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nanotimes News in Brief

10-09 :: September 2010

DNA Screening // Affordable Mass Screening to Curb Pandemics Now Possible With MicroKit

(IBN), the world‘s first bioengineering and nanotech- nology research institute, enables mass health scree- nings to be conducted at strategic locations such as airports, immigration checkpoints and train stations. By facilitating rapid and accurate disease detection at these decentralized places, IBN‘s MicroKit can help to curb the spread of infectious diseases and prevent pandemics.

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IBN‘s MicroKit is an all-in-one, fully automated desk- top system that integrates the RNA/DNA extraction and RRT-PCR detection into one single platform. A disposable, self-contained cartridge stores all the necessary reagents for the nucleic acid-based mole- cular diagnosis. As everything takes place within the completely sealed cartridge, the risks of potential virus exposure and hardware contamination for the operator are eliminated.

According to Dr Mo-Huang Li, IBN Team Leader and Senior Research Scientist, „Using our MicroKit, the operator can simply pipette the patient’s sample into the cartridge and the system would automatically perform the entire sample preparation and diagnosis. This saves a lot of time and allows diseases to be dia- gnosed in a timely manner. In addition, the cartridge design has no movable components, which greatly

portable MicroKit system developed by the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology

“Using our MicroKit, the operator can simply pipette the patient’s sample into the cartridge and the system would automatically perform the entire sample preparation and diagnosis. In addition, the cartridge design has no movable components, which greatly simplifies the cartridge fabrication and assembly.”

Dr. Mo-Huang Li, IBN Team Leader and Senior Research Scientist

simplifies the cartridge fabrication and assembly. We are thus able to use injection molding to produce these cartridges inexpensively in large quantities.“

Professor Jackie Y. Ying, IBN Executive Director, who leads the scientific team that developed the MicroKit says, “The MicroKit project is an example of IBN‘s strategic approach towards tackling biome-