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Updated: Jun 19, 2025

Open-Source Miniature Fluorimeter to Monitor Real-Time Isothermal Nucleic Acid Amplification Reactions in Resource-Limited Settings
Published on: February 3, 2021
A one-pot loop-mediated isothermal amplification platform using fluorescent gold nanoclusters for rapid and naked-eye
Fuyuan Huang1, Yayun Jiang2, Qiaoli Wu1
1Wenzhou Key Laboratory of Sanitary Microbiology, Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Ministry of Education, China, School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China.
Abstract:
Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is a rapid and sensitive nucleic acid testing method for pathogen detection, yet the absence of a straightforward readout strategy remains challenging. We've successfully designed polyethyleneimine-stabilized gold nanoclusters (PEI-AuNCs) as a cationic AuNCs indicator tailored for distinguishing LAMP results, enabling direct visual inspection under UV light. Positive LAMP reactions with PEI-AuNCs, in combination with magnesium pyrophosphate crystals, yield red-fluorescent bulk precipitates visible to the naked eye. To address contamination concerns, we introduced a one-pot reaction by incorporating AuNCs into the lid recess. This one-pot LAMP assay demonstrates exceptional detection capability, identifying Salmonella enterica at concentrations as low as 101 CFU/mL within approximately 50 min, excluding nucleic acid extraction. The platform's versatility, achieved through customizable primers, positions it as a promising molecular diagnostic tool for rapid and visual pathogen detection across scientific disciplines.

