The Juan Amplification (JAmp) Detection Kit placed second in the Creative Research Category (Likha Award) of the National Invention Contest and Exhibits (NICE).
Developed by the University of Santo Tomas (UST), the technology is a novel way of detecting white spot syndrome virus, which causes large economic losses in shrimp farms.
The technology is an output of the project, Development of a Practical Heat Block Apparatus for Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) Based Detection of Shrimp Pathogens.
LAMP is a very sensitive, easy, and time-efficient method to detect certain diseases by amplifying DNA with high specificity, efficiency, and rapidity.
The project was funded by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD).
Project leader Dr. Mary Beth B. Maningas and and her team were awarded at the SMX Convention Center, Pasay City recently.
Simple, cost-effective, suitable for on-site applications, and yields results within an hour, the kit proved to be more advantageous than the other detection methods available in the market.
NICE recognized JAmp’s cost and benefits over 13 other entries of innovations designed to benefit the Filipino people.
The 2016 NICE, a competition open to both public and private sector inventors and researchers-winners in the 2015 Regional Invention Contest and Exhibits (2015 RICE), was conducted by the Technology Application and Promotion Institute of Department of Science and Technology (DOST-TAPI).
Aimed at honing the creativity, craftsmanship, and inventive capabilities of Filipinos, NICE contests include the Invention Category (Tuklas Award), Utility Model Category, Industrial Design Category, Creative Research Category (Likha Award), and Student Creative Research Category (Sibol Award) for High School and College levels.