DNA analysis is something you would usually associate with a laboratory and a lot of complicated and expensive machinery.
This could all be about to change when the miniPCR DNA Discovery System, a small DNA analysis kit generating funds on Kickstarter, is launched early next year.
The user-friendly system will enable people to investigate their DNA at home or in the classroom.
It uses polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a Nobel-winning technology, to make billions of copies of specific DNA samples for analysis.
This kit has the same analysis power as machines ten times their size used by biomedical professionals, for one-tenth of the cost.
The kit has many potential uses, including allowing user to investigate their family tree or conduct a simulated investigation of a food poisoning outbreak.
If funding allows, Amplyus will also develop a kit to test for GMOs in food.
Kickstarter campaign for the miniPCR, a tiny machine that costs a tenth of the price of those used by the professionals
DNA analysis is something you would usually associate with a laboratory and a lot of complicated and expensive machinery. This could all be about to change when the miniPCR DNA Discovery System, a small DNA analysis kit generating funds on Kickstarter, is launched early next year. The user-friendly system will enable people to investigate their DNA at home or in the classroom.
The system is the brainchild of Amplyus, a team of molecular biologists, designers and engineers who are currently at the MassChallenge accelerator. They are led by Ezequiel (Zeke) Alvarez Saavedra and Sebastian Kraves, who met at college while dreaming of being DNA scientists, and having realized their dream; want to make the science accessible to everyone.
They created a miniature system that uses polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a Nobel-winning technology, to make billions of copies of specific DNA samples for analysis. The miniPCR Discover System includes a tiny DNA copier, DNA pipetting tools and a DNA Gel Electrophoresis and Visualiser.
This kit has the same analysis power as machines ten times their size used by biomedical professionals, for one-tenth of the cost. The equipment fits into a portable case, measuring 2x5x4 inches, which makes it ideal for classroom and at-home use. It’s also easy to switch on, requiring no set-up, and can be controlled through the miniPCR app.
All of this sounds very impressive, but what can you use the miniPCR Discovery System for? To begin with, you can explore your family tree, looking at how DNA is passed along through the generations. You could also help solve a criminal mystery using forensic evidence or conduct a simulated investigation of a food poisoning outbreak. If funding allows, Amplyus will also develop a kit to test for GMOs in your food.
The Kickstarter campaign gives people the opportunity to opt for a complete kit or just the machine, depending on the tools they already have. It has been hugely successful, already raising over $50,000 with an original target of $20,000 with month left to go. Some of the early bird offers are sold out, but the second wave of the complete kits cost $649 and the machine alone costs $399.
The team are passionate about DNA education and have given backers the option to donate the kits to public schools or to put money towards the cause. For every twenty of pledges of $20, Amplyus will donate a miniPCR to a public school.
The miniPCR Discovery System promises to bring this science out of the laboratory and into the home and classroom, giving everyone the tools to explore the DNA world we live in.