title: Ultra fast miniaturized real-time PCR: 40 cycles in less than six minutes.
abstract: We have designed, fabricated and tested a real-time PCR chip capable of conducting one thermal cycle in 8.5 s. This corresponds to 40 cycles of PCR in 5 min and 40 s. The PCR system was made of silicon micromachined into the shape of a cantilever terminated with a disc. The thin film heater and a temperature sensor were placed on the disc perimeter. Due to the system's thermal constant of 0.27 s, we have achieved a heating rate of 175 degrees C s(-1) and a cooling rate of -125 degrees C s(-1). A PCR sample encapsulated with mineral oil was dispensed onto a glass cover slip placed on the silicon disc. The PCR cycle time was then determined by heat transfer through the glass, which took only 0.5 s. A real-time PCR sample with a volume of 100 nl was tested using a FAM probe. As the single PCR device occupied an area of only a few square millimeters, devices could be combined into a parallel system to increase throughput.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, 31 Biopolis Way, The Nanos, #04-01, Singapore 138669.
authors.forename: Pavel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Neuzil
authors.forename: Chunyan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Juergen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pipper
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Lang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhuo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D051379:Mice; D008904:Miniaturization; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D012825:Silicon / Q000737:chemistry; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D012825:Silicon