Projects

Within the project LIGHT-UP, a centrifugal microfluidic (LabDisk) platform for automated processing of digital amplification of HIV- and HTLV-RNA via LAMP (loop-mediated isothermal amplification) from a blood sample was developed. The LabDisk is applied for the measurement of the viral load to monitor the patient’s response to ART treatment. LIGHT-UP uses finger-prick samples instead of venous blood. Absolute quantification of HIV- and HTLV-RNA from the blood sample is reached within 2 hours. For the simultaneous detection of several targets in one reaction, LAMP was combined with a probe-based detection using the IMTEK-proprietary mediator displacement technology. The entire process flow from the blood sample take up to the absolut quantitative viral load result is integrated on the centrifugal-microfluidic LabDisk. The LIGHT-UP system is capable of analyzing HIV-/HTLV-patient samples directly at the point-of-care without the delay and logistic effort caused by transport of the sample to a central laboratory.