Nucleobase-modified microgels synthesized via microfabrication technology for DNA adsorption

DNA isolation is a crucial procedure since DNA-based assays have great importance in molecular biology, biochemistry and biomedical applications. The objective of this study is to fabricate micron-sized hydrogels as adsorbents for DNA. Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-co-glycidyl methacrylate) microgels were synthesized by free radical polymerization in the presence of N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide as a crosslinker, in the microholes of a microstencil array chip. Then, adenine was immobilized to microgels through the epoxy groups of glycidyl methacrylate. Scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were employed to investigate the chemical and morphological characterizations of the microgels. Adsorption studies were carried out to determine the optimal conditions for DNA adsorption of nucleobase-immobilized microgels. After initially increasing, the quantity of DNA adsorbed onto the microgels reached a saturation level at a DNA concentration of around 2.0 mg/mL. The maximum adsorption was 38.54 mg/g microgels for an initial DNA concentration of 2.0 mg/mL in the optimum medium pH and temperature. DNA adsorption capabilities are shown to not significantly decline in recurrent adsorption-desorption cycles. As a result of the findings, adenine-immobilized microgels were demonstrated to be a viable option for DNA adsorption.