Rapid Amplification of Single-Stranded DNA by On-Bead Plasmonic PCR in an Automated Microfluidic System

This paper presents a novel automated microfluidic system for rapid plasmonic on-beads polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The highly integrated system automates essential PCR workflows, including sample loading, thermal cycling, purification washes, and elution utilizing pneumatic valves. Additionally, gold nanorods are introduced into the PCR system to leverage their efficient photothermal conversion properties to accelerate the PCR reaction. The platform completes 20 PCR cycles within 12 minutes to amplify single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), demonstrating potential for various rapid ssDNA PCR applications, such as aptamer selection and generation.