# 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.

## Key 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.