Hangzhou, China · Isothermal Molecular Detection
ZC BioscienceRecombinase-Aided Amplification
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Cover story · RAA isothermal nucleic acid detection

Molecular results in five to fifteen minutes, at 37 °C, wherever the sample is.

Recombinase-Aided Amplification (RAA) replaces the thermal cycler with an isothermal reaction at 30–42 °C. Lyophilised reagents, a portable eight-well fluorescence analyzer and a two-step workflow bring molecular testing to the field, the factory floor and the inspection lab.

By ZC Bioscience · Hangzhou, China · Reagents for research use only

Browse the catalogue How RAA works
Gloved hand holding an eight-tube strip of lyophilised RAA reagent pellets
Eight-tube strip of freeze-dried RAA reaction pellets. Each tube is pre-mixed: add Buffer A, Buffer B and extracted nucleic acid. Photograph: ZC Bioscience

01 — Technology

RAA · Recombinase-Aided Amplification

An isothermal alternative to PCR, built around three proteins.

RAA (Recombinase-Aided Amplification) is the isothermal amplification platform behind every ZC Bioscience reagent. All kits are developed and manufactured in-house.

Recombinase-Aided Amplification is a rapid isothermal nucleic acid amplification technology. A recombinase obtained from bacteria or fungi binds tightly to the primer DNA at ambient temperature, forming a recombinase–primer complex. When the primer locates its fully complementary sequence on the template, single-stranded DNA-binding protein helps open the double strand, and DNA polymerase synthesises a new complementary strand. The product accumulates exponentially.

With a labelled fluorescent probe the reaction can be read in real time; a fluorescence result is typically available within 5–15 minutes. RAA can in principle be multiplexed: two or more primer pairs in one reaction amplify several targets simultaneously, detecting multiple targets in a single tube and saving reagents and cost.

Where it is applied

RAA is applied across food safety (pathogen detection, meat-species authentication, GMO screening), aquaculture pathogen detection, animal disease detection and other fields. Environmental monitoring is a further application area.

Gloved hand holding a conical flask of blue reagent
Reaction components are pre-mixed and lyophilised; primers 30–35 bp, probes 46–52 bp. Store at −20 °C.
i

Simple operation

Molecular-level testing that does not require specialist staff. Two-step workflow.

ii

Fast

Results in 5–15 minutes; truly rapid testing.

iii

Accurate

High sensitivity and specificity; precise recognition of the target sequence.

iv

Portable

Compact instruments suited to harsh field conditions and on-site inspection.

v

Isothermal

Runs at 30–42 °C; no thermal cycler or other expensive equipment required.

vi

Lyophilised

Reagents supplied as freeze-dried pellets, ready to use, easy to ship, and free from freeze–thaw loss.

Platform comparison — RAA against conventional PCR and LAMP
AttributePCRLAMPRAA
EnzymesTaq DNA polymeraseStrand-displacing DNA polymeraseRecombinase, single-stranded DNA-binding protein, strand-displacing DNA polymerase
Reaction temperatureHigh, thermal cycling60–65 °C37–39 °C
Reaction time1.5 h40 min15 min
Primer pairs121
Reagent formatLiquidLiquidLyophilised pellet
ReadoutGel; real-time fluorescenceVisual turbidityGel; real-time fluorescence; lateral-flow strip
LimitationSlow; thermal cycler requiredAerosol contamination, false positives—

Values as published by ZC Bioscience for typical assay conditions. Reagents are for research use only.

02 — Products

Five categories · 29 catalogue items · All reagents RUO

Genchek isothermal fluorescence analyzer, white housing with blue base

Instrument · Category 2 of 5

Genchek Isothermal Fluorescence Analyzer

An integrated, portable rapid-test analyzer for on-site and mobile testing. All assays run under one software interface and results are read from a single display.

Built-in reagent mixing, fully matched to RAA reagents; dual fluorescence channels (FAM & ROX) for up to 16 targets per run; live amplification curves; automatic data analysis and report generation with multiple export routes.

Throughput8 wells
ChannelsFAM / ROX
Temperature rangeAmbient to 65 °C (±0.5 °C)
Net weight3.8 kg
Dimensions255 × 240 × 123 mm
Power120 W, AC 100–240 V
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Eight-tube strip of lyophilised RAA reagent

Category 1 of 5 · 6 items

RAA Core Amplification Kits (Enzyme Reagents)

Open-platform RAA enzyme reagents for your own primers and probes. Rapid — 30 minutes at 30–42 °C (optimum 37–39 °C) yields a gel-detectable product; over 107-fold amplification of the target. 48 tests per kit, 50 μL reaction, lyophilised, 12-month shelf life at −20 °C.

