A lysis buffer comprising one non-ionic surfactant is provided which can be used as a one-step reagent of the preparation, storage, amplification, and/or detection of nucleic acids. Various embodiments of the lysis buffer of the invention comprise other substances that are compatible or useful in lysing cells, storing nucleic acids, amplifying nucleic acids, purifying nucleic acids, detecting nucleic acids, and/or other procedures for analysis of nucleic acids. Methods and kits based on the lysis buffer are also provided, including those for rapid lysis of cells and direct use of the resulting cell lysates in RT-PCR.

The invention disclosed herein generally relates to methods of assessing and monitoring tumor load through analysis of tumor DNA in cancer patients. Quantitative measures derived from cell-free DNA and germline DNA are used to assess and monitor tumor load. By assessing and monitoring tumor load, cancer may be detected in a subject. The tumor load of a subject may be assessed at a number of different time points to monitor a progression, regression, or recurrence of cancer in a subject.

The invention disclosed herein generally relates to methods of assessing and monitoring tumor load through analysis of tumor DNA in cancer patients. Quantitative measures derived from cell-free DNA and germline DNA are used to assess and monitor tumor load. By assessing and monitoring tumor load, cancer may be detected in a subject. The tumor load of a subject may be assessed at a number of different time points to monitor a progression, regression, or recurrence of cancer in a subject.

Provided herein are devices, systems, kits and methods for obtaining genetic information from cell-free fetal nucleic acids in ultra-low amounts of biological samples. Due to the convenience of obtaining ultra-low amounts of samples, devices, systems, kits and methods can be at least partially employed at a point of need.

Provided herein are devices, systems, kits and methods for obtaining genetic information from cell-free fetal nucleic acids in ultra-low amounts of biological samples. Due to the convenience of obtaining ultra-low amounts of samples, devices, systems, kits and methods can be at least partially employed at a point of need.

Provided in the present invention is a method for constructing single cell sequencing libraries, comprising the following steps: a) lysing a single cell to obtain a single cell lysate; b) separating the nucleus and the cytoplasm in the single cell lysate obtained in step a) to obtain a nuclear solution and a total RNA solution; and c) constructing a chromatin DNA library with the nuclear solution obtained in step b) to obtain a chromatin-accessibility sequencing library of the single cell; and constructing a transcriptome library with the total RNA solution obtained in step b) to obtain a transcriptome sequencing library of the single cell.

Provided in the present invention is a method for constructing single cell sequencing libraries, comprising the following steps: a) lysing a single cell to obtain a single cell lysate; b) separating the nucleus and the cytoplasm in the single cell lysate obtained in step a) to obtain a nuclear solution and a total RNA solution; and c) constructing a chromatin DNA library with the nuclear solution obtained in step b) to obtain a chromatin-accessibility sequencing library of the single cell; and constructing a transcriptome library with the total RNA solution obtained in step b) to obtain a transcriptome sequencing library of the single cell.

The present invention relates to the field of nucleic acid purification. In particular, it relates to methods and tools for purifying nucleic acids in a sample; which are compatible with high-throughput sequencing and diagnosis. The inventors have shown that nucleic acid binding proteins recruited to polymerized tubulin (i.e. microtubules) could, subsequently, be isolated from cell lysates. Surprisingly, it has now been found that the amount of recovered nucleic acid found in these microtubule pellets increases dramatically in the presence of nucleic acid-trapping proteins comprising a nucleic acid-binding moiety and a polymerized tubulin-binding moiety, by comparison to proteins devoid of the nucleic acid-binding moiety; and that the recovery of the purified nucleic acids was itself particularly efficient. This purification method is particularly amenable to high-throughput sequencing and/or in the context of a diagnosis method for identifying or comparing the amount of nucleic acids in a set of samples.

The present invention relates to the field of nucleic acid purification. In particular, it relates to methods and tools for purifying nucleic acids in a sample; which are compatible with high-throughput sequencing and diagnosis. The inventors have shown that nucleic acid binding proteins recruited to polymerized tubulin (i.e. microtubules) could, subsequently, be isolated from cell lysates. Surprisingly, it has now been found that the amount of recovered nucleic acid found in these microtubule pellets increases dramatically in the presence of nucleic acid-trapping proteins comprising a nucleic acid-binding moiety and a polymerized tubulin-binding moiety, by comparison to proteins devoid of the nucleic acid-binding moiety; and that the recovery of the purified nucleic acids was itself particularly efficient. This purification method is particularly amenable to high-throughput sequencing and/or in the context of a diagnosis method for identifying or comparing the amount of nucleic acids in a set of samples.

The invention disclosed herein generally relates to methods of assessing and monitoring tumor load through analysis of tumor DNA in cancer patients. Quantitative measures derived from cell-free DNA and germline DNA are used to assess and monitor tumor load. By assessing and monitoring tumor load, cancer may be detected in a subject. The tumor load of a subject may be assessed at a number of different time points to monitor a progression, regression, or recurrence of cancer in a subject.