Pathogen detection
in 30 minutes.
No lab required.
TORCH™ mLAMP catfish and tilapia panels identify three pathogens plus an internal extraction control in a single fluorometric reaction from swab or tissue, in under 30 minutes, in the field.
ChromaLAMP™ delivers single-pathogen colorimetric results in 30 minutes, with only a heat block.
Choose the format that fits your infrastructure.
ChromaLAMP™
One target per reaction. Visible color change in the tube — no fluorometer, no reader, nothing beyond a heat block (~$100–200). Liquid format, stable at 4°C.
AeroDetect — Aeromonas hydrophila (virulent strain)
EdwarDetect — Edwardsiella spp. (genus level)
StrepDetect — Streptococcus spp. (genus level)
Colorimetric readout is visual — results at sub-clinical infection levels (Ct >35 equivalent) may be ambiguous. For surveillance of sub-clinical infection, TORCH mLAMP's fluorometric readout is more reliable. Liquid format requires 4 °C storage and cold chain for transport; lyophilized format available at additional cost.
TORCH™ mLAMP
Four targets — three pathogens plus an internal host DNA extraction control — in a single fluorometric reaction. The internal control is the critical differentiator: if host DNA amplifies, the sample was valid. A negative is a confirmed negative, not a failed extraction. Accepts external swab or tissue. Fish do not need to be sacrificed.
Aeromonas spp.
Edwardsiella spp.
Internal control
Streptococcus spp.
Aeromonas spp.
Tilapia Lake virus (TiLV)
Internal control
Instrument-agnostic and compatible with any real-time thermocycler equipped with multiple fluorescent detection channels. Reagents are supplied in lyophilized format, ready to use. No cold chain required.
State and federal diagnostic labs running volume, large integrated producers building in-house multiplex capability, and tilapia operations screening incoming fish for TiLV before stocking.
Requires a real-time thermocycler. Sensitivity and time-to-positive can vary between instrument models — channel calibration is the lab's responsibility.
How it fits your workflow
Each of these represents a distinct point in the production or diagnostic workflow where the speed and field-deployability of LAMP changes what's possible.
On-site diagnostics
Field testing using AqPathDx test kits produced results consistent with laboratory methods, including culturing and PCR. The internal extraction control confirms what a negative actually means: host DNA amplification on every run proves the extraction worked, so a negative result is a genuine negative, not a failed prep.
Fingerling suppliers — pre-shipment lot screening
Fingerling suppliers who screen before shipping are selling something verifiably different from suppliers who don't. A TiLV-negative or pathogen-free result delivered with the lot is a quality credential — and increasingly, sophisticated buyers know exactly what the alternative looks like. ChromaLAMP screens a lot in under 30 minutes at ~$6–8/test with nothing beyond a heat block. The cost of the test is not overhead. It is the difference between a commodity fingerling and a certified one.
Commercial catfish and tilapia producers — post-stocking surveillance
Transport stress opens a 7–14 day window of elevated Flavobacterium and Aeromonas risk after fingerlings enter production ponds. A same-session result during that window — before gill lesions advance — still leaves treatment options open. A 3-day reference lab turnaround often doesn't.
Aquatic veterinarians — field diagnostic calls
LAMP replaces the PCR sendout step. Culture plates plus a 30-minute ChromaLAMP result same session — no sample shipping or waiting. Q-tips work as swabs. Total workflow to result under 60 minutes with lyophilized kits.
Hatchery managers — transport and stocking events
High-density juvenile fish under transport stress face the same Flavobacterium and Edwardsiella exposure as commercial fingerling operations. ChromaLAMP requires only a heat block and brief training — no dedicated lab infrastructure required.
Every day without a result is a treatment day lost.
State fish diagnostic labs are the critical link between pond-side observations and producer action. Current reference lab workflows add 2–3 days before a treatment decision can be made — days that matter when fish are dying.
Turnaround
Reference lab send-outs cost 2–3 days
Standard culture and PCR workflows require sample packaging, transport, and queue time. During peak Edwardsiella season (March–June), a 3-day diagnostic lag can mean the difference between early intervention and pond-level mortality.
Treatment link
Medicated feed requires a diagnosis first
Feed mills need pathogen identification before preparing medicated batches. Compressing diagnostic time directly compresses total response time — a ChromaLAMP result tells producers which medicated feed to order and when.
Field use
Not every diagnostic runs in a full lab
Hatcheries, fingerling operations, and transport events require diagnostic capability away from reference lab infrastructure. TORCH mLAMP accepts swab or tissue samples and runs on a portable fluorometer — no reference lab required.
Negative results
A clean negative is actionable data
Field validation: ChromaLAMP correctly returned negative for all panel targets in disease-symptomatic ponds where Streptococcus dysgalactiae — outside the panel — was the causative organism. No false positives. Confirmed by culture and genome sequencing.
Need a target that isn't on our current panels?
Varizymes develops new single-target or multiplex LAMP assays for aquaculture pathogens when supported by appropriate funding and access to field validation samples.
Assay design and optimization can be completed in 1-2 months
Validation with real field samples is the rate-limiting step. Synthetic or extracted nucleic acid is not sufficient for a deployable diagnostic.
Strong in-country or field partners are essential for pathogens not present in the US. Customs clearance, sample integrity, and local expertise are all rate-limiting factors.
Cost for full development through field-ready validation: approximately $40K-$80K depending on target count and multiplex complexity
Pathogens currently under evaluation for future panels include ISKNV (Spleen and Kidney Necrosis Virus) and Francisella spp. in tilapia.
If you have a target pathogen, access to field samples, and a funding mechanism — a government grant, foundation funding, or institutional budget — we want to hear from you.
Know what's coming and when.
Catfish Panel
Edwardsiella spp.
Aeromonas hydrophila
Flavobacterium covae
Tilapia Panel
Streptococcus agalactiae
Aeromonas hydrophila
Tilapia Lake Virus (TiLV)
Ready to run faster diagnostics?
Order directly or talk to our team about which format fits your workflow, single-pathogen ChromaLAMP™ or the full TORCH™ mLAMP multiplex panels.
TORCH™ mLAMP Panels
Catfish panel (3 pathogens + internal control) or Tilapia panel (2 bacteria + TiLV RNA). Fluorometric multiplex. All targets in one reaction. Lyophilized, room-temperature stable.
ChromaLAMP™
Single-pathogen testing. Colorimetric tube readout. No instrument needed. Order the specific target you need. Results in under 30 minutes reaction time.
Technical Consult
Not sure which product fits your workflow? Talk directly with our team about your target pathogens, sample types, and volume. No sales pitch, just answers.
Research use only.
