DNA detection has been used to detect pathogenic bacteria, fungi, and viruses with significant advantages such as increased sensitivity, accuracy, and testing time. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) has become the most important tool for DNA-based pathogen detection. As in the above outline, clinical samples are collected with a proper sampling protocol; an effective DNA extraction protocol is used to isolate a small amount of DNA molecules from each pathogen. These DNAs are amplified with a validated PCR test and can be detected in a Realtime PCR instrument. The Realtime PCR results will then be compared with standards and analyzed to obtain quantifiable and accurate results. This type of molecular pathogen detection strategy has been used to detect many pathogens that could not be easily detected with the traditional culture method. Cicadea Biotech provides consulting and technical support on PCR testing for pathogen detection.
