A robust, low-cost instrument for real-time colorimetric isothermal nucleic acid amplification

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for broader access to molecular diagnostics. Colorimetric isothermal nucleic acid amplification assays enable simplified instrumentation over more conventional PCR diagnostic assays and, as such, represent a promising approach for addressing this need. In particular, colorimetric LAMP (loop-mediated isothermal amplification) has received a great deal of interest recently. However, there do not currently exist robust instruments for performing these kinds of assays in high throughput with real-time readout of amplification signals. To address this need, we developed LARI, the LAMP Assay Reader Instrument. We have deployed over 50 LARIs for routine use in R&D and production environments, with over 12,000 assays run to date. In this paper, we present the design and construction of LARI along with thermal, optical, and assay performance characteristics. LARI can be produced for under $1500 and has broad applications in R&D, point-of-care diagnostics, and global health.