Abstract

Oak wilt is a disease caused by the fungus Bretziella fagacearum that can devastate oak tree populations. According to the Canada Oak Wilt Response Framework, one of the ways to conserve wildlife dependent on oak trees is through early detection and monitoring. The current methodology requires examination of live xylem tissue which is time-consuming, costly, and prone to false negatives. With oak wilt found near the Ontario-Michigan border, there is an urgent need for a rapid, low cost point-of-care diagnostic device to detect oak wilt in Canada. We propose a portable device to extract and detect fungal DNA on site combined with colorimetric loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), thus, enabling our stakeholders to identify infected oak trees in a timely manner and help slow down the spread of oak wilt. Our work contributes to promoting the conservation of our ecosystems.