Abstract: A novel assay and a suite of devices may isolate nucleic acids from prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells and prepare samples for real-time (quantitative) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. The assay may employ an aqueous-based non-alcohol approach that yields robust RNA quality. The suite of ready-to-use devices may provide pre-loaded reagents in liquid and lyophilized formats to enable rapid manual operation in a laboratory or remote field environments. The assay and devices may be particularly suitable to analysis in microgravity or deep space environments.

Abstract: A novel assay and a suite of devices may isolate nucleic acids from prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells and prepare samples for real-time (quantitative) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. The assay may employ an aqueous-based non-alcohol approach that yields robust RNA quality. The suite of ready-to-use devices may provide pre-loaded reagents in liquid and lyophilized formats to enable rapid manual operation in a laboratory or remote field environments. The assay and devices may be particularly suitable to analysis in microgravity or deep space environments.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method and apparatus for forming on-site tinted and coated optical elements from a mold. The apparatus is a mold having a polymer release layer; an optical coating, such as an anti-reflective coating; a coupling agent layer to bind to the optical coating and having unreacted chemical groups; and, optionally, a tinted hard coat layer having unreacted chemical groups. The mold can be shipped to a lab that prepares optical elements, such as ophthalmic lenses, after the coupling agent layer is added or after the tinted hard coat layer is added. When using the mold with a lens resin having unreacted chemical groups, the coupling agent layer, tinted hard coat layer and optical element all crosslink as the optical element is cured to form, on-site, a durable and stable lens with chemically bound optical coatings.