Radical gas-based DNA decontamination for ultra-sensitive molecular experiments

Abstract

In this study, we tested a radical gas-based decontamination technique to prevent possible DNA contamination by the air and/or equipment used in molecular experiments. We prepared 104 molecules of model DNA contaminant and placed the dried DNA into test tubes, which were then exposed to radical gas. Quantitative PCR analysis showed that, even after a short exposure time of 30 minutes, 99.54% of the model DNA contaminant was effectively decomposed to undetectable levels. Our results demonstrate that the radical gas-based treatment is a useful method for eliminating potential DNA contaminant in ultra-sensitive molecular experiments.