Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification
Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) is a nucleic acid amplification technique that amplifies DNA under isothermal conditions, typically at 60-65°C, without the need for thermal cycling. It uses a DNA polymerase with strand displacement activity and four to six primers that recognize six to eight distinct regions on the target DNA, enabling rapid and specific amplification. LAMP is widely used in molecular diagnostics, point-of-care testing, and pathogen detection due to its simplicity, speed, and high sensitivity.
Developers should learn LAMP when working on applications in medical diagnostics, environmental monitoring, or food safety testing, as it allows for rapid detection of pathogens like viruses and bacteria without complex equipment. It is particularly valuable in resource-limited settings or for point-of-care devices because it operates at a constant temperature, reducing the need for expensive thermal cyclers. Use cases include developing diagnostic kits for infectious diseases, such as COVID-19 or malaria, and integrating it into portable lab-on-a-chip systems.