Material-to-Application Integration: Rapid Fabrication of Field-Deployable Hydrogel-SiO₂ DNA Separator for...

Current nucleic acid (NA) diagnostics are hindered in resource-limited settings by equipment needs and high costs. S(PAA-SiO₂) is developed, a hydrogel-SiO₂ composite deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) separator addressing these challenges through rapid (<10 min), simple, and skill-free preparation, ultralow cost ($0.028 per unit), and equipment-minimized mass production capacity (96 units per batch). Further systematic investigation of SiO₂ particle surface modification revealed critical enhancements in DNA adsorption properties. With maintaining structural thermal stability, SiO₂ integration significantly improved the surface roughness, specific surface area, and hydrophobicity, leading to hydrophobic and salt bridge effect-enhanced DNA adsorption. Especially, SiO₂ modification with mixed particle size formed a hierarchical microstructure to promote turbulence and interface interaction. Device S(PAA-SiO₂-Mix) achieved a higher DNA extraction yield than the commercial kits. It possesses potential value for Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) diagnosis of bacterial, viral, parasitic, and fungal pathogens. By orchestrating three technological progresses - rapid S(PAA-SiO₂-Mix) fabrication, high-throughput DNA extraction, and visual loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) - a field-deployable diagnostic workflow is established for Vibrio parahaemolyticus (v. parahaemolyticus, Vpa). This platform achieves equipment-minimized point-of-care detection in <40 min with a sensitivity of 10 CFU mL^-1. Its simplicity, speed, and accuracy offer a transformative solution for resource-limited diagnostics. This work advances separation interface design and presents a novel vision for integrated, equipment-free molecular detection systems.