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Separation of Sperm and Epithelial Cells in a Microfluidic Device: An Automated Method for High Efficiency, High Purity Separations.

Award Information

Award #
2006-DN-BX-K021
Funding Category
Competitive
Location
Congressional District
Status
Closed
Funding First Awarded
2006
Total funding (to date)
$324,104

Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2006, $324,104)

The aim of this proposal is to produce a microfabricated device method for obtaining male and female fractions of DNA in a fast, automated, low-cost manner that will provide improved efficiency and purity in comparison with conventional differential extraction. The researcher will use acoustic differential extraction (ADE), which has been demonstrated as a method for trapping of sperm cells in a microchannel. This process will then be integrated, on a single device, with a solid phase extraction process to obtain purified DNA from the male and female fractions. The integrated device will accept sperm cell/epithelial cell lysate mixtures produced with the first step (mild lysis) of the current extraction protocol and trap the sperm cells, while collecting the epithelial cell DNA. The sperm cells will then be lysed and the DNA from both fractions separately purified on-chip.

ca/ncf

Date Created: September 12, 2006