Sample Preparation/Nucleic Acid Extraction from Biological Samples

Chandrasekhar Nair of Bigtec Labs in India aims to create a low-cost, reliable, automated sample preparation system that can be interfaced with nucleic acid detection techniques such as real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Loop-Mediated Isothermal PCR (LAMP), thus enabling molecular diagnosis at the point-of-care. The technique involves the creation of a device to extract pathogenic DNA/RNA from biological samples such as blood, sputum, urine, and nasal/throat swabs.