Nucleic acid extraction: Fundamentals of sample preparation methodologies, current advancements, and future endeavors

The extraction of nucleic acids (NA) is an essential component of NA analysis. Without sufficient extraction and purification, contaminants co-existing with NAs often inhibit enzymatic amplification causing poor reproducibility and sensitivity. Numerous advancements in NA sampling in recent years have led to improvements in extraction yields from complex matrices and the reduction of analysis times. Perhaps most notable is the push towards miniaturization and automation to facilitate point-of-care testing. This article reviews the advancements and current trends in NA sample preparation including cell lysis and NA extraction.