Microfluidic robotic device coupled with electrochemical sensor field for handling of paramagnetic micro-particles as a tool for determination of plant mRNA
The expression of genes responsible for the biosynthesis of stress proteins corresponds to the exposition of an organism to abiotic and/or biotic stress. We utilize two types of paramagnetic particles for isolation of total mRNA from early somatic embryos of Norway Spruce (Picea abies /L./ Karst.) and maize plants (Zea mays L.) treated with cadmium(II) ions. The paramagnetic particles were evaluated for analysis of real samples, and polyadenine was used as a model mRNA. Various approaches (from non-automatic to fully automatic) were tested in terms of handling the particles.