Development and application of a rapid Mycobacterium tuberculosis detection technique using polymerase spiral reaction

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is an age-old bacterium that is difficult to eliminate. A simple and rapid diagnostic method is of great importance to prevent the spread of M. tuberculosis. Here, we developed a low-cost rapid M. tuberculosis nucleic acid detection technique, named GenePop, which enabled the storage and transport of M. tuberculosis diagnostic reagent at ambient temperatures, without the need for professional operations or expensive instrumentation. Using a vitrification method, we vitrified heat-unstable components onto the cap of a reaction tube, and placed heat-stable components at the bottom of the reaction tube by sealing them with paraffin wax. The all-in-one detection tube, when used together with our other invention—a multi-functional sample treatment tube pre-filled with a nucleic acid-releasing agent—only required three simple steps to yield results. A comparative analysis with a commercial qPCR kit for M. tuberculosis indicated that our new technique had a concordance rate of 91.6%, showing no cross-reactivity with 11 other bacteria. The complete operation time was only 65 min. It is suitable for use in field settings or by personnel in grass-root units, and is applicable in household activities, hence can be used in developing countries.