NanoLogix unveils DNA extraction system
diagnostics market, which is said to take significantly less time
than standard spin column extraction methods.
The NanoLogix MycoExtract Buffer allows extracted DNA to be precipitated and resuspended in water. The extracted DNA in the buffer can be used directly for molecular procedures such as PCR, which also results in further time-savings.
Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is a molecular biological technique for amplifying (creating multiple copies of) DNA without using a living organism, such as E. coli or yeast. PCR is commonly used in medical and biological research labs for a variety of tasks, such as the detection of hereditary diseases, the identification of genetic fingerprints, the diagnosis of infectious diseases, the cloning of genes, and paternity testing.
The PCR reaction is initiated using a pair of short primer sequences, which match the ends of the sequence to be copied. Thereafter, each cycle of the reaction copies the sequence between the primers. Primers can bind to the copies as well as the original sequence, so the total number of copies increases exponentially with time.
According to a BioInformatics study, nearly 84 per cent of scientists surveyed, use PCR when extracting DNA. Because lysis in the NanoLogix MycoExtract Buffer is accomplished by a thirty-minute incubation period at 95 degrees centigrade, any unlysed cells are killed. Final steps of the procedure or stream procedures can be done outside of a biocontainment hood.
According to Jain PharmaBiotech, in the year 2005, the global market for molecular diagnostics will be worth $6.5 billion, representing approximately 3.3 per cent of the total diagnostics market and approximately 14 per cent of the in vitro diagnostic market.
Jain PharmaBiotech also state that molecular diagnostics market will expand to $12 billion by 2010 and $35 billion by 2015. A major portion of it can be attributed to advances in genomics and proteomics. Biochip and nanobiotechnology are expected to make a significant contribution to the growth of molecular diagnostics.
"The NanoLogix buffer allowed DNA extraction from different strains of mycobacteria, requiring a single buffer, one incubation and one post-lysis centrifugation compared to other products, like Qiagen's QIAamp procedure, which utilises six buffers, three incubations and four post-lysis centrifugations," said Paul Hyman at Ohio State University.
The development of the molecular diagnostics market, coupled with a growing number of sequencing and functional genomic initiatives have contributed to substantial expansion of the marketplace.
Techniques such as cloning and peak cell rate amplification have moved out of the confines of genetics laboratories and are being used as common research tools.
Manufacturers have started to introduce microarrays that can analyse sequence variations in genes involved in drug metabolism to determine the best treatment regime. Moreover, diagnostic techniques of proven utility in disease management such as genotyping and viral load monitoring have begun to be applied in nucleic acid isolation and purification products. These emerging technologies and expanded applications of existing technologies are expected to enlarge the user base for nucleic acid isolation processes.
Initial applications of molecular diagnostics were mostly for infections, but are now increasing in the areas of genetic disorders, preimplantation screening and cancer. Genetic screening tests, despite some restrictions are a promising area for future expansion of in vitro diagnostic market.
Molecular diagnostic technologies are also involved in development of personalised medicine based on pharmacogenetics and pharmacogenomics. Currently, there has been a considerable interest in developing rapid diagnostic methods for biowarfare agents such as anthrax.
