Miniaturized devices for DNA analysis of food and environmental samples

Abstract

Micro and nanotechnologies have been contributing to revolutionize many industry sectors. For DNA-based analysis, the major driving forces for developing new analytical strategies are reduced hands-on-time, increased sensitivity, multiplexing and faster methods. Consequently, there has been a strong interest in the miniaturization of such techniques. This Thesis combines these emerging technologies at microscale with well-established molecular biology techniques, using a modular approach to improve the steps of DNA analysis: extraction, amplification and detection. Miniaturization allows automatization of the procedure with less reagent consumption, as well as lower energy consumption, facilitating on-site target DNA detection. The main goal of this work was the development of miniaturized DNA analysis devices for food and environmental samples, providing efficient tools for a simpler, faster and less expensive analysis. Despite its advantages, miniaturized DNA analysis devices have had limited diffusion into food and environmental sectors when compared to clinical and forensic applications. With this in mind, application in the food sector was particularly focused on food authenticity and allergen detection, and application in the environmental sector was focused on the detection of invasive species in river water. The development and optimization of such devices can contribute as new solutions to the food industry and to environmental control.