A portable thermostatic molecular diagnosis device based on high-efficiency photothermal conversion material for rapid field detection of SARS-CoV-2.

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has seriously harmed human health and economic development worldwide. Studies have shown that timely diagnosis and isolation are the most effective ways to prevent the spread of the epidemic. However, the current polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based molecular diagnostic platform has the problems of expensive equipment, high operation difficulty, and the need for stable power resources support, so it is difficult to popularize in low-resource areas. This study established a portable (<300 g), low-cost (<$10), and reusable molecular diagnostic device based on solar energy photothermal conversion strategy, which creatively introduces a sunflower-like light tracking system to improve light utilization, making the device suitable for both high and low-light areas. The experimental results show that the device can detect SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid samples as low as 1 aM within 30 min. [Display omitted] • The solar device is suitable for resource-poor areas or fieldwork environments. • The portable device is light (300 g), low-cost ($10), and reusable. • Sunflower-like light tracking system maximizes solar energy. • Gold nanoparticles have high photothermal conversion efficiency and low cost. • High frequency and wide coverage testing for SARS-CoV-2 is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]