Amine-Modified Diatomaceous Earth Syringe Platform (DeSEI) for Efficient and Cost-Effective EV Isolation

TL;DR

A new syringe-based platform called DeSEI efficiently and quickly isolates extracellular vesicles using low-cost materials, outperforming traditional methods in speed and purity.

Contribution

DeSEI introduces a low-cost, amine-functionalized diatomaceous earth syringe system for rapid and efficient EV isolation with high miRNA recovery.

Findings

DeSEI isolates EVs with morphology, size, and protein markers comparable to ultracentrifugation in 30 minutes.

DeSEI achieves nearly 60-fold higher recovery of EV-derived miRNA compared to ultracentrifugation.

The platform supports a one-step miRNA extraction and a user-friendly cartridge design for point-of-care diagnostics.

Abstract

Conventional methods for isolating extracellular vesicles (EVs) are often limited by long processing times, a low purity, and a reliance on specialized equipment. To overcome these challenges, we developed the DeSEI (amine-functionalized Diatomaceous earth-based Syringe platform for EV Isolation), a novel platform employing low-cost, amine-functionalized diatomaceous earth (ADe) within a simple syringe–filter system. The capture mechanism leverages the electrostatic interaction between the positively charged ADe and the negatively charged EV surface, enabling a rapid and efficient isolation. The optimized 30 min protocol yields intact EVs with morphology, size, and protein markers comparable to those from ultracentrifugation, ensuring minimal cellular contamination. Notably, DeSEI exhibited a nearly 60-fold higher recovery efficiency of EV-derived miRNA compared to ultracentrifugation. The platform further proved its versatility with a rapid one-step miRNA extraction protocol and a user-friendly cartridge format. The direct miRNA extraction capability is particularly advantageous for a streamlined biomarker analysis, while the cartridge design illustrates a clear pathway toward developing point-of-care diagnostic tools. The DeSEI offers a promising alternative to existing methods for EV-based research by providing a combination of speed, simplicity, and procedural flexibility that does not require specialized equipment.

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