Fig. 1: Introduction and overview of Cap-QuIC method.

a Cuvettes containing post-amplified solutions of misfolded vs. native proteins. Meniscus of air-water interface reveals pattern between misfolded and native samples. b Overview of the Cap-QuIC assay method. Samples are incubated with solutions with concentrated recombinant protein substrate. Contrary to RT-QuIC, which utilizes a plate reader, our QuIC protocol employs a simple thermomixer. This shift not only simplifies the process, but also significantly reduces the overall cost and enhances the portability compared with the conventional RT-QuIC. After the quaking amplification, capillary tubes are placed into the wells and then measured (see methods). A representative image of the capillaries is shown on the right.