title: Opportunities and challenges for the application of microfluidic technologies in point-of-care veterinary diagnostics.
abstract: There is a growing need for low-cost, rapid and reliable diagnostic results in veterinary medicine. Point-of-care (POC) tests have tremendous advantages over existing laboratory-based tests, due to their intrinsic low-cost and rapidity. A considerable number of POC tests are presently available, mostly in dipstick or lateral flow formats, allowing cost-effective and decentralised diagnosis of a wide range of infectious diseases and public health related threats. Although, extremely useful, these tests come with some limitations. Recent advances in the field of microfluidics have brought about new and exciting opportunities for human health diagnostics, and there is now great potential for these new technologies to be applied in the field of veterinary diagnostics. This review appraises currently available POC tests in veterinary medicine, taking into consideration their usefulness and limitations, whilst exploring possible applications for new and emerging technologies, in order to widen and improve the range of POC tests available.
authors.affiliation: Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Edinburgh, EH26 0PZ, United Kingdom; School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, United Kingdom. Electronic address: valentina.busin@moredun.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Busin
authors.affiliation: Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Edinburgh, EH26 0PZ, United Kingdom. Electronic address: beth.wells@moredun.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Beth
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wells
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, United Kingdom. Electronic address: m.kersaudy-kerhoas@hw.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Maïwenn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kersaudy-Kerhoas
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, United Kingdom; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NW, United Kingdom. Electronic address: will.shu@strath.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Wenmaio
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Shu
authors.affiliation: Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Edinburgh, EH26 0PZ, United Kingdom. Electronic address: stewart.burgess@moredun.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Stewart T G
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Burgess
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019937:Diagnostic Techniques and Procedures; D007118:Immunoassay; D044085:Microfluidics / Q000379:methods*; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014730:Veterinary Medicine / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Dipstick test; Lateral flow immunoassays; Microfluidics; Paper-based microfluidics; Point-of-care; Veterinary diagnostics