Recombinase polymerase amplification, or RPA, is an isothermal nucleic acid amplification method that runs at, or close to, room temperature, typically between 37-42°C. Rather than relying on heat to separate DNA strands the way PCR does, RPA uses a recombinase enzyme to guide primers directly to their target sequence within double-stranded DNA, along with a strand-displacing polymerase to carry out amplification.

Because RPA does not require precise thermal cycling or even a dedicated heat source in many implementations, it is often described as one of the fastest and simplest amplification methods available, with results possible in as little as 10 to 20 minutes.

RPA’s low temperature requirement and short reaction time make it a strong fit for decentralized and field-based testing, where lab equipment and reliable power may not be available. Like LAMP, RPA reactions can be designed with tagged primers, commonly biotin paired with FAM or DIG, so that the resulting amplicons are ready for a lateral flow readout as soon as amplification is complete.

Attogene’s Universal Lateral Flow kits use the same tag-based capture approach for RPA as they do for LAMP: streptavidin and anti-tag antibody lines printed onto the strip capture biotin, FAM, or DIG labeled amplicons as they migrate, producing a visible result without requiring a target-specific strip design.

Kits compatible with RPA-based detection include:

AU2034 series (01, 02, 03, 04, 05): supports up to four capture lines for DNP, FAM, and DIG tagged targets, allowing multiplexed detection of more than one RPA target on a single strip.

AU2037: Attogene’s fluorescent Universal Lateral Flow kit, built for applications where added sensitivity matters. The kit has demonstrated a projected 10 to 300-fold sensitivity improvement over standard colloidal gold-based strips, with particle detection down to 3.9 femtomoles and tagged oligonucleotide detection down to 19 femtomoles under a standard black light.

Additional compatible kits: AU2049, AU2053, AU2054, AU2059, AU2061, AU2063, AU2064 (01, 02, 03), AU2065, EL2021_LF, EL2054, EL2055, EL2059, EL2060, and NA2021.

All Attogene lateral flow strips for RPA detection are available in both dipstick and cassette formats. Specialized lateral flow running buffers and blood separation pads are also available upon request for applications working directly with whole blood samples.

RPA paired with lateral flow detection is commonly used for infectious disease testing in decentralized and resource-limited settings, as well as rapid on-site screening applications where minimizing both equipment and turnaround time is a priority.

Need a strip configuration built around a specific RPA target? Attogene’s custom lateral flow development services can help design and build it. Learn more about our custom NAAT lateral flow services.