DNA purification is an important step in the sample preparation workflow. It removes salts and enzymes from lysed samples, or PCR products, prior to cloning and sequencing. It also eliminates unwanted PCR artifacts, such as primer dimers or nucleotides that are not incorporated. DNA purification in molecular biological research is a critical step that requires careful planning in order to produce reliable, high-quality results.
There are several different approaches to purifying DNA. The traditional DNA isolation methods comprise a variety of steps, such as leukocyte separation or red blood cell lysis to eliminate inhibitors of heme proteins of the PCR reaction. They also include deproteinization, RNAse treatment and precipitation with isopropanol and ethanol, and finally DNA elution. These methods require specialized equipment, including an electrophoresis machine and biosafety cabinets due the intercalating dyes that are used in gel electrophoresis.
Other methods for DNA purification employ spin columns or filters with 96 wells to filter out contaminated particle by adsorbing to the surface. These methods can be extremely demanding, especially when working with large numbers of samples or when the columns need to be manually refilled with new agents.
Dipsticks dramatically reduce the number of steps involved in processing samples to only three. They bind nucleic acid with a waxy cellulose-based material and release them when water is present. This technique is especially useful in low-resource settings, like remote field sites as well as teaching laboratories. Its simplicity (30 s per sample) makes it suitable for diagnostic molecular tests, such as detection of disease and genotype screening.
https://mpsciences.com/2021/04/08/different-types-of-pcr-reagents/
