Solid medium and process for the storage and rapid purifiaction of nucleic acid

Abstract

A medium for storage and subsequent analysis of a genetic material includes a support for immobilizing the genetic material thereon and allowing subsequent elution of the genetic material therefrom and a coating functionally associated with the support for enabling cellular lysis and releasing the genetic material from the lysed cells while stabilizing the immobilized released genetic material. A method of storing the genetic material and subsequently analyzing the genetic material includes the steps of immobilizing the genetic material on a support while enabling cellular lysis and release of genetic material from the lysed cells and stabilizing the immobilized released genetic material on the support. The genetic material is then eluted to generate a soluble genetic material fraction. The eluted genetic material can be analyzed.

What is claim is:  
     
         1 . A medium for storing and subsequent analysis of a genetic material, said medium comprising: 
 support means for immobilizing a genetic material thereon and allowing subsequent elution of the genetic material therefrom; and    a coating means functionally associated with said support means for enabling cellular lysis and releasing the genetic material from the lysed cells while stabilizing the immobilized released genetic material.    
     
     
         2 . A medium as in    claim 1   , wherein said support means is a porous material.  
     
     
         3 . A medium as in    claim 1   , wherein said support means consists essentially of a media selected from the group consisting of glass, silica, quartz, cellulose based papers, hydrophilic polymers, polytetrafluoroethylene and porous ceramics.  
     
     
         4 . A medium as in    claim 1    wherein said support means consists essentially of a woven material.  
     
     
         5 . A medium as in    claim 3    wherein said support means consists essentially of a flat dry media.  
     
     
         6 . A medium as in    claim 3    wherein said support means consists essentially of a media combined with a binder.  
     
     
         7 . A medium as in    claim 6    wherein said binder is selected from the group consisting of polyvinylalcohol, polyvinylacrylamide, polyvinylacrylate, gelatin and the like.  
     
     
         8 . A medium as in    claim 1    wherein said coating means is sorbed to said support means.  
     
     
         9 . A medium as in    claim 8    wherein said coating means includes a protein denaturing agent and a free radical trap.  
     
     
         10 . A medium as in    claim 8    wherein said coating means includes a weak base, a chelating agent, a surfactant, and optionally uric acid or a urate salt.  
     
     
         11 . A medium as in    claim 1    wherein said support means is capable of releasing the genetic material immobilized thereto by heat elution.  
     
     
         12 . A medium as in    claim 11    wherein said support means is capable of releasing the genetic material immobilized thereto at a temperature between 65° C. and 100° C.  
     
     
         13 . A device for storage and subsequent analysis of genetic material, said device comprising: 
 a container which is non-reactive with a genetic material and    support means freely disposed in said container for immobilizing released genetic material.    
     
     
         14 . A device as in    claim 13    wherein said container consists essentially of a tube.  
     
     
         15 . A device as in    claim 14    wherein said tube consists essentially of a polymer selected from the group consisting of common polypropylene, and also, but not limited to, polysulphone.  
     
     
         16 . A method of storing a genetic material and subsequently analyzing the genetic material by the steps of immobilizing a genetic material on a support while enabling cellular lysis and release of genetic material from the lysed cells, stabilizing the immobilized released genetic material; eluting the genetic material to generate a soluble genetic material fraction; and analyzing the eluted genetic material.  
     
     
         17 . A method as in    claim 16    wherein said eluting step is further defined as exposing the support to water, heating the water containing the support having the genetic sample immobilized thereon and releasing the heated genetic material from the heated support and into solution in the water.  
     
     
         18 . A method as in    claim 11    wherein said eluting step is further defined as disposing the support having the genetic material immobilized therein into heated water and releasing the genetic material into solution in the heater water.  
     
     
         19 . A method as in    claim 18    wherein the water includes a buffer.  
     
     
         20 . A method as in    claim 18    wherein the water is nuclease free.  
     
     
         21 . A method as in    claim 16    further including the step of washing the support having the genetic material immobilized therein prior to said eluting step.  
     
     
         22 . A method as in    claim 16    further including the steps of collecting a genetic material sample in a container containing the support; contacting the support with the genetic material and conducting said immobilizing and eluting steps within the container.  
     
     
         23 . A method as in    claim 16    further including the steps of spotting a blood sample on the support; drying the blood sample thereon; and subsequently immobilizing genetic material from the blood sample on the support.  
     
     
         24 . A method as in    claim 16    further including the steps of spotting a saliva sample on the support; drying the saliva sample on the support; and subsequently immobilizing genetic material from buccal epithelial cells contained in the saliva on the support.  
     
     
         25 . A method as in    claim 24    further including the steps of expectorating saliva into a container which contains the support to contact the support with the expectorated saliva and conducting said immobilizing and eluting steps within the same container.  
     
     
         26 . A method as in    claim 24    further defined as swabbing a buccal surface with the support to spot a buccal surface sample of saliva thereon.  
     
     
         27 . A method as in    claim 16    further defined as swabbing a surface with the support and then disposing the support in the container.  
     
     
         28 . A method as in    claim 16    wherein said analyzing step is further defined as amplifying the soluble genetic material and visualize the amplified genetic material.  
     
     
         29 . A method as in    claim 16    wherein said analyzing step is further defined as amplifying the soluble genetic material and labelling the amplified genetic material with a fluorescent probe.  
     
     
         30 . A method as in    claim 16    wherein said analyzing step is further defined as amplifying and fluorescently labelling genomic DNA in the soluble fraction.  
     
     
         31 . A method as in    claim 16    wherein said analyzing step further includes the step of genetic genotyping.  
     
     
         32 . A method as in    claim 16    further including the steps of applying a genetic material sample to the support wherein the support is disposed within a spin basket of a spin microfuge device, spinning the basket, discarding a produced filter to perfect said immobilization steps and subsequently performing said eluting step.  
     
     
         33 . A method as in    claim 31    wherein said eluting step is further defined as adding heated water to the basket containing the support subsequent to said discarding step, spinning the basket and collecting the water containing the eluted nucleic acid therein.  
     
     
         34 . A method as in    claim 16    further including the step of swabbing foods with the support, said analyzing step being further defined as detecting pathogens on the support.  
     
     
         35 . A method as in    claim 16    further including the step of swabbing a carcass material, said analyzing step being further defined as identifying the carcass.  
     
     
         36 . A method as in    claim 16    wherein the genetic material is animal or plant.  
     
     
         37 . A method as in    claim 16    wherein said analysis step is further defined as detecting a pattern and amount of expression of a gene based on detecting RNA from the sample.  
     
     
         38 . A method of storing a genetic material by immobilizing a genetic material on a support which allows subsequent elution of the genetic material and lysing cells and releasing the genetic material from the lysed cells while stabilizing the immobilized released genetic material.