Archive of Samples for Long-term Preservation of RNA and Other Nucleic Acids

The Army seeks a novel and practical approach for the collection and long-term preservation of RNA and other nucleic acids (e.g., microRNA, DNA) from blood products at near room temperature conditions. To address this unmet need, ChromoLogic, LLC, (CL) proposes to develop an Integrated Membrane for Preservation of RNA Transcripts (IMPRiNT) that utilizes relatively small sample sizes coupled to membrane-adsorbent technology that fractionates and preserves RNA and other nucleic acids (e.g., microRNA) for long-term storage at ambient conditions. The IMPRiNT method meets the challenging task of RNA preservation by integrating all steps associated with the RNA extraction, purification and preservation through a single step that combines well-established CL technologies in a unique format that requires no external power or complex laboratory sample preparation processes. The IMPRiNT technology, because of its single-step approach, facilitates high-throughput sample processing of blood products and/or other samples (e.g., skin) at ambient conditions with enhanced sample extraction. In Phase I, CL will develop and demonstrate a prototype system capable of extracting RNA from ~30ul of blood (animal). These results will be used to develop an advanced prototype that will be validated clinically during Phase II of the program.