WorldWideScience

Sample records for rapid multiplex detection

  1. Rapid and reliable detection and identification of GM events using multiplex PCR coupled with oligonucleotide microarray.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Xiaodan; Li, Yingcong; Zhao, Heng; Wen, Si-yuan; Wang, Sheng-qi; Huang, Jian; Huang, Kun-lun; Luo, Yun-bo

    2005-05-18

    To devise a rapid and reliable method for the detection and identification of genetically modified (GM) events, we developed a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) coupled with a DNA microarray system simultaneously aiming at many targets in a single reaction. The system included probes for screening gene, species reference gene, specific gene, construct-specific gene, event-specific gene, and internal and negative control genes. 18S rRNA was combined with species reference genes as internal controls to assess the efficiency of all reactions and to eliminate false negatives. Two sets of the multiplex PCR system were used to amplify four and five targets, respectively. Eight different structure genes could be detected and identified simultaneously for Roundup Ready soybean in a single microarray. The microarray specificity was validated by its ability to discriminate two GM maizes Bt176 and Bt11. The advantages of this method are its high specificity and greatly reduced false-positives and -negatives. The multiplex PCR coupled with microarray technology presented here is a rapid and reliable tool for the simultaneous detection of GM organism ingredients.

  2. Rapid diagnosis of sepsis with TaqMan-Based multiplex real-time PCR.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Chang-Feng; Shi, Xin-Ping; Chen, Yun; Jin, Ye; Zhang, Bing

    2018-02-01

    The survival rate of septic patients mainly depends on a rapid and reliable diagnosis. A rapid, broad range, specific and sensitive quantitative diagnostic test is the urgent need. Thus, we developed a TaqMan-Based Multiplex real-time PCR assays to identify bloodstream pathogens within a few hours. Primers and TaqMan probes were designed to be complementary to conserved regions in the 16S rDNA gene of different kinds of bacteria. To evaluate accurately, sensitively, and specifically, the known bacteria samples (Standard strains, whole blood samples) are determined by TaqMan-Based Multiplex real-time PCR. In addition, 30 blood samples taken from patients with clinical symptoms of sepsis were tested by TaqMan-Based Multiplex real-time PCR and blood culture. The mean frequency of positive for Multiplex real-time PCR was 96% at a concentration of 100 CFU/mL, and it was 100% at a concentration greater than 1000 CFU/mL. All the known blood samples and Standard strains were detected positively by TaqMan-Based Multiplex PCR, no PCR products were detected when DNAs from other bacterium were used in the multiplex assay. Among the 30 patients with clinical symptoms of sepsis, 18 patients were confirmed positive by Multiplex real-time PCR and seven patients were confirmed positive by blood culture. TaqMan-Based Multiplex real-time PCR assay with highly sensitivity, specificity and broad detection range, is a rapid and accurate method in the detection of bacterial pathogens of sepsis and should have a promising usage in the diagnosis of sepsis. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  3. A new methodology for rapid detection of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus based on multiplex PCR.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nikolaou, Anastasios; Saxami, Georgia; Kourkoutas, Yiannis; Galanis, Alex

    2011-02-01

    In this study we present a novel multiplex PCR assay for rapid and efficient detection of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus. The accuracy of our method was confirmed by the successful identification of L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus in commercial yoghurts and food supplements and it may be readily applied to the food industry. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Direct, Specific and Rapid Detection of Staphylococcal Proteins and Exotoxins Using a Multiplex Antibody Microarray.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bettina Stieber

    Full Text Available S. aureus is a pathogen in humans and animals that harbors a wide variety of virulence factors and resistance genes. This bacterium can cause a wide range of mild to life-threatening diseases. In the latter case, fast diagnostic procedures are important. In routine diagnostic laboratories, several genotypic and phenotypic methods are available to identify S. aureus strains and determine their resistances. However, there is a demand for multiplex routine diagnostic tests to directly detect staphylococcal toxins and proteins.In this study, an antibody microarray based assay was established and validated for the rapid detection of staphylococcal markers and exotoxins. The following targets were included: staphylococcal protein A, penicillin binding protein 2a, alpha- and beta-hemolysins, Panton Valentine leukocidin, toxic shock syndrome toxin, enterotoxins A and B as well as staphylokinase. All were detected simultaneously within a single experiment, starting from a clonal culture on standard media. The detection of bound proteins was performed using a new fluorescence reading device for microarrays.110 reference strains and clinical isolates were analyzed using this assay, with a DNA microarray for genotypic characterization performed in parallel. The results showed a general high concordance of genotypic and phenotypic data. However, genotypic analysis found the hla gene present in all S. aureus isolates but its expression under given conditions depended on the clonal complex affiliation of the actual isolate.The multiplex antibody assay described herein allowed a rapid and reliable detection of clinically relevant staphylococcal toxins as well as resistance- and species-specific markers.

