Electrochemical real-time PCR detection (EFERD)

Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is the gold standard to detect and quantify nucleic acids. The project EFERD targets aims to explore possibilities to miniaturize real-time PCR by establishing a novel electrochemical detection principle.

The focus of Hahn-Schickard is on the development of a temperature-stable electrode functionalization, the PCR assay and the electrochemical detection of the PCR. The assay will be derived from the mediator probe PCR, which has been successfully applied in fluorescence-based assays. The adaption and optimization of the mediator probe technology for electrochemical detection enables a universal electrode functionalization using so-called universal reporters, while the targeted DNA is still specifically identified. Thus, the same kind of electrodes could be used for the detection of a variety of target DNA, while only the liquid reagents need to be adapted for the specific target DNA sequence.