Apparatus, system and method for purifying nucleic acids

1. A method for isolating nucleic acids from a mixture containing such nucleic acids and extraneous matter, comprising:

flowing said mixture through the interior volume of a hollow chamber; said hollow chamber having disposed therein at least one sintered glass frit that binds to said nucleic acids, said glass frit being arranged within said hollow chamber such that said mixture flows through said glass frit, under conditions effective to separate substantially said nucleic acids from said extraneous matter,

wherein said glass frit having a pore size of between about 2 microns and about 20 microns, wherein said glass frit is a rigid, self-supporting frit with a thickness of about 1-20 mm, and wherein said glass frit is not modified with a material with nucleic acid affinity.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said nucleic acids comprise microbial DNA and RNA.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said nucleic acids comprise human genomic DNA and RNA.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said flowing said mixture through a glass frit produces a first-filtered mixture and said method further comprises flowing said first-filtered mixture through a second glass frit under conditions effective to separate said nucleic acids from said first-filtered mixture.

5. A method for isolating nucleic acids from a mixture containing such nucleic acids and extraneous matter, comprising:

flowing said mixture through the interior volume of a hollow chamber; said hollow chamber having disposed therein at least one sintered glass frit that binds to said nucleic acids, wherein said glass frit is a rigid, self-supporting frit and wherein said glass flit has a pore size between about 2 microns and about 220 microns, and said glass frit being arranged within said hollow chamber such that said mixture flows through said glass frit,

wherein said flowing includes flowing said mixture across said glass frit in a first direction and then flowing said mixture across said glass frit in a direction opposite said first direction, such that said mixture passes through said glass frit at least twice, under conditions effective to separate substantially said nucleic acids from said extraneous matter.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein said glass frit has a pore size between about 150 microns and about 200 microns.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein said glass fit has a pore size between about 2 microns and about 100 microns.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein said glass frit has a pore size between about 40 microns and about 75 microns.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein said glass frit has a pore size between about 2 microns and about 20 microns.

10. A method for isolating nucleic acids from a sample, comprising:

lysing said sample to form a sample lysate;

flowing said sample lysate through the interior volume of a hollow chamber; said hollow chamber having disposed therein a sintered glass frit that binds to said nucleic acids, wherein said glass frit is a rigid, self-supporting frit and wherein said glass flit has a pore size between about 2 microns and about 220 microns, wherein said glass frit is not modified with a material with nucleic acid affinity and wherein nucleic acids in said sample lysate bind to said glass frit;

eluting bound nucleic acids from said glass frit.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein said nucleic acids comprise microbial DNA and RNA.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein said nucleic acids comprise human genomic DNA and RNA.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein said glass frit has a pore size between about 150 microns and about 200 microns.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein said glass fit has a pore size between about 2 microns and about 100 microns.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein said glass frit has a pore size between about 40 microns and about 75 microns.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein said glass fit has a pore size between about 2 microns and about 20 microns.