Localization and imaging of nucleic acids on nanoporous aluminum oxide membranes.

mulation of inhibitory factors, inhibition of enzymatic processes by the matrix itself, the need for many manual or robotic steps, and ultimately the consumption of time. We have also demonstrated (data not shown) that this process can allow for genomic analysis of severely hemolyzed blood, analysis of HIV RNA directly from plasma, and genotyping from bacterial cultures. We are currently investigating the nucleic acid capacity of the AOM and have developed and fabricated a self-contained reaction tube consisting of the AOM on a scaffold for filtration, which is then sealed for PCR, thus eliminating the need for separation of the AOM from a filtration device. Experiments are underway to develop this technology into a high-speed, stand-alone molecular diagnostic device capable of rapid isolation and analysis of nucleic acids for a variety of clinical diagnostic analyses.