FTA cards are one of the most widely used storage formats in forensic, clinical and research DNA banking. The chemistry is elegant: biological material is added, cells lyse on contact, and DNA binds tightly to the cellulose matrix, preserved at room temperature for years.

The binding is also the problem. That same tight association means getting usable DNA back off the card is harder than putting it on. The standard approaches (alkaline elution and methanol fixation) each carry significant practical disadvantages that limit their use in contexts where security of the sample, or automation, actually matters.