  5. A multiplex PCR for detection of six viruses in ducks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yongjuan; Zhu, Shanyuan; Hong, Weiming; Wang, Anping; Zuo, Weiyong

    2017-10-01

    In this study, six pairs of specific primers that can amplify DNA fragments of different sizes were designed and synthesized according to viral protein gene sequences published in GenBank. Then, a multiplex PCR method was established for rapid detection of duck hepatitis virus 1, duck plague virus, duck Tembusu virus, muscovy duck parvovirus, muscovy duck reovirus, and duck H9N2 avian influenza virus, and achieve simple and rapid detection of viral diseases in ducks. Single PCR was used to confirm primer specificity, and PCR conditions were optimized to construct a multiplex PCR system. Specificity and sensitivity assays were also developed. The multiplex PCR was used to detect duck embryos infected with mixed viruses and those with clinically suspected diseases to verify the feasibility of the multiplex PCR. Results show that the primers can specifically amplify target fragments, without any cross-amplification with other viruses. The multiplex PCR system can amplify six DNA fragments from the pooled viral genomes and specifically detect nucleic acids of the six duck susceptible viruses when the template amount is 10 2 copies/μl. In addition, the system can be used to detect viral nucleic acids in duck embryos infected with the six common viruses. The detection results for clinical samples are consistent with those detected by single PCR. Therefore, the established multiplex PCR method can perform specific, sensitive, and high-throughput detection of six duck-infecting viruses and can be applied to clinical identification and diagnosis of viral infection in ducks. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  6. Direct PCR - A rapid method for multiplexed detection of different serotypes of Salmonella in enriched pork meat samples

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Chin, Wai Hoe; Sun, Yi; Høgberg, Jonas

    2017-01-01

    , in this study, we developed a multiplex Direct PCR method for rapid detection of different Salmonella serotypes directly from pork meat samples without any DNA purification steps. An inhibitor-resistant Phusion Pfu DNA polymerase was used to overcome PCR inhibition. Four pairs of primers including a pair...

  7. Development of Nested PCR, Multiplex PCR, and Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Assays for Rapid Detection of Cylindrocladium scoparium on Eucalyptus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tian-Min Qiao

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Eucalyptus dieback disease, caused by Cylindrocladium scoparium, has occurred in last few years in large Eucalyptus planting areas in China and other countries. Rapid, simple, and reliable diagnostic techniques are desired for the early detection of Eucalyptus dieback of C. scoparium prior to formulation of efficient control plan. For this purpose, three PCR-based methods of nested PCR, multiplex PCR, loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP were developed for detection of C. scoparium based on factor 1-alpha (tef1 and beta-tubulin gene in this study. All of the three methods showed highly specific to C. scoparium. The sensitivities of the nested PCR and LAMP were much higher than the multiplex PCR. The sensitivity of multiplex PCR was also higher than regular PCR. C. scoparium could be detected within 60 min from infected Eucalyptus plants by LAMP, while at least 2 h was needed by the rest two methods. Using different Eucalyptus tissues as samples for C. scoparium detection, all of the three PCR-based methods showed much better detection results than regular PCR. Base on the results from this study, we concluded that any of the three PCR-based methods could be used as diagnostic technology for the development of efficient strategies of Eucalyptus dieback disease control. Particularly, LAMP was the most practical method in field application because of its one-step and rapid reaction, simple operation, single-tube utilization, and simple visualization of amplification products.