S001ZC
RAA Basic Nucleic Acid Amplification Kit (DNA, gel readout) (RUO)
Rapid amplification of DNA at 37 °C; product confirmed by agarose gel electrophoresis. Heat block, water bath or incubator.
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S002ZC
RAA Fluorescent Nucleic Acid Amplification Kit (DNA, real-time) (RUO)
Real-time monitoring on the Genchek analyzer or standard qPCR instruments; 5–20 min.
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S003ZC
RT-RAA Basic Nucleic Acid Amplification Kit (RNA, gel readout) (RUO)
RNA is first reverse-transcribed to cDNA; 37 °C; gel readout.
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S004ZC
RT-RAA Fluorescent Nucleic Acid Amplification Kit (RNA, real-time) (RUO)
Reverse transcription plus real-time fluorescence; 5–20 min on Genchek-1/2 or qPCR instruments.
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S005ZC
RAA-nfo Nucleic Acid Amplification Kit (Lateral-Flow Strip, DNA) (RUO)
39 °C isothermal; dual-labelled amplicon read on a universal nucleic acid lateral-flow strip.
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S006ZC
RT-RAA-nfo Nucleic Acid Amplification Kit (Lateral-Flow Strip, RNA) (RUO)
42 °C isothermal; RNA template; strip readout.
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Gloved hand holding an eight-tube strip

Category 3 of 5 · 4 items

Rapid Nucleic Acid Extraction Kits

Purpose-built to yield RAA-ready template. No hazardous solvents, low cross-contamination risk. Store at room temperature, dry; 12-month shelf life.

ND01ZC
Rapid DNA Extraction Reagent (heat-lysis) (RUO)
50 preps · Heat lysis, 5 min · Animal tissue, blood, meat products, plant tissue, seeds and bacteria. No organic extraction, no ethanol precipitation.
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ND02ZC
Universal Rapid DNA Extraction Kit (Spin Column) (RUO)
50 preps · Lyse–bind–wash–elute in 15 min · Animal tissue, cells, bacteria, saliva, blood, swabs, faeces, bone, feed.
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ND03ZC
Universal Rapid RNA Extraction Kit (Spin Column) (RUO)
50 preps · Four steps, 10 min · Animal tissue, cells, saliva, blood, swabs, faeces.
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ND06ZC
Magnetic-Bead DNA Extraction Pre-filled Plate (RUO)
96 preps · Magnetic beads, 25 min · For automated extractors; food safety, environmental microbiology, livestock and molecular biology research.
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Category 4 of 5 · 17 items

Food Safety Molecular Detection Series

RAA fluorescent kits · 24 tests/kit · −20 °C, 6 months

Ready-to-run target kits on the RAA platform. Simple — no specialist required. Fast — results in 5–15 min. Isothermal — 30–42 °C, no thermal cycler. Lyophilised — ready-to-use dry pellets, no pipetting loss, easy transport. Compatible instruments: Genchek-I, Genchek-II and standard real-time PCR instruments (ABI, MJ, Roche, Bioer series).

A101ZC – A110ZC · 10 kits

Animal-Species (Meat Authentication) Kits (RUO)

Raw beef and pork on a cutting board with herbs

Species-specific gene fragment recognised at 30–42 °C. No cross-reaction observed with common species; detects different breeds. Result read directly from the amplification curve — no electrophoresis. Limit of detection: 1 % (w/w).

  • Chicken
  • Duck
  • Pork
  • Bovine
  • Sheep & goat
  • Rat
  • Horse
  • Mink
  • Fox
  • Donkey
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B201ZC – B207ZC · 7 kits

Foodborne Pathogen Kits (RUO)

Gloved hand holding a culture plate

Specific gene fragment amplified at 30–42 °C; result in 5–15 min. Limit of detection: 103 cfu/mL. Sample types include foods, beverages, water, cosmetics, disposable hygiene products and seafood. Method reference: GB 4789 series and SN/T standards.

  • Staphylococcus aureus
  • Salmonella
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa
  • Listeria monocytogenes
  • Haemolytic Streptococcus
  • Vibrio parahaemolyticus
  • Shigella
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GMO screening panel · on request

GMO Element & Event Detection Kits (RUO)

Laboratory technician pipetting onto a plant sample in a petri dish

RAA-based kits that specifically detect exogenous elements and events in crops, identifying GM material at the molecular level. Six screening elements plus soybean, maize and canola event kits; 24 tests/kit. Catalogue numbers available on request.

