Welcome to HEAD-NAS!

Paper-based microfluidic platform for the concentration and amplification of nucleic acids


Project duration:
February 17, 2021 - December 31, 2023
Project budget: 1.198.032 RON
Domain project: PE4_8 - Electrochemistry, electrodialysis, microfluidics, sensors; PE4_11 - Physical chemistry of biological systems

Project overview 

Paper-based microfluidic devices are attractive, low-cost and user-friendly diagnostic platforms for nucleic acids (NAs) amplification and testing. However, they have limited clinical applications due to their relatively lower sensitivity and the substantial amount of NAs as required for detection. Therefore, sensitive and specific detection of the NAs using paper-based microfluidics requires incorporation and developing on the same device of sample preparations steps and amplification. The project proposes to design, fabricate and test a sample-to-answer 3D modular-microfluidic point of care platform (HEAD-NAs) that aim to work at with low NAs concentrations. The platform integrates four different modules: filtration, lysis, preconcentration and amplification. The original elements are related to: the method for sample preconcentration, the electrochemical lysing module, the thermophoretic convective valve, the design structure for NA amplification. A testing kit for detection enteric pathogens, having 5 independent detection points (one for control) for simultaneous detection of: Enteropathogenic/Enterohemorrhag ic E. coli, Campylobacter spp., Salmonella spp., rotavirus will be developed. The HEAD-NAs platform presents a great potential for commercialisation further national and EU collaborations.

Project financed by UEFISCDI
PNIII, P4 Program 4 – Basic Research and Frontier, Project type: Exploratory Research Projects,

ID project: PN-III-P4-ID-PCE-2020-1886
Contract no. 180 PCE din 17/02/2021

 

Contact information

National Institute for Research and Development in Microtechnologies
IMT Bucharest
Project manager: Dr. Ciprian Iliescu
E-mail: [email protected]