  8. Development of Nested PCR, Multiplex PCR, and Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Assays for Rapid Detection of Cylindrocladium scoparium on Eucalyptus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiao, Tian-Min; Zhang, Jing; Li, Shu-Jiang; Han, Shan; Zhu, Tian-Hui

    2016-01-01

    Eucalyptus dieback disease, caused by Cylindrocladium scoparium, has occurred in last few years in large Eucalyptus planting areas in China and other countries. Rapid, simple, and reliable diagnostic techniques are desired for the early detection of Eucalyptus dieback of C. scoparium prior to formulation of efficient control plan. For this purpose, three PCR-based methods of nested PCR, multiplex PCR, loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) were developed for detection of C. scoparium based on factor 1-alpha (tef1) and beta-tubulin gene in this study. All of the three methods showed highly specific to C. scoparium. The sensitivities of the nested PCR and LAMP were much higher than the multiplex PCR. The sensitivity of multiplex PCR was also higher than regular PCR. C. scoparium could be detected within 60 min from infected Eucalyptus plants by LAMP, while at least 2 h was needed by the rest two methods. Using different Eucalyptus tissues as samples for C. scoparium detection, all of the three PCR-based methods showed much better detection results than regular PCR. Base on the results from this study, we concluded that any of the three PCR-based methods could be used as diagnostic technology for the development of efficient strategies of Eucalyptus dieback disease control. Particularly, LAMP was the most practical method in field application because of its one-step and rapid reaction, simple operation, single-tube utilization, and simple visualization of amplification products. PMID:27721691

  9. Development of Nested PCR, Multiplex PCR, and Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Assays for Rapid Detection of Cylindrocladium scoparium on Eucalyptus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiao, Tian-Min; Zhang, Jing; Li, Shu-Jiang; Han, Shan; Zhu, Tian-Hui

    2016-10-01

    Eucalyptus dieback disease, caused by Cylindrocladium scoparium , has occurred in last few years in large Eucalyptus planting areas in China and other countries. Rapid, simple, and reliable diagnostic techniques are desired for the early detection of Eucalyptus dieback of C. scoparium prior to formulation of efficient control plan. For this purpose, three PCR-based methods of nested PCR, multiplex PCR, loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) were developed for detection of C. scoparium based on factor 1-alpha (tef1) and beta-tubulin gene in this study. All of the three methods showed highly specific to C. scoparium . The sensitivities of the nested PCR and LAMP were much higher than the multiplex PCR. The sensitivity of multiplex PCR was also higher than regular PCR. C. scoparium could be detected within 60 min from infected Eucalyptus plants by LAMP, while at least 2 h was needed by the rest two methods. Using different Eucalyptus tissues as samples for C. scoparium detection, all of the three PCR-based methods showed much better detection results than regular PCR. Base on the results from this study, we concluded that any of the three PCR-based methods could be used as diagnostic technology for the development of efficient strategies of Eucalyptus dieback disease control. Particularly, LAMP was the most practical method in field application because of its one-step and rapid reaction, simple operation, single-tube utilization, and simple visualization of amplification products.

  10. Multiplex PCR detection of waterborne intestinal protozoa: microsporidia, Cyclospora, and Cryptosporidium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Seung-Hyun; Joung, Migyo; Yoon, Sejoung; Choi, Kyoungjin; Park, Woo-Yoon; Yu, Jae-Ran

    2010-12-01

    Recently, emerging waterborne protozoa, such as microsporidia, Cyclospora, and Cryptosporidium, have become a challenge to human health worldwide. Rapid, simple, and economical detection methods for these major waterborne protozoa in environmental and clinical samples are necessary to control infection and improve public health. In the present study, we developed a multiplex PCR test that is able to detect all these 3 major waterborne protozoa at the same time. Detection limits of the multiplex PCR method ranged from 10(1) to 10(2) oocysts or spores. The primers for microsporidia or Cryptosporidium used in this study can detect both Enterocytozoon bieneusi and Encephalitozoon intestinalis, or both Cryptosporidium hominis and Cryptosporidium parvum, respectively. Restriction enzyme digestion of PCR products with BsaBI or BsiEI makes it possible to distinguish the 2 species of microsporidia or Cryptosporidium, respectively. This simple, rapid, and cost-effective multiplex PCR method will be useful for detecting outbreaks or sporadic cases of waterborne protozoa infections.

