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An Integrated Paper Microfluidic Device Based on Isothermal Amplification for Simple Sample-to-Answer Detection of
Yunxuan Chen1, Yaxi Hu1,2, Xiaonan Lu1,3
1Food, Nutrition and Health Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Applied and Environmental Microbiology
|June 29, 2023
Summary
A new hybrid microfluidic device enables rapid, specific detection of Campylobacter jejuni in food. This low-cost, portable tool simplifies DNA extraction and amplification for on-site diagnostics, improving food safety surveillance.
Area of Science:
- Foodborne pathogens
- Microfluidic diagnostics
- Molecular detection
Background:
- Campylobacter jejuni is a leading cause of foodborne illness, primarily from poultry.
- Current detection methods are time-consuming and require laboratory settings.
- There is a need for rapid, on-site diagnostic tools for food safety.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop an easy-to-use, integrated microfluidic device for Campylobacter jejuni detection.
- To achieve point-of-need diagnostics for foodborne pathogens.
- To simplify nucleic acid extraction and amplification processes.
Main Methods:
- Developed a hybrid paper/polymer microfluidic device integrating DNA extraction, isothermal amplification (RPA), and lateral flow detection.
- Tested specificity against various Campylobacter strains and non-Campylobacter species.
- Determined the limit of detection (LOD) and sensitivity in chicken meat samples with and without enrichment.
Main Results:
- The recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) reaction showed 100% specificity to C. jejuni within 20 minutes.
- The device achieved an LOD of 46 CFU/mL with paper-based DNA extraction and 460 CFU/mL on the integrated device.
- Detected C. jejuni in chicken meat within 5-10 hours enrichment, with immediate detection for levels >10^2 CFU/g.
Conclusions:
- The hybrid microfluidic device offers a specific and sensitive platform for C. jejuni detection in food.
- The device simplifies sample processing, making it suitable for resource-limited, on-site applications.
- This technology has potential for routine food safety surveillance and outbreak investigations.
