Fabrication of a paper-based colorimetric molecular test for SARS-CoV-2
Jiangshan Wang,
Andres Dextre,
Ana Pascual-Garrigos,
Josiah Levi Davidson,
Murali K. Maruthamuthu,
Darby McChesney,
Jordan Seville,
Mohit S. Verma
Affiliations
Jiangshan Wang
Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; Birck Nanotechnology Center, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
Andres Dextre
Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; Birck Nanotechnology Center, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
Ana Pascual-Garrigos
Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; Birck Nanotechnology Center, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
Josiah Levi Davidson
Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; Birck Nanotechnology Center, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
Murali K. Maruthamuthu
Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; Birck Nanotechnology Center, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
Darby McChesney
PortaScience, Inc., Moorestown, NJ 08057, USA
Jordan Seville
PortaScience, Inc., Moorestown, NJ 08057, USA
Mohit S. Verma
Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; Birck Nanotechnology Center, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; Corresponding author at: Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
The ongoing pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused unprecedented damage to the global economy. Diagnostic testing is a key factor in limiting virus transmission and safeguarding public health. We present the fabrication process of a paper-based device that uses reverse-transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) to detect SARS-CoV-2 in complex matrices by providing a colorimetric response apparent to the naked eye. Because of LAMP's functionality, this device just requires a simple heat source (e.g., water bath, incubator), it can be deployed in resource-constrained areas and can be used as a supplement to current point-of-care (POC) and community testing procedures. Since the test is based on nucleic acids, the testing platform itself lends to further applications including food safety monitoring, animal diagnostics, etc. simply by changing the specific primers. • We developed a platform capable of on-paper detection of SARS-CoV-2 using colorimetric reporters that produce responses visible to the naked eye. • The platform is easily reconfigurable to target different pathogens by changing the primer sets, and multiplexing is possible by adding additional reaction sites to the device.
