete devices and extraction kits which will leverage existing on-orbit facilities and will permit an expansion of molecular biology capabilities onboard ISS. This toolset, Nucleic Acid And Protein Isolation (NAAPI), is a near-term deployable technology which gives the ISS researcher the ability to isolate DNA, RNA and proteins from precious biological samples. By isolating these target molecules, sample volumes can be reduced by orders of magnitude resulting in reduced downmass. This technology also proposes to adapt a state of the art stabilization technique to enable long-term ambient storage of nucleic acids. This system offers the unique ability to isolate total protein for storage and/or analysis.