Microfabricated devices for DNA extraction toward realization of deep-sea in situ gene analysis

This study presents microfabricated devices for in situ gene analysis in deep-sea environments. Two kinds of microfabricated devices, one for cell lysis and the other for DNA purification, are developed and evaluated using living bacterial cells, Escherichia coli (E. coli), and λDNA, respectively, through laboratory experiments. Both devices are composed of a silicone-elastomer based "microchannel chip" and a glass based "temperature control chip". In the cell lysis device, E. coli cells are lysed by applying a chemical or an enzyme, and can be broken into DNA and impurities. And in the DNA purification device, λDNA is selectively bound to glass beads in the solution with higher ionic concentration. Then, the DNA is eluted by the solution with lower ionic concentration, such as TE buffer. As a result, obtained DNA can be applied to various molecular biological analyses including PCR (polymerase chain reaction). By further integration and automation, the developed devices will contribute to in situ gene analysis systems to be mounted on ROVs and AUVs.