Plant-material sampling and grinding apparatus

Abstract

Currently, no product facilitates the collection of plant material through to the production of PCR-ready DNA-template. The Plant-material Sampling and Grinding Apparatus, facilitates the collection of plant material, through to the production of PCR-ready DNA-template. The separate components of the invention include the upper and lower units. A piece of flat plant tissue is placed between the upper and lower units. Insertion of the upper unit into the lower unit cuts a disc of tissue. An extraction buffer can be introduced through the top of the upper unit and is contained by the well of the lower unit. Repeated cycles of full insertion of the upper unit into the lower unit followed by incomplete separation of the two units, facilitates the grinding of the tissue in the extraction solution. Further solutions, such as neutralizing solutions, can be added through the top of the upper unit to produce PCR-ready template.

What I claim as my invention;  
     
         1 ) the plant-material sampling and grinding apparatus, consisting of an upper and lower unit, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings; that will facilitate the cutting of a disc of flat plant material by placing the tissue between the upper and lower units, while each unit is held by a tool, followed by the insertion of the upper unit into the lower unit, facilitated by the action of the tool, thus containing the sampled tissue in the well of the lower unit; that will permit the addition of solutions to, and extraction of solutions from, the area containing the sampled material, through the opening in the top of the upper unit; that will facilitate the grinding of the sampled material with added solutions, by repeated cycles of complete insertion of the upper unit followed by partial extraction of the upper unit from the lower unit; that will facilitate the production of Polymerase-Chain-Reaction ready DNA-template: 
 a. The Plant-Material sampling and Grinding Apparatus from  claim 1  designed so that 96 Apparatus (upper section inserted into lower section) are supported by the wells of one or more, commercially available, standard 96-well microtiter-plates (apparatus supported by the insertion of the lower cylindrical base of the lower unit into a well of the plate), the base of the lower unit should fit tightly into the wells but not so tight as to impede a smooth extraction, and individual apparatus in contact or not in contact with each other when supported in the microtiter plate.    b. The Plant-Material sampling and Grinding Apparatus from  claim 1  constructed of a rigid, yet possessing some elastic qualities, (flexible and returns to original shape after deformation) plastic (e.g. polypropylene)).