Centrifugal LabTube platform for fully automated DNA purification and LAMP amplification based on an integrated, low-cost heating system

Biomed Microdevices. 2014 Jun;16(3):375-85. doi: 10.1007/s10544-014-9841-9.

Abstract

This paper introduces a disposable battery-driven heating system for loop-mediated isothermal DNA amplification (LAMP) inside a centrifugally-driven DNA purification platform (LabTube). We demonstrate LabTube-based fully automated DNA purification of as low as 100 cell-equivalents of verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) in water, milk and apple juice in a laboratory centrifuge, followed by integrated and automated LAMP amplification with a reduction of hands-on time from 45 to 1 min. The heating system consists of two parallel SMD thick film resistors and a NTC as heating and temperature sensing elements. They are driven by a 3 V battery and controlled by a microcontroller. The LAMP reagents are stored in the elution chamber and the amplification starts immediately after the eluate is purged into the chamber. The LabTube, including a microcontroller-based heating system, demonstrates contamination-free and automated sample-to-answer nucleic acid testing within a laboratory centrifuge. The heating system can be easily parallelized within one LabTube and it is deployable for a variety of heating and electrical applications.

MeSH terms

  • Automation
  • Centrifugation / instrumentation*
  • DNA / genetics*
  • DNA / isolation & purification*
  • Disposable Equipment
  • Electric Power Supplies
  • Food Analysis
  • Heating / economics*
  • Heating / instrumentation*
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction / instrumentation*
  • Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli / cytology
  • Systems Integration*

Substances

  • DNA