An overview on microfluidic systems for nucleic acids extraction from human raw samples

Obino, D., Vassalli, M. , Franceschi, A., Alessandrini, A., Facci, P. and Viti, F. (2021) An overview on microfluidic systems for nucleic acids extraction from human raw samples. Sensors, 21(9), e3058. (doi: 10.3390/s21093058)

Abstract

Nucleic acid (NA) extraction is a basic step for genetic analysis, from scientific research to diagnostic and forensic applications. It aims at preparing samples for its application with biomolecular technologies such as isothermal and non-isothermal amplification, hybridization, electrophoresis, Sanger sequencing and next-generation sequencing. Multiple steps are involved in NA collection from raw samples, including cell separation from the rest of the specimen, cell lysis, NA isolation and release. Typically, this process needs molecular biology facilities, specialized instrumentation and labor-intensive operations. Microfluidic devices have been developed to analyze NA samples with high efficacy and sensitivity. In this context, the integration within the chip of the sample preparation phase is crucial to leverage the promise of portable, fast, user-friendly and economic point-of-care solutions. This review presents an overview of existing lab-on-a-chip (LOC) solutions designed to provide automated NA extraction from human raw biological fluids, such as whole blood, excreta (urine and feces), saliva. It mainly focuses on LOC implementation aspects, aiming to describe a detailed panorama of strategies implemented for different human raw sample preparations.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: Funding: This research was funded by Regione Liguria (POR FSE 2014-2020—Code RLFO18ASSRIC/73/1).
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Vassalli, Professor Massimo

Creator Roles

Vassalli, M.: Writing – review and editing

• Authors: Obino, D., Vassalli, M., Franceschi, A., Alessandrini, A., Facci, P., and Viti, F.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Biomedical Engineering
• Journal Name: Sensors
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 1424-8220
• ISSN (Online): 1424-8220
• Published Online: 27 April 2021
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2021 by the authors
• First Published: First published in Sensors 21(9):e3058
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons Licence