Hot Stories

Local Collaboration Supports Thermal Gradient's Real-time Ambitions

3/1/2012

Incremental improvements throughout the last year have put Thermal Gradient on the verge of its next major milestone: rapid, real-time PCR and detection. 

Thermal Gradient's revolutionary technology enables very rapid nucleic acid testing by accelerating Polymerase Chain Reaction, an important step in DNA-based testing. Presently, the company's third generation (Gen3) devices achieve about nine logs of amplification in six to eight minutes versus two hours or more for conventional methods. With real-time or quantitative PCR, continuous measurement of the amount of DNA/RNA present in the sample can be made as it moves through the device--a critical factor when testing for infectious diseases.

Thermal Gradient's Gen3 devices are made using high-volume, low-cost injection molding of special compounds for the components that make up each device. "We have worked very closely with HARBEC in Ontario, Alliance Precision Plastics and East Pattern and Model in Rochester, among others," Juncosa said. "Together, we have achieved some pretty great things."

Gen3 brings high-throughput and low cost to laboratory testing, while also addressing three areas of concern for point-of-care treatment: speed, ease of use and low cost, said Juncosa. Thermal Gradient's work is supported by the National Institutes of Health.

See the future of PCR via Thermal Gradient's ambitious product development efforts and view a demo video of the Flash Cartridge.

Return to Previous Page