Isothermal Amplification Technologies for Rapid Pathogen Detection: Technologies, Enzymes and Applications from Laboratory to Point-of-Care

Rapid and accurate pathogen detection is essential for infectious disease diagnosis, epidemiological surveillance, infection control, and timely therapeutic intervention. Although polymerase chain reaction (PCR) remains the gold standard for molecular diagnostics, its dependence on thermal cycling equipment and specialized laboratory facilities limits its use in decentralized and resource-limited settings, where the burden of infectious disease is often greatest. There is a growing demand for rapid, affordable, and portable molecular diagnostic technologies that can support infectious agent detection at the point of need.Isothermal nucleic acid amplification technologies (INAATs) have emerged as powerful alternatives to PCR for detecting bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic pathogens, enabling nucleic acid amplification at a constant temperature while maintaining high sensitivity and specificity without sophisticated instrumentation. Methods such as LAMP, RPA, RAA, MIRA, HDA, RCA, SDA, and NASBA have significantly expanded the diagnostic toolbox for infectious agents. Recent advances in enzyme engineering, assay design, CRISPR-based detection, biosensors, microfluidics, and portable devices have further improved the performance of these technologies, supporting outbreak response, clinical diagnosis, and surveillance in resource-limited environments.This Research Topic aims to provide an overview of the latest advances in isothermal nucleic acid amplification for the detection of infectious agents and disease, from methodological innovations and enzyme development to clinical, veterinary, environmental, and food safety applications. We welcome contributions on emerging diagnostic platforms that integrate isothermal amplification with next-generation detection technologies, supporting the transition from conventional laboratory testing to accessible point-of-care diagnostics for infectious disease.Original Research, Reviews, Mini Reviews, Methods, and Perspective articles are welcome. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:• Development and optimization of isothermal amplification technologies for infectious agent detection• Novel enzymes, amplification chemistries, and primer design strategies• LAMP, RPA, RAA, MIRA, HDA, RCA, SDA, NASBA, and emerging isothermal methods• Integration with CRISPR-based detection, biosensors, nanotechnology, and microfluidics• Point-of-care and portable molecular diagnostic platforms for infectious disease• Detection of antimicrobial resistance and genomic surveillance of pathogens• Multiplex assays, quantitative approaches, and assay standardization• Sample preparation, automation, and simplified diagnostic workflows• Outbreak response and field-deployable diagnostics for emerging infectious agents Topic editors: MARIARITA DEFELICE, Mariarosaria De Falco Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/83850/isothermal-amplification-technologies-for-rapid-pathogen-detection-technologies-enzymes-and-applications-from-laboratory-to-point-of-care