Surface-Modified Mesh Filter for Direct Nucleic Acid Extraction and its Application to Gene Expression Analysis

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Materials Science
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Nucleic acid (NA) isolation from cell lysate is crucial for gene expression analysis.
• Current methods can be time-consuming and complex for onsite applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a one-step, efficient method for capturing nucleic acids directly from cell lysate.
• To create a cationic surface-modified mesh filter (SMF) for rapid NA isolation.

Main Methods:

• A cationic polymer was deposited onto a mesh filter using vapor-phase deposition.
• The surface charge interaction was utilized to capture negatively charged NAs.
• Characterization involved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, fluorescent microscopy, and zeta potential measurements.

Main Results:

• The cationic SMF demonstrated effective capture of nucleic acids.
• Genomic DNA from Escherichia Coli O157:H7 was successfully extracted from food samples.
• Fluorescent signals were observed post-amplification, confirming target gene presence.

Conclusions:

• The developed SMF offers a simplified, convenient, and fast nucleic acid extraction method.
• This technology holds potential for food safety, clinical diagnosis, and environmental monitoring.