Paper-based isothermal DNA amplification and real-time analysis

This work reports a paper-based sensor technology for point-of-care nucleic acid amplification tests. The technology integrates a sensor chip and an Arduino-compatible fluorescence detector. The paper-based sensor provides the functions of reagent storage, sample transportation, and DNA amplification. The compact and low-cost fluorescence detector can quantify the amplicons in real time. The results show that the paper-based sensor can detect genomic DNA extracted from Escherichia coli with the concentration as low as 2 × 104 copies/ µL. As a diagnosis tool, the sensor has the potential to measure multiple target genes simultaneously.