RT-LAMP (reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification) is a molecular testing method used to detect the presence of RNA from pathogens like viruses. Unlike traditional PCR, it works at a constant temperature—no thermal cyclers required—making it especially useful for quick, low-cost testing even away from laboratories. A protocol of RT-LAMP was developed through a collaborative effort by the Brennecke lab at IMBA and the Pauli lab at the IMP in 2020 and proved to be a very useful tool for point-of-care COVID-19 diagnostics.
Now, researchers from the Brennecke and Pauli labs, in collaboration with the West African Center for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP) in Ghana, have developed a freeze-dried RT-LAMP system built entirely from enzymes that are not commercially owned. This new kit eliminates the dependency on costly commercial kits and cold-chain logistics to facilitate RT-LAMP applications.
“Our protocol makes sensitive detection of pathogens affordable and independent of advanced lab infrastructure,” says Martin Matl, PhD student in Julius Brennecke’s lab at IMBA and co-first author.
Built for the Real World
One of the standout features of this new assay is its heat stability. Even when stored at room—or elevated—temperatures, the reagents keep working just as well. This sidesteps the need for refrigeration, a critical advantage for remote or resource-limited regions. In a proof-of-concept test, the freeze-dried RT-LAMP mixes were shipped to WACCBIP in Ghana and delivered diagnostic performance on par with tests run in Vienna.
The assay uses a colorimetric readout (yes/no by color change) and works directly on swab or gargle samples, thanks to an integrated lysis and processing buffer. It is sensitive, flexible, and scalable—and best of all, open source: labs can even produce the enzymes themselves, and the test includes built-in safeguards against contamination to ensure sensitive and specific diagnostics.
Designed for Global Use
The design of the new RT-LAMP kit focuses on expanding its use to low-resource areas worldwide. “Our vision includes both centralized production and decentralized, regional implementation,” says Gordon A. Awandare, Director of WACCBIP and co-corresponding author. “We’ve demonstrated this platform can work across sample types and settings—paving the way for field-ready diagnostics.”
To support global adoption, the team has shared expression vectors for the core enzymes via the Addgene platform (www.addgene.org) and posted open-access protocols for enzyme production and assay setup at rtlamp.org.
Publication: Matl et al. 2025. Life Science Alliance doi.org/10.26508/lsa.202403167;
About IMBA
The Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences is one of Europe’s leading research institutes in the field of molecular biology. With over 200 scientists from more than 40 nations, IMBA is committed to excellent fundamental research. At IMBA, scientists seek to gain insight into human health, including inborn diseases of the heart and brain, degenerative diseases and regenerative strategies. Research topics pursued at IMBA include chromosome biology, RNA biology, cell and developmental biology, stem cell biology, neuroscience, and organoid research.
About the IMP
The Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP) in Vienna is a basic life science research institute largely sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim. With over 220 scientists from 40 countries, the IMP is committed to scientific discovery of fundamental molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying complex biological phenomena.
About the Vienna BioCenter
The Vienna BioCenter, one of Europe’s most dynamic life science hubs with 2,800 people from over 80 countries in six research institutions, two universities, and 35 biotech companies.
Further Reading
News Item, 24 June 2020: Researchers develop a "quick and easy" Covid-19 test for population screening with simple means