Revive & Restore’s Catalyst Science Fund partially supported this work as part of a broader investment in point-of-care diagnostics for coral health
A new paper published in Lab on a Chip from Debashish Bhattacharya’s group at Rutgers University and collaborators describes a portable, low-cost DNA detection kit that matches the performance of gold-standard laboratory methods without the need for a lab. While the paper focuses on detecting antimicrobial resistance genes with implications for human health, the implications extend to coral reef conservation.
The device works by amplifying trace amounts of DNA from a sample and converting the result into a detectable signal, all without the expensive equipment typically required for this kind of molecular analysis. A simple color change (red to yellow) gives an immediate visual readout, while a miniaturized electronic sensor provides precise quantification. The whole system runs on an Arduino microcontroller and fits in a portable, largely 3D-printed housing. Tested against qPCR, the current gold standard for DNA detection, it reliably identified target DNA at very low concentrations, even in complex samples containing background genetic material.
Critically, the platform is target-agnostic. The same device can detect any DNA or RNA target simply by changing the primers, short sequences that tell the system what to look for. This is the key insight for conservation applications.
Researchers, including Bhattacharya’s team at Rutgers, have made tremendous progress identifying molecular biomarkers of coral health, disease, and thermal resilience. But deploying those biomarkers as field monitoring tools has remained challenging. Most DNA-based assays require heavy equipment, sterile conditions, and technical expertise that aren’t compatible with a boat deck or a remote reef. The result is a persistent gap between what we can detect in the lab and what we can monitor where it matters most.
A portable, automated detection system like this one could bridge that gap. Ongoing work in the Bhattacharya lab is already moving in this direction, including efforts to apply this platform to the diagnosis of Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD), one of the most devastating coral diseases on record. Their vision is for a field-deployable tool that can rapidly detect coral pathogens or health biomarkers on-site, providing actionable information directly in the hands of restoration practitioners.
Revive & Restore’s Advanced Coral Toolkit has funded Bhattacharya’s group to develop a range of point-of-care diagnostic capabilities for corals. This paper represents an important proof of concept, demonstrating that the underlying technology is robust, sensitive, and ready to be adapted for new targets and environments. We look forward to sharing more as that coral-specific work continues to develop!
