CPM-12 Design and Development of a Molecular Beacon for the Detection of Lyme Disease Using a Microfluidic Platform
Start Date
12-4-2024 9:30 AM
End Date
12-4-2024 11:30 AM
Location
University Readiness Center Greatroom
Document Type
Poster
Abstract
Lyme disease, caused by the spirochete bacterium burgdorferi, poses a significant public health concern in the Upstate and worldwide. Early Lyme disease diagnosis is crucial for effectively treating and preventing possible debilitating complications. The CDC currently recommends a two-step testing process for Lyme disease. Only if both tests return positive results is a positive diagnosis made. Current Lyme disease tests are designed to detect antibodies. However, antibodies can take several weeks to develop, so patients may test negative if they are recently infected. Alternatively, it may give false positives if the patient is exposed to other tickborne diseases, has other prolonged, unrelated infections, or has an autoimmune disease. Molecular diagnostic techniques have shown promise in enhancing the sensitivity and specificity of Lyme disease detection by targeting its unique DNA sequence. Among these, molecular beacons (MBs) have been recognized as a powerful diagnostic tool that can discriminate target sequences that differ from one another by a single nucleotide substitution, giving MBs an extreme specificity level. For a point-of-care-test (POCT)device, there is a need for a platform that can easily be used in the field or doctors' offices, which would offer fast and reliable results. The development of microfluidics devices over the past decade has led to several advancements in this area due to their compact size, minimal use of reagents, and high sensitivity levels.
Our research goal is to show the design and development of a microfluidic platform that employs MBs for the early detection of Lyme disease in a single test. We will demonstrate how microfluidic devices can be designed, fabricated, and optimized in resource-limited settings, allowing for broader applications and enhanced testing of regional diseases such as Ebola, dengue fever, and leprosy. Furthermore, we will present our designed molecular beacon for detecting Lyme disease. We will discuss design parameters and how MBs can be designed for other diseases and tested on our microfluidic platform. Our open-source design will allow educators and scientists to adapt our platform for their educational or scientific needs, allowing for a broader impact on communities often neglected due to their economic status.
Keywords
Microfluidics, Molecular Beacons, Fluorescence, Point-of-care-testing
CPM-12 Design and Development of a Molecular Beacon for the Detection of Lyme Disease Using a Microfluidic Platform
University Readiness Center Greatroom
Lyme disease, caused by the spirochete bacterium burgdorferi, poses a significant public health concern in the Upstate and worldwide. Early Lyme disease diagnosis is crucial for effectively treating and preventing possible debilitating complications. The CDC currently recommends a two-step testing process for Lyme disease. Only if both tests return positive results is a positive diagnosis made. Current Lyme disease tests are designed to detect antibodies. However, antibodies can take several weeks to develop, so patients may test negative if they are recently infected. Alternatively, it may give false positives if the patient is exposed to other tickborne diseases, has other prolonged, unrelated infections, or has an autoimmune disease. Molecular diagnostic techniques have shown promise in enhancing the sensitivity and specificity of Lyme disease detection by targeting its unique DNA sequence. Among these, molecular beacons (MBs) have been recognized as a powerful diagnostic tool that can discriminate target sequences that differ from one another by a single nucleotide substitution, giving MBs an extreme specificity level. For a point-of-care-test (POCT)device, there is a need for a platform that can easily be used in the field or doctors' offices, which would offer fast and reliable results. The development of microfluidics devices over the past decade has led to several advancements in this area due to their compact size, minimal use of reagents, and high sensitivity levels.
Our research goal is to show the design and development of a microfluidic platform that employs MBs for the early detection of Lyme disease in a single test. We will demonstrate how microfluidic devices can be designed, fabricated, and optimized in resource-limited settings, allowing for broader applications and enhanced testing of regional diseases such as Ebola, dengue fever, and leprosy. Furthermore, we will present our designed molecular beacon for detecting Lyme disease. We will discuss design parameters and how MBs can be designed for other diseases and tested on our microfluidic platform. Our open-source design will allow educators and scientists to adapt our platform for their educational or scientific needs, allowing for a broader impact on communities often neglected due to their economic status.