Disc-Based Microfluidics for Differential Extraction #worldresearchawards #researchawards #fosawards

 

🔬 Forensic Lab-on-a-Disc: A Game-Changer in Sperm Cell Purification for DNA Analysis

In forensic science, especially in sexual assault investigations, accurate separation of sperm cells from mixed biological samples is critical. Traditional differential extraction (cDE) methods have long been the gold standard for separating male and female DNA. However, these methods are often time-consuming, labor-intensive, and prone to sample loss—factors that can compromise DNA quality and case outcomes.

A new innovation, the Forensic Lab-on-a-Disc, is transforming this workflow through centrifugal microfluidic technology.

The Challenge with Conventional Differential Extraction

Conventional differential extraction involves multiple manual washing and centrifugation steps. These steps can:

• Increase processing time                                 

  

• Cause sperm cell loss

• Lead to non-sperm DNA carryover

• Reduce male DNA enrichment

• Introduce operator variability

In cases where the epithelial-to-sperm DNA ratio is extremely high (e.g., 1000:1), recovering sufficient male DNA becomes even more challenging.

💡 The Innovation: Forensic Lab-on-a-Disc

The Forensic Lab-on-a-Disc replaces the sperm separation step in the conventional workflow with a semi-automated centrifugal microfluidic platform.

🔍 How It Works

The system integrates:

• Centrifugal force-driven microfluidics

• Dual-membrane tangential flow filtration (10 µm and 1 µm pore sizes)

• Optimized single washing cycle

This design allows efficient separation of sperm cells from epithelial cell lysates and debris in approximately 6 minutes.

Key Advantages

✅ Faster Processing

Reduces sperm separation time to ~6 minutes compared to lengthy manual protocols.

✅ Higher Male DNA Ratio

Improves Y-DNA enrichment relative to total genomic DNA.

✅ Reduced Sample Loss

Optimized membrane selection (10 µm primary filter) maximizes sperm recovery.

✅ Improved STR Profiling

Produces cleaner male DNA profiles with minimal non-sperm DNA contamination.

✅ Reproducibility & Automation

Semi-automated workflow minimizes operator variability and contamination risks.

✅ Multi-Sample Capability

Compact design allows processing of multiple samples simultaneously.

Performance in Challenging Samples

Even in samples with extremely high epithelial-to-sperm ratios (up to 1000:1), the device demonstrated:

• Efficient sperm retention

• Minimal epithelial DNA carryover

• Reliable STR profiling results

This makes it highly valuable for complex forensic casework.

🌍 Transforming Sexual Assault Forensics

The Forensic Lab-on-a-Disc offers a transformative solution by:

• Accelerating forensic DNA workflows

• Enhancing evidentiary reliability

• Reducing interpretation challenges in mixed DNA samples

• Supporting faster case resolution

In forensic investigations where time, accuracy, and reliability are crucial, this technology represents a major advancement in molecular forensic science.