HABs

What is NAAT? Nucleic Acid Amplification Technology, or NAAT, refers to a family of laboratory methods that copy a specific DNA or RNA sequence millions of times over, turning a handful of target molecules into a quantity large enough to detect. Because amplification pushes even trace amounts of genetic material into a detectable range, NAAT

What is PCR? Polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, is the most established nucleic acid amplification method in molecular biology. It uses repeated cycles of heating and cooling to denature double-stranded DNA, allow primers to bind the target sequence, and extend new strands using a heat-stable polymerase. Each cycle doubles the amount of target DNA, so

What is CRISPR-Cas Detection? CRISPR-Cas based diagnostics use programmable Cas enzymes, most commonly Cas12 or Cas13, guided by a short RNA sequence that recognizes a specific DNA or RNA target. When the Cas enzyme’s guide RNA binds its intended target, the enzyme becomes activated and begins cleaving nearby single-stranded reporter molecules, a behavior known as

What is RPA? 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,

What is LAMP? Loop-mediated isothermal amplification, or LAMP, is a nucleic acid amplification method that runs at a single, constant temperature, typically around 60-65°C, rather than cycling through the repeated heating and cooling steps required by PCR. This is possible because LAMP uses a strand-displacing polymerase along with a set of four to six specially

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