Isothermal Amplification of Nucleic Acids Coupled with Nanotechnology and Microfluidic Platforms for Detecting Antimicrobial Drug Resistance and Beyond

Abstract

Antibiotic resistance is one of the serious health-threatening issues globally, the controlof which is indispensable for rapid diagnosis and treatment because of the high prevalenceand risks of pathogenicity. Traditional and molecular techniques are relatively expensive,complex, and non-portable, requiring facilities, trained personnel, and high-tech laboratories.Widespread and timely-detection is vital to the better crisis management of rapidly spreadinginfective diseases, especially in low-tech regions and resource-limited settings. Hence, the needfor inexpensive, fast, simple, mobile, and accessible point-of-care (POC) diagnostics is highlydemanding. Among different biosensing methods, the isothermal amplification of nucleic acidsis favorite due to their simplicity, high sensitivity/specificity, rapidity, and portability, all becausethey require a constant temperature to work. Isothermal amplification methods are utilizedfor detecting various targets, including DNA, RNA, cells, proteins, small molecules, ions, andviruses. In this paper, we discuss various platforms, applications, and potentials of isothermalamplification techniques for biosensing of antimicrobial resistance. We also evaluate thepotential of these methods, coupled with the novel and rapidly-evolving platforms offered bynanotechnology and microfluidic devices.

Keywords: Biosensing, Isothermal amplification techniques, Antibiotic drug resistance, Nanotechnology, Microfluidics