Low-cost hardware and molecular tools for SARS-CoV-2 monitoring
Dear GOSH community,
From May 15th to 31st, we hosted Justin Vigar – a PhD student from the Pardee Lab (University of
Toronto) - at our facilities in Santiago de Chile. Thanks to the Event Funding Program, we were able
to conduct an intensive training session on the utilization of a portable hardware device capable of
running LAMP and NASBA reactions, as well as monitoring toehold activation in real-time within cell-
free reactions.
This device was developed by researcher Dr. Zhen Qin from Liu Lab at the same university, within
the context of viral nucleic acid monitoring. The device encompasses a molecular detection system
that involves pre-amplification of the target using either LAMP or NASBA reactions, followed by a
specific recognition step employing an RNA toehold switch linked to a LacZ reporter. This system is
based on a molecular detection design for Zika virus detection, as described in the publication
available at: https://www.cell.com/fulltext/S0092-8674(16)30505-0
During the training, we received comprehensive instruction on the operation of the device, which
was validated using locally produced lysates, a synthetic target, and a commercial plate reader. A
publication describing the device is currently in preparation. The corresponding documentation will
be uploaded once it becomes available. In the meantime, we are delighted to share some photos
from the training!
Thank you for your attention.
Best regards
