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ABSTRACT
Early and accurate detection of pests and pathogens is crucial factor to restrict the spread of rising infections that could otherwise cause remarkable economic losses. One such approach is POC diagnostics, that are fast, accurate, affordable, and reliable technologies performed on site even by a minimally trained-personnel, using minimal equipment. Among the available diagnostic technologies, Nucleic acid-based methods have emerged as a good choice for the development of detection tools in several fields, such as human/animal health, food safety, and plant pathogen detection. However, following PCR based assays, multiple types of nucleic acid amplification technologies have been developed such as loop-mediated isothermal amplification, helicase-dependent amplification, rolling circle amplification, recombinase polymerase amplification, that eliminated the requirement for thermocycling, making them more suitable for use as POC. These amplification methods along with POC sequencing have revolutionized diagnostics with their exceptional specificity and sensitivity, making them precious tool for precise diagnosis. The aim of this POC diagnostics is to ensure molecular detection of plant pathogens accessible to anyone, anywhere, and at any time. The success and usefulness of POC amplification are ultimately dependent on the availability of POC-friendly nucleic acid extraction methods and amplification readouts.
Keywords: Isothermal amplification; point-of-care diagnostics; pathogen; sensitivity; specificity