The present proposal pertains to the development of an inexpensive, disposable device for rapid acrylamide or agarose gel electrophoretic separation of DNA, RNA or protein which does not require running buffer or user performed steps other than sample application and connection of electrical leads.The device consists of a thin, disposable gel and holder which, with the aid of a simple power supply, can accomplish the process of gel electrophoretic resolution of DNA or RNA in less than twenty minutes. The first intended use of the device is in research laboratories, however, the technology an be implemented in clinical laboratories where diagnostic tests based on gene amplification technology will be used. For example, the device can be used for analysis and qualification DNA products resulting from HIV detection by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Working prototypes of the device have been constructed and have yielded successful results in experiments thus far performed by the company. The results from these experiments demonstrate the ability of the prototype device to clearly resolve DNA ranging from 50 to 2000 base pairs in length. The prototype device uses a unique kind of semi-dry gel electrophoresis that incorporates electrically conductive plastic in place of both the running buffer and electrodes. The self-contained cassette can be operated at voltages that allow a run time of fifteen minutes. The technology has broad application to research and clinical markets.
