July 18, 2009
Twistdx launches world’s first DNA amplification kit based on recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA)
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Products Based on RPA Technology Offers Alternative to PCR
Cambridge, UK, TwistDx, a developer of point-of-use nucleic acid diagnostics, announced today the launch of its TwistAmpTM product range, the world’s first DNA amplification products based on Recombinase Polymerase Amplification (RPA). Concurrently, TwistDx also launched the TwistaTM portable, real-time fluorometer, an easy-to-use RPA reader. RPA is a proprietary technique, employing recombinase enzymes, used to amplify nucleic acids in any biological sample, with high analytical sensitivity and specificity.
Each of the four currently available TwistAmpTM kits (outlined below) offers scientists the ability to detect DNA molecules in a mixed sample within 10-15 minutes, less than half the time of most PCR systems. Moreover, RPA operates at low, constant temperatures and does not even require initial melting of the sample DNA, opening the way to broader access to end-users without reliance on expensive thermocyclers. RPA has also been shown to be highly resistant to crude samples in comparison to PCR suggesting applications in on-the-spot field testing requiring no nucleic acid extraction.
The TwistaTM portable real-time fluorometer is a customised platform containing proprietary fluorescent probe systems developed by the company to accurately monitor RPA reactions. Although seamlessly integrated with the TwistaTM device, TwistAmpTM kits can be used in combination with various, widely used assay platforms, such as conventional analysis tools (e.g. on agarose gels), dipsticks, as well as broadly available fluorescence plate readers and real-time PCR machines.
“Our TwistAmpTM kit offers researchers a flexible and cost-effective solution to achieve DNA amplification in significantly less time. With laboratory analysis a critical but often time-consuming aspect of biomedical research, we believe these new research tools provide our customers with a viable alternative to PCR, which although very effective is costly to access and time consuming,” said Dr. Niall Armes, CEO of TwistDx. “In particular, real-time PCR devices are very expensive; a laboratory could purchase multiple TwistaTM devices for the same price. Field researchers may also be able to easily perform their measurements in a mobile setting as TwistAmpTM enzyme and nucleotide mixes are provided in a freeze-dried form that demonstrates good stability at ambient temperatures. The TwistaTM device will be available with portable battery pack and standalone software.”
