Real-time polymerase chain reaction system using a camera for open platform

Abstract

In real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), the result of the amplification of DNA can be seen through changes in fluorescence brightness sensed during the PCR cycles. To detect the changes in fluorescence intensities, commercial real-time PCR thermocyclers mainly use photodiodes for detection. However, our previous study showed that a digital single lens reflex (DSLR) camera instead of a photodiode can detect changes in fluorescence intensity as well as differentiate cases of unsatisfactory experimental results. Although the fluorescence detection was successful, the adoption of the DSLR camera was problematic in terms of size and cost. In this paper, we show that fluorescence detection is also possible using a small USB camera for open platforms instead of bulky DSLR cameras.