  11. Multiplex Biosensing Based on Highly Sensitive Magnetic Nanolabel Quantification: Rapid Detection of Botulinum Neurotoxins A, B, and E in Liquids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Orlov, Alexey V; Znoyko, Sergey L; Cherkasov, Vladimir R; Nikitin, Maxim P; Nikitin, Petr I

    2016-11-01

    We present a multiplex quantitative lateral flow (LF) assay for simultaneous on-site detection of botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) types A, B, and E in complex matrixes, which is innovative by virtually no sacrifice in performance while transition from the single-plex assays and by characteristics on the level of laboratory quantitative methods. The novel approach to easy multiplexing is realized via joining an on-demand set of single-plex LF strips, which employ magnetic nanolabels, into a miniature cylinder cartridge that mimics LF strip during all assay stages. The cartridge is read out by an original portable multichannel reader based on the magnetic particle quantification technique. The developed reader offers the unmatched 60 zmol detection limit and 7-order linear dynamic range for volumetric registration of magnetic labels inside a cartridge of several millimeters in diameter regardless of its optical transparency. Each of the test strips, developed here as building blocks for the multiplex assay, can be used "as is" for autonomous quantitative single-plex detection with the same measuring setup, exhibiting the limits of detection (LOD) of 0.22, 0.11, and 0.32 ng/mL for BoNT-A, -B, and -E, respectively. The proposed multiplex assay has demonstrated the remarkably similar LOD values of 0.20, 0.12, 0.35 ng/mL under the same conditions. The multiplex assay performance was successfully validated by BoNT detection in milk and apple and orange juices. The developed methods can be extended to other proteins and used for rapid multianalyte tests for point-of-care in vitro diagnostics, food analysis, biosafety and environmental monitoring, forensics, and security, etc.

  12. Rapid detection and typing of pathogenic nonpneumophila Legionella spp. isolates using a multiplex real-time PCR assay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benitez, Alvaro J; Winchell, Jonas M

    2016-04-01

    We developed a single tube multiplex real-time PCR assay that allows for the rapid detection and typing of 9 nonpneumophila Legionella spp. isolates that are clinically relevant. The multiplex assay is capable of simultaneously detecting and discriminating L. micdadei, L. bozemanii, L. dumoffii, L. longbeachae, L. feeleii, L. anisa, L. parisiensis, L. tucsonensis serogroup (sg) 1 and 3, and L. sainthelensis sg 1 and 2 isolates. Evaluation of the assay with nucleic acid from each of these species derived from both clinical and environmental isolates and typing strains demonstrated 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity when tested against 43 other Legionella spp. Typing of L. anisa, L. parisiensis, and L. tucsonensis sg 1 and 3 isolates was accomplished by developing a real-time PCR assay followed by high-resolution melt (HRM) analysis targeting the ssrA gene. Further typing of L. bozemanii, L. longbeachae, and L. feeleii isolates to the serogroup level was accomplished by developing a real-time PCR assay followed by HRM analysis targeting the mip gene. When used in conjunction with other currently available diagnostic tests, these assays may aid in rapidly identifying specific etiologies associated with Legionella outbreaks, clusters, sporadic cases, and potential environmental sources. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  13. Development of a multiplex PCR assay for rapid and simultaneous detection of four genera of fish pathogenic bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, D F; Zhang, Q Q; Li, A H

    2014-11-01

    Species of genus Aeromonas, Vibrio, Edwardsiella and Streptococcus are the most common fish pathogenic bacteria that cause economically devastating losses in aquaculture. A multiplex polymerase chain reaction (mPCR) was developed for the simultaneous detection and differentiation of the four genera of fish pathogenic bacteria. Through the use of genus-specific primers instead of species-specific ones, the current mPCR covered much more target bacterial species compared with previously reported species-specific mPCR methods. The specificity of the four putative genus-specific primers was validated experimentally while used exclusively (uniplex PCR) or combined (mPCR) against bacterial genomic DNA templates of the target bacteria and nontarget bacteria. The PCR amplicons for the following genera were obtained as expected: Aeromonas (875 bp), Vibrio (524 bp), Edwardsiella (302 bp) and Streptococcus (197 bp), and the fragments could be separated clearly on the agarose gel electrophoresis. The mPCR did not produce nonspecific amplification products when used to amplify 21 nontarget species of bacteria. The mPCR detection limits for each target bacterial genera were 50 colony-forming units (CFU) in pure culture and 100 CFU in fish tissue samples. In conclusion, the mPCR assay was proven to be a powerful alternative to the conventional culture-based method, given its rapid, specific, sensitive and reliable detection of target pathogens. The fish pathogenic bacteria of genus Aeromonas, Vibrio, Edwardsiella and Streptococcus frequently cause severe outbreaks of diseases in cultured fish, and the genus-specific multiplex PCR assay developed in this study can detect the bacteria of the four genera when present in the samples either alone or mixed. The mPCR assay is expected to identify the causative agents more efficiently than uniplex PCR or species-specific multiplex PCR for clinical diagnosis, resulting in the earlier implementation of control measures. This m

