Magnetic particles for integrated nucleic acid purification, amplification and detection without pipetting

Abstract

Nucleic acid amplification based detection plays an important role in food safety, environmental monitoring and clinical diagnosis. However, traditional nucleic acid detection process involves transferring liquid from one tube to another by pipetting. It requires trained persons, equipped labs and consumes lots of time. The ideal nucleic acid detection is integrated, closed, simplified and automated. Magnetic particles actuated by magnetic fields can efficiently adsorb nucleic acids and promote integrated nucleic acid assays without pipetting driven by pumps and centrifuges. We will comprehensively review magnetic particles assisted integrated system for nucleic acid detection and hope it can inspire further related study.

Keywords: ATP, adenosine triphosphate; DLS, dynamic light scattering; FMR, ferromagnetic resonance; GTC, guanidinium thiocyanate; ICP-AES, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy; IFAST, immiscible filtration assisted by surface tension; Immiscible interface; Integrated detection; LAMP, loop-mediated isothermal amplification; Magnetic particles; Nucleic acid; PCR, polymerase chain reaction; PEG, polyethylene glycol; POCT, point-of-care testing; RPA, recombinase polymerase amplification; SQUID, superconducting quantum interference device magnetometer; TEM, transmission electron microscopy; XRD, X-Ray diffraction; qPCR, quantitative PCR.