  • Bt
  • bar
  • hpt
  • CaMV 35S
  • FMV 35S
  • nos
  • GTS 40-3-2
  • MON89788
  • MON810
  • Bt11
  • T45
  • Oxy-235
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Category 5 of 5 · 1 item

Genchek Fully Automated Isothermal Nucleic Acid Detection System

Fully automated, sample-in/result-out in 30 minutes. Performs pipetting, lysis, nucleic acid purification, isothermal amplification, fluorescence detection, analysis and reporting in one instrument.

Run time~30 min
Sample throughput1 per run
ChannelsFAM / ROX
Interface7-inch colour touchscreen
Weight16 kg
Dimensions260 × 325 × 420 mm
Power221 W, AC 220 V, 50 Hz
UV lamp / air purificationYes / Yes
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03 — Solutions

Genchek analyzer · RAA fluorescent kits · 15-minute run

Three food-safety workflows, one isothermal platform.

Two researchers standing beneath a large DNA helix model

Meat species authentication

Animal-Derived Ingredient Detection

As price gaps between meats widen, species substitution and adulteration are increasingly common. RAA-based species kits detect species-specific genes, identifying meat origin at the molecular level with no cross-reaction between species.

  • Chicken
  • Pork
  • Duck
  • Beef
  • Sheep/goat
  • Rat
  • Horse
  • Mink
  • Fox
  • Donkey
Time to result5–15 min
Sensitivity1 % adulterated meat
Sample typesTissue, blood, foods, processed meat, feed

Users: food and drug administration, customs and border inspection, livestock authorities, agricultural research institutes, food and feed manufacturers, third-party laboratories.

Magnifying glass over a blue DNA helix

Foodborne pathogens

Foodborne Pathogen Detection

In China, pathogenic bacteria account for an estimated 40–50 % of reported foodborne-illness cases each year. RAA pathogen kits combine multi-channel detection, short run times and high sensitivity — raising throughput and moving food-safety warnings earlier.

  • S. aureus
  • Salmonella
  • P. aeruginosa
  • L. monocytogenes
  • Haemolytic Streptococcus
  • V. parahaemolyticus
  • Shigella
  • E. coli O157:H7
  • V. cholerae
Time to result5–15 min
Limit of detection103 cfu/mL
Method referenceGB 4789 series; SN/T

Users: food and drug administration, customs and border inspection, public-health laboratories, food and cosmetics manufacturers, third-party laboratories.

Blue DNA double helix rendering

GMO screening

Transgenic Ingredient Detection

GM crops carry genes introduced from other organisms to alter traits, nutrition or quality; regulators worldwide require labelling and control. RAA-based GMO kits specifically detect exogenous elements and events in crops, identifying GM material at the molecular level.

  • Bt
  • bar
  • hpt
  • CaMV 35S promoter
  • FMV 35S promoter
  • nos terminator
Time to result5–15 min
Screening elements6
Event kitsSoybean, maize, canola

Users: food and drug administration, customs and border inspection, agricultural research institutes, food and feed manufacturers, third-party laboratories.

04 — Services

Support · After-sales · Custom assay development

Technical support

Expert technical support

Our R&D team answers every product question with patient explanation and demonstration. We provide consultation, technical documentation, training and after-sales support.

After-sales

Long-term documentation and support

If a problem arises, contact us by email or on +86 571 8861 9668. Our engineers respond promptly and resolve issues remotely; where an on-site visit is needed we agree the arrival time with you. Service hours Mon–Fri 9:00–18:00 (UTC+8).

Custom development

Custom RAA assay development

RAA enables portable, rapid nucleic acid testing across foodborne pathogen detection, meat adulteration, GMO screening and more. We develop custom RAA assays to meet specific customer needs — new targets, OEM formats, panel design. Contact us to discuss your target.

Operation guide

Sample to result, in five moves.

RAA is simple to run and needs no specialist. Example — animal-species assay on the Genchek analyzer.

  1. 1Weigh50 mg of sample into the extraction solution.
  2. 2Incubate70 °C for 10 minutes.
  3. 3Add buffers45.5 μL Buffer A and 2.5 μL Buffer B to the lyophilised reagent tube.
  4. 4Add template2 μL sample nucleic acid; place the strip in the Genchek analyzer.
  5. 5ReadResult from the amplification curve in 5–15 minutes.

