NEC,Aida Engineering Develop First Fully Integrated Portable DNA Analyzer
NEC and Aida Engineering have developed the world's first portable human DNA Analyzer, which integrates all steps of the DNA analysis process, from DNA extraction to electrophoresis and individual profiling.
The analyzer has been developed mainly for the law enforcement market. By narrowing the analyzer's application to DNA analysis specifically for individual identification, developers have streamlined the analytical process and realized a compact device the size of an attach¨¦ case (500mm W x 400mm D x 200mm H) that can be transported and analyzed at crime scenes.
DNA analysis process consists of 5 steps: cell collection, DNA extraction, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) to amplify DNA fragments, electrophoresis to ascertain DNA "fingerprints" and STR analysis for determining genetic profiling. NEC's newly developed device is the world's first portable DNA analyzer to fully integrate the entire process.
The compact nature of the analyzer facilitates coordination between each step and greatly expedites the PCR procedure where DNA fragments are alternatively heated and cooled. As a result, the device can complete the entire process, from DNA extraction to analysis, in approximately 25 minutes.
The use of miniaturized versions of PCR and electrophoresis equipment incorporating "lab-on-a-chip" technology, an innovation that replaces test tubes with a plastic chip, has resulted in the entire device being more compact. The use of "lab-on-a-chip" technology has emerged from the development of dedicated chips that feature multiple layers of silicon film laminated on a single layer of resin. Conventional PCR and electrophoresis equipment is typically the size of a small printer and compact refrigerator, respectively. In this new device, however, this equipment has been greatly miniaturized to approximately 10cm x 5cm x 5cm and 10cm x 5cm x 3cm.
Traditionally, DNA analysis required approximately one working day (one week when re-testing was required) and numerous devices to complete all necessary procedures. It was therefore difficult to make a quick shortlist of suspects using DNA analysis soon after a crime had occurred. This situation led to calls being made for a device that would provide quick DNA analysis at the scene of a crime.
