PCR Amplification in Minutes?

My first experience in a lab was back in the summer of 2009 at a neuroscience laboratory in the university of my hometown, Brownsville. In this laboratory I learned about the polymerase chain reaction and all of its uses and benefits. I found this article on science daily about a new advancement in the PCR technique from some researchers in the University of California, Berkley.

We all should know by now that PCR is used to amplify DNA in a series of cycles that undergo different temperatures. This process can take an hour or even more depending on what your experiment needs. The researchers at Berkley have found a way of decreasing the amount of time it takes to complete the process. Through the use of LED lights and a thin film of gold, they were able to cut down the time from hours to minutes! According to the article, micro fluid wells with the PCR and DNA samples are placed in a plastic chip with films of gold. The LED light is then placed under the wells and the cycles can begin. Their results showed a completion of 30 cycles in under five minutes with temperatures ranging from 131-203°F. It doesn't provide any statistics about how efficient the process was compared to a traditional PCR. All it says is that it "compared well with conventional PCR tests". 

You may be wondering why Gold? Well, apparently gold is great at absorbing light and the free electrons on the metal interact with the LED light causing the electrons to get excited and oscillate which in turn creates heat. For cooling off, all they have to do is turn off the light! The researchers at Berkley have big plans for this new way of conducting PCR and hope it can integrated into emergency rooms, developing countries like Africa, and even forensics. it is a cheaper, faster, and portable way of amplifying DNA.

Here is the link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/07/150731070215.htm