(July 15, 2015) In
the U.S. and other industrialized nations, testing for infectious diseases and
cancer often requires expensive equipment and highly trained specialists. In
countries where resources are limited, performing the same diagnostics is far
more challenging. To address this disparity, scientists are developing a
portable, low-cost “paper machine” for point-of-care detection of infectious
diseases, genetic conditions and cancer. Their report appears in the ACS
journal Analytical Chemistry.
Many modern diagnostic techniques involve analyzing DNA in a
patient’s blood sample. If pathogenic bacteria, for example, are present, the
test will detect the foreign genetic material. Part of the barrier to bringing
this kind of technology everywhere is that it often requires multiple steps
under precisely controlled temperatures to prepare a sample and analyze it.
Scientists are working to simplify these procedures, but most are still not
ideal for remote locations. John T. Connelly and colleagues set out to make
this critical technology more accessible.