title: Sample purification on a microfluidic device.
abstract: Sample preparation has long been recognized as a significant barrier to the implementation of macroscopic protocols on microfabricated devices. Macroscopically, such tasks as removing salts, primers and other contaminants are performed by methods involving precipitation, specialized membranes and centrifuges, none of which are readily performed in microfluidic structures. Although some microfluidic systems have been developed for performing sample purification, their complexity may hinder the degree to which they can be implemented. We present a method of microchip-based sample purification that can be performed with even the simplest microfluidic designs. The technique is demonstrated by removing primers from a sample of amplified DNA, leaving only the product DNA. This provides a new sample preparation capability for microfluidic systems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Footz
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wunsam
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kulak
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Crabtree
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Glerum
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Backhouse
mesh_terms: D004247:DNA / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D017931:DNA Primers; D019075:Electrophoresis, Capillary / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005470:Fluorometry / Q000295:instrumentation; D008832:Microchemistry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal / Q000295:instrumentation; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000295:instrumentation; D012212:Rheology
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004247:DNA