LavaAmp, a portable, inexpensive thermal cycler, in order to perform DNA tests for infectious diseases in low resource environments. This device is not a diagnostic method for a specific malady, but a hardware platform for running the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a technique that can form the basis of tests for many different conditions. Having accurate statistics about the rates and localization of diseases would enable local governments to mount an effective sanitary response, help them to learn more about which factors influence the spreading of disease, and improve the monitoring of emerging pandemics. Also the extremely low cost of the device, less than a tenth of current devices, could allow its use for educational purposes, introducing the next generation of scientists to fundamental molecular biology techniques, building local capacity, and thereby reducing dependence on foreign aid.