Assay for the Rapid Detection of Nucleic Acids via a Modified LAMP Reaction Coupled with Colorimetric Reporter Utilizing a Gold Nanoparticle Peptide Nucleic Acid AuNP-PNA Probe System

Abstract

An assay is provided for the rapid detection of nucleic acids via a modified LAMP reaction coupled with colorimetric reporter utilizing a gold nanoparticle-peptide nucleic acid (AuNP-PNA) probe system.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A rapid diagnostic assay for detection of nucleic acids (DNA/RNA), comprising:
 a Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) device which performs a LAMP reaction to process a test solution and perform isothermal amplification of a target dependent sequence of nucleic acids, said LAMP reaction using a plurality of primers usable to detect target sequences wherein one or more of said primers have a poly T linker replaced with a peptide nucleic acid (PNA) sequence corresponding to and bindable with said target dependent sequence of said nucleic acids; and   a colorimetric reporter system using gold nanoparticles (AuNP) aggregatable with said PNA to identify and detect said target dependent sequence of said nucleic acid and indicate the presence of said target dependent sequence.   
     
     
         2 . The assay according to  claim 1 , wherein detection of said presence of said target dependent sequence indicates the presence of a pathogen associated therewith. 
     
     
         3 . The assay according to  claim 1 , wherein said LAMP reaction uses s a minimum of four said primers identified as FIP, BIP, F3, B3, which are usable to detect a plurality of said target sequences. 
     
     
         4 . The assay according to  claim 3 , wherein said FIP and BIP primers have said poly T linker replaced with said PNA sequence corresponding with said target dependent sequence of nucleic acids. 
     
     
         5 . The assay according to  claim 4 , wherein said target dependent sequence is a specific DNA sequence that is the complement of, and target for, said PNA to form a PNA/DNA hybrid. 
     
     
         6 . The assay according to  claim 5 , wherein a presence of said PNA/DNA hybrid is detected using said colorimetric reporter system, wherein aggregative properties of said gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with said PNAs allow use of said AuNPs to detect said PNA/DNA hybrids. 
     
     
         7 . The assay according to  claim 6 , wherein said AuNPs when non-aggregated with said PNA/DNA hybrid appear red in solution while said AuNPs when aggregated appear blue in solution to visually indicate the presence or absence of said target dependent sequence of said nucleic acid sequences. 
     
     
         8 . The assay according to  claim 1 , wherein said LAMP reaction is a Reverse Transcriptase-LAMP reaction. 
     
     
         9 . The assay according to  claim 1 , wherein said target dependent sequence of nucleic acids correspond to and indicate the presence of a target pathogen. 
     
     
         10 . The assay according to  claim 1 , wherein said target dependent sequence corresponds to a target pathogen being tested for, and said target pathogen is one of a virus or bacteria. 
     
     
         11 . A method of rapidly performing a diagnostic assay for detection of nucleic acids (DNA/RNA), comprising:
 performing a LAMP reaction with a Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) device to process a test solution and perform isothermal amplification of a target dependent sequence of nucleic acids, said LAMP reaction using a plurality of primers usable to detect target sequences wherein one or more of said primers have a poly T linker replaced with a PNA sequence corresponding to and bindable with said target dependent sequence of said nucleic acids; and   providing a colorimetric reporter system using gold nanoparticles (AuNP) aggregatable with a peptide nucleic acid (PNA); and   using said colorimetric reporter system to identify and detect said target dependent sequence of said nucleic acid sequences and identify the presence of said target dependent sequence.   
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein detection of said presence of said target dependent sequence indicates the presence of a pathogen associated therewith. 
     
     
         13 . The assay according to  claim 11 , wherein using s a minimum of four said primers identified as FIP, BIP, F3, B3 in said LAMP reaction, which are usable to detect a plurality of said target sequences. 
     
     
         14 . The assay according to  claim 13 , including the step of modifying at least one of said FIP and BIP primers to have said poly T linker replaced with said PNA sequence corresponding with said target dependent sequence of nucleic acids. 
     
     
         15 . The assay according to  claim 14 , including the step of generating with said LAMP a specific DNA sequence that is the complement of, and target for, said PNA to form a PNA/DNA hybrid. 
     
     
         16 . The assay according to  claim 15 , including the step of detecting a presence of said PNA/DNA hybrid using said colorimetric reporter system, wherein aggregative properties of said gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with said PNAs allow use of said AuNPs to detect said PNA/DNA hybrids. 
     
     
         17 . The assay according to  claim 16 , including the step of visually indicating the presence or absence of said target dependent sequence of said nucleic acid sequences wherein said AuNPs when non-aggregated appearing red in solution while said AuNPs when aggregated appear blue in solution. 
     
     
         18 . The assay according to  claim 11 , wherein said LAMP reaction is a Reverse Transcriptase-LAMP reaction. 
     
     
         19 . The assay according to  claim 11 , wherein said target dependent sequence of nucleic acids correspond to and indicate the presence of a target pathogen. 
     
     
         20 . The assay according to  claim 11 , wherein said target dependent sequence corresponds to a target pathogen being tested for, and said target pathogen is one of a virus or bacteria.