05 — Company

Hangzhou ZC Bio-Sci&Tech Co. Ltd · Binjiang District, Hangzhou

An R&D-driven company that builds the whole RAA stack.

Hangzhou ZC Bio-Sci & Tech Co., Ltd. ("ZC Bioscience") is an R&D-driven biotechnology company based in Hangzhou, China. We develop and apply Recombinase-Aided Amplification (RAA), an isothermal nucleic acid amplification technology, and supply RAA-based reagents, extraction kits and portable fluorescence instruments for rapid molecular testing. All reagents are for research use only.

Since September 2016 the company has accelerated product development for RAA-based rapid food-safety testing, launching in turn the animal-species (meat authentication) molecular detection series, the foodborne pathogen molecular detection series and the GMO ingredient molecular detection series. Further application areas include environmental monitoring, aquaculture pathogen detection and animal disease detection.

ZC Bioscience has signed strategic cooperation agreements with government institutions and research organisations across several fields to co-develop RAA-based detection kits. We remain committed to advancing RAA technology and delivering rapid-testing products and services that are fast, accurate and easy to use.

500 m²Laboratory space, plus 400 m² of offices
RMB 12M+Installed equipment value
90 %Of the R&D team hold master's degrees or higher
5050Selected for the Hangzhou Binjiang "5050 Talent Program"; a key enterprise cultivated by the district
Laboratory with instruments and a technician at a bench
Molecular laboratory, Tianhe Hi-Tech Park, Hangzhou.
Technician working at a laboratory instrument
Sample preparation.
Technician working inside a biosafety cabinet
Biosafety cabinet work.
Clean-room corridor with observation window
Clean-room corridor.
Clean-room doors along a corridor
Controlled-environment suites.
Office corridor with glass-walled rooms and plants
Office floor, Building 5, 688 Bin'an Road.

06 — News

Company news · 2017

Audience seated at a food microbiology conference

22 July 2017 · Shanghai

Highlights | RAA Technology Debuts at the Food Microbiology Detection & Control Exchange

On 20–22 July 2017 the 7th Food Microbiology Detection & Control Technology Exchange was held in Shanghai, co-organised by the Agro-product Safety Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Inspection and Quarantine, the Analytical Microbiology Committee of the Chinese Society for Microbiology, and Foodmate. The meeting ran 17 themed sessions on microbial detection technology, methods and laboratory design; over 30 exhibitors and 300+ laboratory professionals attended, and RAA technology made its debut on the exhibition floor.

11 Sep 2017

Explainer | Recombinase-Aided Rapid Nucleic Acid Amplification

In vitro rapid amplification allows trace nucleic acid to be amplified efficiently outside the cell. Recombinase-Aided Amplification (RAA) is an isothermal method that replaces the thermal-cycling denaturation of conventional PCR with a recombinase, single-stranded DNA-binding protein and DNA polymerase, achieving rapid amplification at a constant 37 °C.

11 Sep 2017

Literature | Rapid Nucleic Acid Amplification by Recombinase-Aided Amplification

A reading list on in vitro rapid nucleic acid amplification — a technique widely adopted in molecular biology since its introduction and continuously refined — and on recombinase-aided amplification as an isothermal method developed from established amplification principles.

11 Jul 2017

Forum | 7th Food Microbiology Detection & Control Technology Exchange (19–22 July)

Foodborne disease caused by pathogenic microorganisms is the number-one food-safety issue. Controlling contamination, strengthening laboratory capability and applying advanced microbial detection and control technology in production have become focal concerns for regulators and food companies alike. ZC Bioscience will attend and exhibit in Shanghai.

12 Apr 2017

ZC Bioscience at the 10th China International Food Safety & Quality Conference (CBIFS 2017)

The annual CBIFS food-safety technology forum was held on 7–8 April 2017 at the Hangzhou International Expo Center. ZC Bioscience, a newcomer to food-safety testing, made its debut at the conference with a portable rapid-testing case: RAA kits for animal species, pathogens and GMO alongside the Genchek fluorescence analyzer.

07 — Contact

Request a quote · Ask for documentation · Discuss a custom target

Tell us the target. We will send the price.

Quotations cover reagents, instruments and shipping to your country. Technical documentation and instructions for use are available on request.

AddressTianhe Hi-Tech Park, Bldg 5, 688 Bin'an Rd, Binjiang District, Hangzhou 310052, China
HoursMon–Fri 9:00–18:00 (UTC+8)

Reagents are for research use only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures. We reply within two working days.