lateral flow strip platform (1)

Chinese researchers have developed a method for the rapid visual detection of adulterated meat based on both the lateral flow strip (LFS) platform and on polymerase chain reaction (PCR). After the rapid extraction of genomic components from meat, the on-site amplification of the target DNA of  duck meat is carried out with the rationally designed functional FITC- and biotin-modified primer set, thereby producing numerous double-stranded DNA  products dually labelled with FITC and biotin. The FITC-labelled terminal end of the products binds to the pre-immobilized FITC antibody on the test line of the strip, and the biotin-labelled terminal end binds to the streptavidin-conjugated gold nanoparticles, resulting in a visible test line on the LFS for the rapid identification of duck meat in adulterated beef. After optimization, an adulteration ratio as low as 0.05% can be easily measured. Twenty two commercial processed meat samples were tested with this new method, and 4 adulterated samples were successfully identified by both the routine PCR method and the new LFS method. The LFS method is simple in design, convenient in operation, and can be easily extended to the identification of other adulterating meat species just by replacing the modified primers. 

 Read the abstract here

 

 

 

 

Example of a lateral flow strip for target DNA detection

 

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