High Integrity and High Yield DNA Extraction Using a Nanostructured Surface

High Integrity and High Yield DNA Extraction Using a Nanostructured Surface DNA/RNA extraction is a critical first step that underpins nearly all of molecular biology. Phenol/chloroform precipitation remains the gold standard when the highest DNA integrity, yield, and purity are needed. However, the significant manual skill and dexterity required makes this method labor intensive, low throughput, and nearly impossible to automate. While commercial kits and automated instruments using silica columns and beads are capable of high yield, these methods generally result in lower DNA integrity (i.e. more sheared, smaller fragments) and lower purity than well performed phenol/chloroform extractions. Existing silica technologies use porous gels, tightly packed columns, and microparticles to increase surface area, leading to reduced DNA integrity due to high shear forces imparted by flow and mixing. We propose a novel silica coated nanomembrane that uses a hierarchical structure of microscale ridges covered by nanosc