title: Extraction and detection of DNA from Bacillus anthracis spores and the vegetative cells within 1 min.
abstract: The use of a combination of low-cost technologies to both extract and detect anthrax DNA from spores and vegetative cells in two steps within 1 min is described. In a cavity, microwave energy is highly focused using thin-film aluminum "bow-tie" structures, to extract DNA from whole spores within 20 s. The detection of the released DNA, from less than 1000 vegetative cells, without additional preprocessing steps is accomplished in an additional 30 s by employing the microwave-accelerated metal-enhanced fluorescence technique. The new platform technology presented here is a highly attractive alternative method for DNA extraction and the fast detection of gram-positive bacteria and potentially other pathogenic species and cells as well.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Fluorescence, Laboratory for Advanced Medical Plasmonics, University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute, 725 West Lombard Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, USA.
authors.forename: Kadir
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Aslan
authors.forename: Michael J R
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Previte
authors.forename: Yongxia
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Theresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gallagher
authors.forename: Les
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Baillie
authors.forename: Chris D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Geddes
mesh_terms: D000535:Aluminum / Q000737:chemistry; D000818:Animals; D001408:Bacillus anthracis / Q000166:cytology*; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D005453:Fluorescence; D008670:Metals / Q000737:chemistry; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D008872:Microwaves; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D008670:Metals; D004247:DNA; D000535:Aluminum