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

1. A method for determining the quantity of nucleic acids in a sample, comprising:

(a) introducing a sample containing cells in a liquid medium into a first chamber of a vessel, the vessel comprising the first chamber and a second chamber, wherein the first chamber is in liquid communication with the second chamber and wherein the second chamber has at least a portion of one flat glass surface effective for binding nucleic acids;

(b) lysing the cells to provide nucleic acids in the liquid medium;

(c) transferring at least a portion of the liquid medium from the first chamber into the second chamber;

(d) extracting the nucleic acids from the liquid medium by binding the nucleic acids to the flat glass surface of the second chamber effective for binding nucleic acids to provide isolated nucleic acids;

(e) contacting the isolated nucleic acids with a fluorescent compound having a fluorescence intensity dependent on the concentration of nucleic acids; and

(f) measuring the fluorescence of the fluorescent compound to determine the quantity of isolated nucleic acids.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein lysing the cells comprises contacting the cells with a chaotropic salt solution.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising sonicating or mechanically disrupting the cells in the first chamber.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising purifying the isolated nucleic acids by contacting the isolated nucleic acids with a chaotropic salt solution.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fluorescent compound is immobilized in the second chamber.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising releasing the isolated nucleic acids from the surface of the second chamber effective for binding nucleic acids by contacting the isolated nucleic acids with a buffer solution before measuring the fluorescence of the fluorescent compound.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the buffer solution comprises the fluorescent compound.

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

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

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fluorescent compound is a bis-benzamide compound.

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

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the 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.

13. A method for amplifying and quantifying the amount of nucleic acids in a sample, comprising:

(a) introducing a sample containing cells in a liquid medium into a first chamber of a vessel, the vessel comprising the first chamber and a second chamber, wherein the first chamber is in liquid communication with the second chamber and wherein the second chamber has at least a portion of one flat glass surface effective for binding nucleic acids;

(b) lysing the cells to provide nucleic acids in the liquid medium;

(c) transferring at least a portion of the liquid medium from the first chamber into the second chamber;

(d) extracting the nucleic acids from the liquid medium by binding the nucleic acids to a flat glass surface of the second chamber effective for binding nucleic acids to provide isolated nucleic acids;

(e) releasing the isolated nucleic acids from the surface of the second chamber effective for binding nucleic acids by contacting the isolated nucleic acids with a buffer solution to provide release nucleic acids;

(f) contacting the released nucleic acids with a nucleic acid amplification reaction mixture and a fluorescent compound having a fluorescence intensity dependent on the concentration of nucleic acids;

(g) treating the released nucleic acids and the nucleic acid amplification reaction mixture under conditions for amplifying the release nucleic acids to provide amplified nucleic acids; and

(h) measuring the fluorescence of the fluorescent compound to determine the quantity of amplified nucleic acids.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein steps (g) and (h) are repeated a pre-determined number of times to determine the amount of amplified nucleic acids.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising contacting the released nucleic acids with a fluorescent compound having a fluorescence intensity dependent on the concentration of nucleic acids and measuring the fluorescence of the fluorescent compound to determine the quantity of isolated nucleic acids prior to step (f).

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the fluorescent compound is immobilized in the second chamber.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the nucleic acid amplification mixture includes the fluorescent compound.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the buffer solution comprises the fluorescent compound and the nucleic acid amplification reaction mixture.

19. The method of claim 13 further comprising determining the presence of a gene or gene product in the sample by the presence of amplified nucleic acids.

20. The method of claim 13 further comprising identifying a type of a gene or gene product in a sample by the presence of amplified nucleic acids.

21. The method of claim 13 , wherein the released nucleic acids are transported from a first temperature zone of the second chamber to a second temperature zone of the second chamber.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the first temperature zone is at about 65° C. and the second temperature zone is at about 95° C.

23. The method of claim 13 , wherein the nucleic acid amplification reaction mixture comprises a first fluorescent compound having a fluorescence intensity dependent on the concentration of isolated nucleic acids and a second fluorescent compound having a fluorescence intensity dependent on the concentration of amplified nucleic acids.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the first fluorescent compound is a minor groove binder or an intercalating agent.

