A centrifugal microfluidic chip for rapid nucleic acid detection of chili pepper viruses

Rapid diagnosis of viral diseases in pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is crucial for preventing pathogen spread, reducing yield losses, and supporting the green and sustainable development of the pepper industry. Here, we present an integrated, low-cost centrifugal microfluidic chip that simultaneously detects nucleic acids from six pepper viruses. All reagents are pre-stored on-chip as dried powders and are used to perform real-time fluorescence reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP). The developed assay showed strong agreement with conventional diagnostic methods of polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This platform offers a practical approach for rapid nucleic acid-based diagnostics and epidemiological monitoring of pepper viral diseases.