Designing Nanostructures at the Interface between Biomedical and Physical Systems Conference Focus Group Summaries (2005) / Chapter Skim
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Focus Group Summaries
Focus Group Summaries
A Micro System to Isolate, Sequence, and Identify DNA from a Small, Low-Concentration Sample
Pages 7-14
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From page 7... ...
Many samples are too low in agent concentration and too small in volume. For example, many modern genomic and molecular biology assays involve selective amplification of specific regions of interest to extremely high concentration levels, followed by extraction and purification of the amplified products.
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From page 8... ...
The following are some examples that need to be addressed: · Methods that can multiply the picoliter-volume DNA concentration by several orders of magnitude · Nano or micro-devices that can multiply the picoliter-volume DNA concentration by several orders of magnitude · Nano or micro-sensors that can monitor the DNA concentration change in a picoliter volume · Nano or micro-devices that can recover low concentration DNAs from a picoliter volume solution · Nano or micro-devices that can separate different DNAs in a picoliter volume solution · Nano or micro-devices that can identify different DNAs in a picoliter volume solution · Nano or microsystems that can simultaneously multiply, isolate, and identify DNAs in a picoliter volume solution Initial References 1. Burns, M.A., Everyone's a (Future)
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From page 9... ...
In a clinic, for example, treatment could be immediately tailored to the infection. If cheap and robust, detectors could be placed in public places or carried into battlefields where they could identify harmful pathogens quickly enough to prevent widespread infection.
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From page 10... ...
Early in the process the group divided the problem into four basic steps: · separate nucleic acids from the sample · sequence or detect the nucleic acids · process the sequence information · report the outcome Separating nucleic acids from a gunky sample Extracting genetic information quickly and cheaply from unpurified sample with no preprocessing using a single device challenged the group. It requires the ability to handle gunky samples, such as mucus or soil.
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From page 11... ...
We considered a wide variety of solutions, such as binding nucleic acids to magnetic beads and sucking them out of solution, or using a microfluidics array in which posts deflect and slow larger molecules in a sort of nanoscale pachinko machine to fractionate cellular components by size. In the end, we decided to minimize fluids and instead use multi-layer thin films with enzymes and other reagents impregnated in each layer to initially separate nucleic acids from other components of the sample.
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From page 12... ...
This last part would likely be a small reusable radio-frequency or Wi-Fi handheld instrument in the field, a desktop computer connected to the Internet in a clinic or laboratory, or a satellite communication device in a remote place. Reporting signals The end users will need to know what to do once the sequence is identified.
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From page 13... ...
Finally, despite rapid advances, the database of gene sequences remains incomplete. It is also inaccurate, containing wrong and sometimes mislabeled sequences.
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From page 14... ...
Good will come of that if drug treatments can be tailored to their individual genetic makeup -- relieving patients of treatments with harmful side effects that are unlikely to work and more rapidly identifying those most likely to do good. But genetic information about individuals could lead to discrimination in employment or lack of access to medical insurance.
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