Nucleic acid separation and purification constitute an extensively researched domain due to their pivotal significance in life science technologies. Traditional extraction techniques have disadvantages such as toxicity, complexity, and prolonged processing time1. The quest for an alternative approach to DNA extraction has led to the exploration of ionic liquid (IL) based aqueous biphasic systems (ABS), which offer a benign approach to biomolecule extraction2. The study centres on devising an ABS employing ammonium-based ionic liquids (ILs) with varied anions, with phosphate buffer (K2HPO4-KH2PO4) as the second phase forming component, for the purpose of DNA extraction. To develop an effective system, it is essential to optimize both the cationic and anionic structures of the IL, while delving into the interaction dynamics between DNA and IL. Optimization of the cationic IL structure was accomplished by assessing the impact of functional groups on biphasic formation and DNA partitioning studies with model DNA3. Exploring the interactions between IL and DNA involved an analysis of volumetric and transport properties, providing essential insights into IL solvation behaviour within aqueous DNA solutions4. Furthermore, optimization of the anionic structure was achieved by conducting DNA extraction studies through ABS, leading to the successful extraction of DNA from bacterial cells. Additionally, an in-depth exploration of the interactions between the optimized ILs and DNA was undertaken through a combination of spectroscopic tools.
References:
1. N. Ali, R. de C. P. Rampazzo, A. D. T. Costa and M. A. Krieger, Biomed Res. Int. 2017, 2017, 1-13.
2. S. P. M. Ventura, F. A. E. Silva, M. V. Quental, D. Mondal, M. G. Freire and J. A. P. Coutinho, Chem. Rev. 2017, 117, 6984–7052.
3. K. K. Athira and R. L. Gardas, Fluid Phase Equilib. 2022, 558, 113463.
4. K. K. Athira and R. L. Gardas, J. Mol. Liq. 2023, 389, 122858.