What is it about?

This article shows how the dye malachite green, already used to see LAMP reactions by eye, can also be read electrochemically to quantify SARS‑CoV‑2 RNA. Using a commercial RT‑LAMP kit, the authors characterize how pH and DNA produced during amplification change the colour and electrochemical signal of malachite green. They build a calibration curve with screen‑printed electrodes that allows them to estimate viral copy number, and they validate the method with clinical nasopharyngeal samples.

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Why is it important?

The work turns a simple visual LAMP indicator into a dual visual–electrochemical probe, giving both a quick yes/no result and a quantitative viral load without changing the assay workflow. This enables low‑cost, portable quantification of SARS‑CoV‑2 using disposable electrodes and handheld potentiostats, which is valuable for point‑of‑care testing and follow‑up of infectious diseases. Because the approach reuses indicators already present in commercial kits, it can be extended to other pathogens and helps bridge the gap between laboratory qPCR and decentralized diagnostics.

Perspectives

From my perspective, this work shows that it is possible to extract much more information from the colorimetric kits we already use routinely. Turning the visual LAMP readout into a quantitative electrochemical signal opens the door to simple devices for monitoring viral load in different clinical and epidemiological contexts. I believe this approach can be adapted to other pathogens and help ensure that precise molecular tests reach settings with limited resources.

Maria Dolores Cima Cabal

Read the Original

This page is a summary of: Malachite green as a dual visual/electrochemical indicator for loop-mediated isothermal amplification: Application to SARS-CoV-2 detection, Microchemical Journal, March 2024, Elsevier,
DOI: 10.1016/j.microc.2024.110172.
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