Pipette-Free and Fully Integrated Paper Device Employing DNA Extraction, Isothermal Amplification, and Carmoisine-Based Colorimetric Detection for Determining Infectious Pathogens

A pipette-free and fully integrated device that can be used to accurately recognize the presence of infectious pathogens is an important and useful tool in point-of-care testing, particularly when aiming to decrease the unpredictable threats posed by disease outbreak. In this study, a paper device is developed to integrate the three main processes required for detecting infectious pathogens, including DNA extraction, loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), and detection. All key reagents, including sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), NaOH, LAMP reagents, and carmoisine, are placed on the paper device. The paper device is operated simply via sliding and folding without using any bulky equipment, and the results can be directly observed by the naked eye. The optimized concentrations of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), sodium hydroxide (NaOH), and carmoisine were found to be 0.1%, 0.1 M, and 0.5 mg/mL, respectively. The paper device was used to detect Enterococcus faecium at concentrations as low as 102 CFU/mL within 60 min. Also, E. faecium spiked in milk was successfully detected using the paper device, demonstrating the feasible application in real sample analysis.

Automated summary

A paper device that integrates DNA extraction, loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), and detection is developed for accurate recognition of infectious pathogens without using pipettes. The device operates simply via sliding and folding, and the results can be observed by the naked eye. The optimized concentrations of key reagents were determined, and the device successfully detected Enterococcus faecium at low concentrations within 60 minutes.