A novel approach for the extraction of nucleic acids using a hybrid paper-plastic device

Nucleic acid-based diagnostics play a crucial role in early and accurate disease detection. However, conventional extraction approaches are expensive, time-consuming, and require complex instrumentation and skilled personnel, which restricts their use in resource-limited settings. To develop and evaluate a simple, low-cost, and equipment-free paper-based microfluidic cassette device for rapid extraction of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) from biological samples. A paper-plastic cassette was fabricated by laminating filter paper or glass fibre substrates between thermally bonded plastic sheets. The system was tested using Klebsiella pneumoniae (DNA) and HeLa cells (RNA) with different lysis buffer formulations. Extracted nucleic acids were quantified using a Qubit fluorimeter and assessed by gel electrophoresis and PCR amplification. Results were compared with standard commercial extraction kits. Among tested substrates, LF1 combined with lysis buffers 2, 4, and 5 yielded the highest quality DNA and RNA with 260/280 absorbance ratios of approximately 1.8 (DNA) and 2.0 (RNA). The nucleic acid yields were comparable to commercial kits, and the extracted material was suitable for direct downstream applications, including PCR. The developed paper-plastic cassette enables rapid, affordable, and equipment-free extraction of nucleic acids. This platform shows strong potential for point-of-care molecular diagnostics, particularly in low-resource and decentralized healthcare settings.