Method of preparing carrier to separate nucleic acids, carrier and micro channel to separate nucleic acids, and method and apparatus for separating nucleic acids

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for separating nucleic acids. A carrier may include a porous microbead having cation-exchangeable groups attached to the surface of the porous microbead. Capturing chains modified with positively charged functional groups and having a base sequence complementary to a target nucleic acid chain sequence are immobilized on to the surface of the porous microbead. In various embodiments, capturing chains are immobilized on to the surface of the porous microbead through an ion exchange bond or a covalent bond with the cation-exchangeable groups of the porous microbead. In some cases, the porous microbead has a number of through pores adapted to permit a solution to pass rapidly through the through pores and a number of diffusive pores adapted to permit a solute of the solution to diffuse into the diffusive pores. A solution having a target nucleic acid chain corresponding to the target nucleic acid chain sequence of the capturing chains may be passed through a channel that is packed with porous microbeads so as to result in hybridization of the capturing chain and the target nucleic acid chain. The porous microbeads may be structured such that the pressure in the channel upon passing of the solution through the channel does not build significantly.