Device and method for extraction and analysis of nucleic acids from biological samples

1. A method for quantifying extracted nucleic acids, comprising:

(a) eluting nucleic acids isolated on a solid phase with an elution buffer to provide released nucleic acids, the elution buffer comprising a first fluorescent compound having a first fluorescence emission maximum and a fluorescence intensity dependent on the concentration of nucleic acids; and

(b) measuring the fluorescence of the first fluorescent compound to determine the amount of released nucleic acids.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising treating the released nucleic acids with a nucleic acid amplification reaction mixture under conditions for amplifying nucleic acids to provide amplified nucleic acids, and measuring the fluorescence of the first fluorescent compound to determine the amount of amplified nucleic acids.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising contacting the amplified nucleic acids with a second fluorescent compound having a second fluorescence emission maximum and a fluorescence intensity dependent on the concentration of amplified nucleic acids, wherein the first and second fluorescence emission maxima are different.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising measuring the fluorescence of the second fluorescent compound to determine the presence of a gene or gene product.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the second fluorescent compound is an oligonucleotide probe.

6. The method of claim 3 further comprising contacting the amplified nucleic acids with a third fluorescent compound having a third fluorescence emission maximum and a fluorescence intensity dependent on the concentration of amplified nucleic acids, wherein the first, second, and third fluorescence emission maxima are different.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising measuring the fluorescence of the third fluorescent compound to determine the presence of a gene or gene product.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the third fluorescent compound is an oligonucleotide probe.

9. The method of claim 2 , wherein treating the released nucleic acids under conditions for amplifying the nucleic acids to provide amplified nucleic acids comprises amplification using the polymerase chain reaction.

10. The method of claim 2 , wherein treating the released nucleic acids under conditions for amplifying the nucleic acids to provide amplified nucleic acids comprises amplification using isothermal DNA or RNA amplification methods.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first fluorescent compound is a minor groove binder or an intercalating agent.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first fluorescent compound has an emission maximum at a wavelength less than 500 nm.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first fluorescent compound is a bis-benzimide compound.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first fluorescent compound is ethidium bromide.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first fluorescent compound is [2-[N-3-dimethylaminopropyl}-N-propylamino]-4-[2,3-dihydro-3-methyl-(benzo-1,3-thiazol-2-yl)-methylidene]-1-phenyl-quinolinium].