Ithaca College

 Gwendolyn Spizz of RHEONIX INC. will present

Microfluidics enabled sample to results nucleic acid testing:
                         What’s in YOUR beer?

Wednesday, February 28th 5:00 pm in CNS 115

Pizza and Beverages Provided

 The discovery of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in 1983, has enabled the ability to look for the presence of very small concentrations of target DNA in simple and complex samples.  The significant impact this method has made on all aspects of scientific discovery cannot be overstated.  However, what makes PCR so remarkable in its sensitivity also results in significant risks of cross-contamination between samples leading to the potential of false positives and misdiagnosed outcomes.  Furthermore, while it is possible to directly amplify DNA from a relatively clean sample (e.g. a single bacterial colony), in the case of a complex biological sample containing low concentrations of the target organisms in the presence of high concentration of potential PCR inhibitors, the nucleic acid must be purified prior to performing PCR. While the methods of nucleic acid purification and PCR have been reduced in technical challenges over the years, in order to manipulate multiple samples at once, highly trained scientists and technicians must perform these tasks with an exacting degree of caution and within protective environments to avoid cross-contamination.

This seminar will describe a microfluidic cartridge and workstation that performs all the necessary tasks of nucleic acid purification, multiplexed PCR, endpoint detection, and results analysis without the need of trained users and sophisticated laboratory environments.  Furthermore, this system is universal in that it has been used to detect pathogens involved in human disease, food and beverage testing, as well as genotypic differences in somatic and cancer cells.

Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations should contact Paula Larsen at plarsen@ithaca.edu or (607) 274-3238. We ask that requests for accommodations be made as soon as possible.