Development of DNA diagnostic equipment using traveling wave dielectrophoresis

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17H03277
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Measurement engineering
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: Suehiro Junya 九州大学, システム情報科学研究院, 教授 (70206382)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 遺伝子診断 / 進行波電界 / 誘電泳動 / ウィルス感染症 / DNA修飾マイクロビーズ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In recent years, the pandemic of the new coronavirus has become a major threat, and the development of rapid and simple DNA diagnostic technology has become an issue. In this research, we aimed to improve the sensitivity of DNA diagnostic technology based on a new principle using traveling wave electric field. First, we developed a system for quantifying the velocity of individual microbeads by observing the behavior of many DNA-labeled microbeads under a traveling wave electric field. As a result, it was clarified that the movement speed of microbeads increased with the increase of the amount of the labeling DNA. Regarding the DNA detection sensitivity by the developed method, the amount of labeling DNA was 100 DNA molecules/ bead. This is about 1000 times more sensitive than the DNA diagnostic method developed by the group of investigators in the past.

Free Research Field

MEMS

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

近年、新型コロナウィルスのパンデミックが全世界で大きな脅威となっており、迅速・簡易なDNA診断技術の開発が課題となっている。本研究で開発したDNA診断技術は、リアルタイムPCR法などの従来法に比べ低コストであることからより多くの人を対象としたPCR検査を実施することを可能とし、無症状感染者の早期発見に貢献できるものと考えられる。