DNA purification is the step in a process of sample preparation which removes enzymes, salts and other contaminants from lysed samples or products of PCR prior to processes like cloning or sequencing. It also eliminates unwanted PCR-induced adversities like primer dimers and nucleotides not integrated. DNA purification is a crucial process in molecular biology that requires careful planning in order to obtain high quality, reliable results.

There are numerous approaches to the purification of DNA. Traditional methods for DNA isolation involve various steps like leukocyte isolation or red blood cell lysis in order to remove heme proteins, which block the PCR reaction, deproteinization, RNAse treatment, ethanol and isopropanol precipitation and finally DNA elimination. Most of these protocols require the use of special equipment like an electrophoresis system as well as biosafety cabinets because of the dangers of intercalating dyes in the electrophoresis gel.

Other methods of DNA purification use spin columns or plates with 96 wells that separate the contaminated particles by adsorbing to the surface. These techniques can be very time-consuming, particularly when working with large amounts of samples or when the columns need to be filled manually with new Reagents.

Dipsticks decrease the number of sample processing steps from six to three. They bind nucleic acids with the cellulose-based waxy material and subsequently release them when in contact with water. This method is particularly effective in low-resource settings, such as remote sites or teaching labs. Its simplicity and speed (30 s for blog each sample) makes it ideal for molecular diagnostics like diagnosis, genotype screening and heterozygosity testing.