RT-LAMP Chip (IMAGE)
Caption
Existing genetic tests for Zika require RT-PCR, and thus lab equipment and expertise that is a major hurdle to rapid diagnostics in the places where Zika is most prevalent. The Penn researchers investigated the possibility of using an alternative technique known as RT-LAMP, or reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification, which only requires the sample to be kept at a specific temperature, not cycled through multiple precise temperature changes as in RT-PCR. After developing specialized RT-LAMP primers, or short gene sequences that are designed to match the regions of the virus' DNA targeted by the test, the researchers incorporated them into a self-contained a low-cost, point-of-care system that consists of a diagnostic cassette and a processor. The cassette isolates, concentrates and purifies nucleic acids and carries out enzymatic amplification. The test results are indicated by the change in the color of a dye, which can be inspected visually.
Credit
University of Pennsylvania
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