High-throughput nucleic acid sample preparation systems are fully automated instruments that enable efficient and fast extraction and isolation for purification of biological samples in order to provide a high yield of nucleic acid material for further downstream analysis. Whether you are interested in isolating one group of target molecules (DNA, RNA, plasmids) or all three, the first part of the process is extracting and purifying nucleic acids from different sample types such as cells, FFPE tissue samples or genomic suspensions. This sample preparation step is critical for multiple reasons, including prevention of nucleic acid degradation, minimization of contaminants and the provision of higher sample yield.

In contrast to traditional time consuming purification methods, fully automated sample prep systems offer an array of advantages, such as an increased throughput and speed of nucleic acid preparation, effectiveness for smaller sample sizes, and improved efficiency for complex sample types.

A sample containing the desired material is placed into a specialty column containing a separation media, which is usually a membrane or silica-based resin. Reagents are then placed into the column to release the DNA or protein from the sample matrix, i.e., amplification primers or electrophoresis gels. The columns fit into micro-centrifuge tubes, which capture the isolated nucleic acid. The sample mixture is then forced through the separation media by centrifugation. There are completely automated sample prep systems that use liquid handling robots to perform purification procedures and employ a vacuum manifold.

Recently, resin and membrane systems have been integrated with magnetic bead platforms. Magnetic beads attain a higher purity and product yield. The process, which is somewhat gentler than standard methods, involves moving the liquid sample through beads much like LC. Each of the super-paramagnetic beads employed contains affinity groups on its surface, which are turned on with a magnetic field. Once the beads and liquid sample are mixed via agitation, a magnet is then used to immobilize the magnetic particles and trap the molecule of interest, where upon unbound analytes are removed by aspiration. The bound analytes are then detached from the bead, washed and collected for subsequent analysis. Biomagnetic bead separation offers several advantages because it subjects the analytes to very little mechanical stress and avoids the use of hazardous or toxic material.

The applications for high-throughput systems are diverse, including PCR clean-up, DNA purification, target enrichment, and the isolation of RNA or genomic DNA. The total market for high-throughput nucleic acid sample prep instruments was close to $400 million in 2015 and continues to grow at an average annual rate of approximately 3%. While the growth of low-throughput automated systems has slowed recently due to market saturation, the market for high-throughput units and automated purification systems are growing, as they increase their presence in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, predominantly driven by their efficiency for NGS applications and PCR workflows.

German sample solutions manufacturer QIAGEN is the largest supplier of high-throughput nucleic acid sample prep technology, with over half of the automated sample prep instrument market share in 2015. Its fully automated, high-throughput offerings include the QIAcube HT and the QIAsymphony SP/AS. Other prominent vendors in this automated systems market are PerkinElmer, Promega and Thermo Fisher Scientific. Illumina, a major player in the sample prep aftermarket, entered the systems market with its NeoPrep instrument in February 2015.

High-throughput Nucleic Acid Sample Prep Systems at a glance:

Leading Vendors (in order by market share):

• QIAGEN
• Thermo Fisher Scientific
• Promega

Largest Markets:

• Hospital and Clinical
• Academia
• Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals

Instrument Cost:

• $25,000–$65,000