25. The method of claim 23 , wherein the second fluorescent compound is an oligonucleotide probe.

26. The method of claim 23 , wherein the nucleic acid amplification reaction mixture further comprises a third fluorescent compound having a fluorescence intensity dependent on the concentration of amplified nucleic acids.

27. The method of claim 26 , wherein the third fluorescent compound is an oligonucleotide probe.

28. The method of claim 26 further comprising measuring the fluorescence of the third fluorescent compound to determine the presence of a gene or gene product.

29. The method of claim 23 further comprising measuring the fluorescence of the second fluorescent compound to determine the presence of a gene or gene product.

30. The method of claim 13 , wherein the fluorescent compound is a minor groove binder or an intercalating agent.

31. The method of claim 13 , wherein the fluorescent compound has an emission maximum at a wavelength of 500 nm or less.

32. The method of claim 13 , wherein the fluorescent compound is a bis-benzamide compound.

33. The method of claim 13 , wherein the fluorescent compound is ethidium bromide.

34. The method of claim 13 , wherein the fluorescent compound is [2-[N-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-N-propvlamino]-4-[2,3-dihydro-3-methyl-(benzo-1,3-thiazol-2-yl)-methylidene]-1-phenyl-guinolinium].

35. The method of claim 13 , wherein treating the released nucleic acids with the nucleic acid amplification reaction mixture under conditions for amplifying the nucleic acids to provide amplified nucleic acids comprises amplification using the polymerase chain reaction.

36. The method of claim 13 , wherein treating the released nucleic acids with the nucleic acid amplification reaction mixture under conditions for amplifying the nucleic acids to provide amplified nucleic acids comprises amplification using isothermal DNA or RNA amplification methods.

37. The method of claim 13 , wherein the sample is derived from a blood product.

38. A method for determining the microbial content of a blood product, the method comprising:

(a) introducing a sample of a blood product containing cells in a liquid medium into a first chamber of a vessel, the vessel comprising the first chamber and a second chamber, wherein the first chamber is in liquid communication with the second chamber, and wherein the second chamber has at least a portion of one flat glass surface effective for binding nucleic acids;

(b) contacting the cells in the liquid medium with a lysis buffer to provide nucleic acids in the liquid medium;

(c) transporting at least a portion of the liquid medium into the second chamber;

(d) extracting the nucleic acids from the liquid medium by binding the nucleic acids to the flat glass surface of the second chamber effective for binding nucleic acids to provide isolated nucleic acids;

(e) releasing the isolated nucleic acids from the flat glass surface of the second chamber effective for binding nucleic acids by contacting the isolated nucleic acids with an elution buffer to provide released nucleic acids;

(f) contacting the released nucleic acids with a nucleic acid amplification reaction mixture and a fluorescent compound having a fluorescence intensity dependent on the concentration of nucleic acids;

(g) measuring the fluorescence of the fluorescent compound to determine the quantity of released nucleic acids;

(h) treating the released nucleic acids and the nucleic acid amplification reaction mixture under conditions for amplifying the released nucleic acids by polymerase chain reaction to provide amplified nucleic acids; and

(i) measuring the fluorescence of the fluorescent compound to determine the quantity of amplified nucleic acids.

39. The method of claim 38 , wherein steps (h) and (i) are repeated a pre-determined number of times to determine the amount of amplified nucleic acids.

40. The method of claim 38 further comprising contacting the isolated nucleic acids in the second chamber with a wash buffer and removing the wash buffer from the second chamber.

41. The method of claim 40 , wherein the wash buffer comprises a chaotropic salt solution.

42. The method of claim 38 , wherein the fluorescent compound is immobilized in the second chamber.

43. The method of claim 38 , wherein the lysis buffer comprises a chaotropic salt solution.

44. The method of claim 38 , wherein the elution buffer comprises the fluorescent compound and the nucleic acid amplification reaction mixture.