There is an increasing need for on-site applications of DNA-based methods, both, for inspection services by public authorities, as well as for companies that wish to monitor their supply chain. The capability to apply DNA-based methods in the field, or at ‘point-of-use’, is critical where centralised laboratories are inadequate to meet the demand of prompt answers for early intervention. The application fields addressed by DECATHLON are food analysis with specific emphasis on pathogen detection for food safety, GMO identification and customs issues. In recent years much progress has been made in the development of different types of on-site devices that can accommodate DNA-based methods. Within the DECATHLON project, two primary approaches for on-site use of DNA-based methods are developed in parallel; sample preparation and nucleic acid identification using a centrifugal microfluidic platform, and development of a novel graphene nano-gap sensor for next generation sequencing.