Point-of-care testing

Nucleic acid testing (NAT) is currently the most sensitive method available for identifying infectious pathogens. Nevertheless, NAT-based diagnosis developed to date mostly require sophisticated infrastructures, reagents, and skilled technicians. While readily available in reference laboratories, NATs such as PCR remains inaccessible in resource-limited settings. Although extensive efforts have been undertaken towards point-of-care (POC) molecular diagnosis, a fully validated “sample-in-answer-out”  NAT system has not developed due to significant challenges of portability, sample preparation, and throughput. In response to this urgent need, we aim to develop low-cost field-deployable field-deployable NAT devices and systems, especially for infectious disease in resource-limiting areas. These NAT devices could be loaded with easily-obtainable raw samples such as finger-prick blood, making diagnostic testing faster and easier for identifying pathogens like Malaria, Zika, and HIV.