Homemade Molecular Devices, Detections and Methods

Molecular methods are uniform, accurate and convenient procedures, but these need to be made inexpensive, ambient stable, simple and robust for operation under field conditions and operable by semi-skilled personnel. DNA being highly degradable, we have started with “DNA stabilization or immortalization”. The proposed eight homemade molecular devices, detection kits, and methods are a few steps in that direction.

We are reporting two inexpensive homemade instruments including an “ultra-rapid thermal cycler” for PCR detections and a “Portable Transformation device” costing only INR 1300 (15.63 USD) for putting any gene in the cells for expression, amplification or integration in the genome. Also reported are the development of two homemade “field Surveillance Kits” which has infinite shelf life under ambient conditions and maybe the least expensive in the world. It is most suitable for screening of large number of samples at the same time and cost, operable even under field conditions by the semi-skilled personnel. These are for infection detection in human and animals and for sex determination of large number of plants like “Banana” simultaneously at nursery stage. Also reported are a few simplified methods which include rapid identification of micro-organisms from clinical samples under field conditions, a method for inexpensive, efficient and easy DNA synthesis (used for generation of DNA probe, primer, translation, expression etc.), and a method for easy and quantitative isolation and preservation of large quantity of DNA.