Enabling global-scale nucleic acid repositories through versatile, scalable biochemical selection from...

Area of Science:

• Genomics
• Biobanking
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Current nucleic acid storage relies on expensive cold-chain infrastructure, limiting large-scale genomic biobanking.
• Inefficient robotic handling further hinders the retrieval process for unstable nucleic acid specimens like RNA.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a scalable, room-temperature storage and retrieval system for nucleic acid samples.
• To enable database-like queries on pooled and barcoded nucleic acid samples, advancing genomic biobanking capabilities.

Main Methods:

• Introduction of a room-temperature storage system with a minimal footprint.
• Encapsulation and barcoding of pooled nucleic acid samples for database-like querying.
• Evaluation using mock SARS-CoV-2 genomic samples and human patient-derived nucleic acids.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated rapid and scalable retrieval of barcoded nucleic acid samples.
• Successfully stored and sequenced human patient-derived nucleic acid samples, proving clinical applicability.
• Showcased the system's ability to handle complex queries including numerical ranges and categorical filters.

Conclusions:

• The developed system offers a scalable alternative to cold-chain storage for millions of nucleic acid samples.
• This approach enables the creation of large-scale pathogen and genomic repositories, even in resource-limited settings.
• Eliminates the need for freezer-based storage, preserving sample fidelity and throughput for genomic analysis.