DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.27940821
title: Development and validation of a portable device for lab-free versatile nucleic acid extraction

description: Nucleic acid testing (NAT) has revolutionized diagnostics by providing precise, rapid, and scalable detection methods for diverse biological samples. These recent advancements satisfy the increasing demand for on-site diagnostics, yet sample preparation remains a significant bottleneck for achieving highly sensitive diagnostic assays. There is an unmet need for compatible, efficient, and lab-free sample preparation for point-of-care NAT. To address this, we developed a portable, lab-free, and battery-powered device for extracting nucleic acids. We explored using low centrifugal forces with existing commercial chemistry, demonstrating excellent performance. We designed and tested a battery-powered device to enable lab-free extractions, and verified reagents stored out to 6 months, suggesting exceptional deployment capabilities. We evaluated our device, comparing our results against those from a benchtop centrifuge across three types of samples: HIV RNA in buffer, HIV RNA in plasma, and SARS-CoV-2 RNA in saliva. The portable device demonstrated excellent agreement with the benchtop centrifuge, indicating high reliability. By providing an effective on-site sample preparation solution, the widespread adoption of low centrifugal extractions will improve the sensitivity and reliability of NAT and will positively impact other point-of-care technologies such as next generation sequencing (NGS), biomarker detection, and environmental monitoring. This method utilizes a low-power, portable centrifuge to significantly improve the deployment of nucleic acid extractions. As a result, this method offers comparable extraction performance to benchtop devices while offering superior portability and ease of use. Minimizing centrifugal force allows for reliable nucleic acid extraction from a low-power device. Our approach is simple and uses low-cost electronics, presenting high potential for clinical preparation of RNA in field settings. Sample preparation continues to be a major bottleneck for sensitive diagnostic assays.We developed a portable, lab-free, and battery-powered device for extracting nucleic acids.We demonstrated that a commercial extraction kit could be processed at low centrifugal forces, enabling point-of-care development.We designed a battery-powered, semi-automated centrifuge that rivaled a benchtop centrifuge in performance and efficiency.Reagents remained stable for 6 months and extractions were robust without carrier RNA.Our device offers an effective on-site sample preparation solution that enhances NAT sensitivity and reliability while maintaining compatibility with commercial chemistry.Consequently, our portable centrifuge is well-positioned to impact other point-of-care applications like NGS, biomarker detection, and environmental monitoring. Sample preparation continues to be a major bottleneck for sensitive diagnostic assays. We developed a portable, lab-free, and battery-powered device for extracting nucleic acids. We demonstrated that a commercial extraction kit could be processed at low centrifugal forces, enabling point-of-care development. We designed a battery-powered, semi-automated centrifuge that rivaled a benchtop centrifuge in performance and efficiency. Reagents remained stable for 6 months and extractions were robust without carrier RNA. Our device offers an effective on-site sample preparation solution that enhances NAT sensitivity and reliability while maintaining compatibility with commercial chemistry. Consequently, our portable centrifuge is well-positioned to impact other point-of-care applications like NGS, biomarker detection, and environmental monitoring.