Fumed silica-coated magnetite nanoparticles for DNA extraction: a safer alternative to TEOS

DNA extraction procedures are critical in molecular biology laboratories. Magnetite nanoparticles in magnetically based DNA extraction kits often use tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) as a coating agent; however, TEOS presents health risks due to its irritant properties. This study investigates the use of fumed silica as a safer alternative for coating magnetite nanoparticles. The fumed silica-coated magnetite nanoparticles (FsMNP) demonstrated ferromagnetic properties with an average size of 21.517.10 nm. FsMNP effectively extracted DNA from a variety of microbial strains, including Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella paratyphi, Enterobacter aerogenes, Shigella sonnei, and Staphylococcus epidermidis. The results suggest that FsMNP can serve as a safer and more efficient material for DNA extraction. Furthermore, FsMNP-based DNA extraction may find applications in studies involving diverse biological samples, including plant, animal, and human tissues, as well as viral and environmental sources such as soil and water. This approach improves the safety and efficiency of preparing magnetic nanoparticles for DNA extraction in various biological and environmental applications.