Master’s thesis of Science: Advancing the collection and storage of blood micro-volumes for downstream applications

Advancing the collection and storage of blood micro-volumes for downstream applications

Author: Lada Staskova

Field: Master of Science

Document Content: This thesis investigates advancements in the collection and storage of blood micro-volumes for subsequent applications. It explores the limitations of traditional blood collection methods and introduces alternative, less invasive techniques such as the Dried Blood Spot (DBS) method. The research addresses analytical challenges, particularly the impact of haematocrit (HCT) on quantitative analysis, and evaluates new devices designed for efficient and accurate blood collection. The study compares the hemaPEN® device with standard DBS methods, examines HCT bias, and investigates the optimization of DNA extraction from DBS samples.

Detailed Table of Contents:

• Declaration
• Acknowledgment
• Table of Content
• Table of Figures
• List of Tables
• Abbreviations
• Abstract
• Chapter 1: Literature Review
  • General Background
    • The blood composition
    • The clinical importance of blood
  • Dried Blood Spot (DBS)
  • Dried Plasma Spot (DPS)
  • Capillary Microsampling (CMS)
  • Emerging Methods for Microsampling
  • Study Rational
  • Study Aims, Hypothesis and Research Questions
• Chapter 2: General Methods
  • Assisted hemaPEN® Collection
  • Analytical Testing of Standard DBS and hemaPEN® at the Victorian Clinical Genetics Services (VCGS) Newborn Screening Laboratory
  • Comparison of Extraction Kits and Substrates to Maximise DNA Yield
• Chapter 3: Usability Comparison Between a New Patient-Centric Device and the Standard DBS Method in Newborn Screening Workflow
• Chapter 4: Effect of Accurate Volume Correction on the Haematocrit Bias in a Newborn Screening Workflow
• Chapter 5: Comparison of Extraction Kits and Substrates to Maximise DNA Yield
• Chapter 6: Conclusion and Future Work
• Chapter 7: References
• Chapter 8: Appendix