A practical liquid plug flow-through polymerase chain-reaction system based on a heat-resistant resin chip

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Analytical Chemistry
• Microfluidics

Background:

• Flow-through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) microfluidic systems offer rapid, small-volume DNA amplification, crucial for medical and bioanalytical research.
• Existing systems face challenges in speed and efficiency for real-world applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an improved and practical flow-through PCR microfluidic chip for faster DNA amplification.
• To evaluate the performance and speed of the novel chip in comparison to conventional methods.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a novel PCR chip using a pressure-sensitive polyolefin (PSP) film on a cyclo-olefin polymer (COP) substrate with microchannels.
• Utilizing a liquid plug flow-through method for DNA amplification, contrasting with continuous-flow systems.
• Employing infrared (IR) imaging for thermal analysis of the microfluid flow within the PSP film.

Main Results:

• The liquid plug flow-through PCR system achieved approximately 55% amplification compared to a commercial PCR instrument.
• The system demonstrated a rapid cycling time of only 250 seconds for 40 cycles, the fastest reported to date.
• Successfully detected the presence or absence of anthrax in a real test sample within 250 seconds.

Conclusions:

• The novel liquid plug flow-through PCR chip offers a practical and highly efficient solution for rapid DNA amplification.
• This system significantly outperforms existing devices in terms of speed and application potential.
• The developed microfluidic system holds promise for advancing medical diagnostics and bioanalytical research.