Microbubbles for improved nucleic acid extraction in wastewater samples for viral RNA detection

The use of wastewater-based epidemiology has increased in recent years due to the publication of COVID-19 online trackers and the focus of the media on the pandemic. Yet the analysis of viromes in wastewater has been widely applied for several decades in conjunction with traditional chemical analysis approaches. However, even though real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) based molecular detection methods are now mainstream in large and small labs alike, wastewater sampling and nucleic acid extraction procedures are not yet standardized or optimized to enable routine and robust analysis and results interpretation. Here, we employ a flotation-based nucleic acid extraction method using microbubbles that allows for simple direct collection and lysis of total wastewater samples without the requirement for pasteurization or filtration of solid components prior to analysis. An additional advantage discovered during testing was reduced sample input needs while maintaining sensitivity compared to precipitation and ultrafiltration-based methods. Microbubbles designed to bind nucleic acids enable convenient workflows, fast extraction, and concentration and purification of RNA and DNA that is compatible with downstream genomic analyses.