  14. Rapid identification of HPV 16 and 18 by multiplex nested PCR-immunochromatographic test.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuo, Yung-Bin; Li, Yi-Shuan; Chan, Err-Cheng

    2015-02-01

    Human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18 are known to be high-risk viruses that cause cervical cancer. An HPV rapid testing kit that could help physicians to make early and more informed decisions regarding patient care is needed urgently but not yet available. This study aimed to develop a multiplex nested polymerase chain reaction-immunochromatographic test (PCR-ICT) for the rapid identification of HPV 16 and 18. A multiplex nested PCR was constructed to amplify the HPV 16 and 18 genotype-specific L1 gene fragments and followed by ICT which coated with antibodies to identify rapidly the different PCR products. The type-specific gene regions of high-risk HPV 16 and 18 could be amplified successfully by multiplex nested PCR at molecular sizes of approximately 99 and 101bp, respectively. The capture antibodies raised specifically against the moleculars labeled on the PCR products could be detected simultaneously both HPV 16 and 18 in one strip. Under optimal conditions, this PCR-ICT assay had the capability to detect HPV in a sample with as low as 100 copies of HPV viral DNA. The PCR-ICT system has the advantage of direct and simultaneous detection of two high-risk HPV 16 and 18 DNA targets in one sample, which suggested a significant potential of this assay for clinical application. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  15. Laboratory Tests of Multiplex Detection of PCR Amplicons Using the Luminex 100 Flow Analyzer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Venkateswaran, K.S.; Nasarabadi, S.; Langlois, R.G.

    2000-05-05

    Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) demonstrated the power of flow cytometry in detecting the biological agents simulants at JFT III. LLNL pioneered in the development of advanced nucleic acid analyzer (ANM) for portable real time identification. Recent advances in flow cytometry provide a means for multiplexed nucleic acid detection and immunoassay of pathogenic microorganisms. We are presently developing multiplexed immunoassays for the simultaneous detection of different simulants. Our goal is to build an integrated instrument for both nucleic acid analysis and immuno detection. In this study we evaluated the Luminex LX 100 for concurrent identification of more than one PCR amplified product. ANAA has real-time Taqman fluorescent detection capability for rapid identification of field samples. However, its multiplexing ability is limited by the combination of available fluorescent labels. Hence integration of ANAA with flow cytometry can give the rapidity of ANAA amplification and the multiplex capability of flow cytometry. Multiplexed flow cytometric analysis is made possible using a set of fluorescent latex microsphere that are individually identified by their red and infrared fluorescence. A green fluorochrome is used as the assay signal. Methods were developed for the identification of specific nucleic acid sequences from Bacillus globigii (Bg), Bacillus thuringensis (Bt) and Erwinia herbicola (Eh). Detection sensitivity using different reporter fluorochromes was tested with the LX 100, and also different assay formats were evaluated for their suitability for rapid testing. A blind laboratory trial was carried out December 22-27, 1999 to evaluate bead assays for multiplex identification of Bg and Bt PCR products. This report summarizes the assay development, fluorochrome comparisons, and the results of the blind trial conducted at LLNL for the laboratory evaluation of the LX 100 flow analyzer.

  16. Rapid detection of Shigella and enteroinvasive Escherichia coli in produce enrichments by a conventional multiplex PCR assay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Binet, Rachel; Deer, Deanne M; Uhlfelder, Samantha J

    2014-06-01

    Faster detection of contaminated foods can prevent adulterated foods from being consumed and minimize the risk of an outbreak of foodborne illness. A sensitive molecular detection method is especially important for Shigella because ingestion of as few as 10 of these bacterial pathogens can cause disease. The objectives of this study were to compare the ability of four DNA extraction methods to detect Shigella in six types of produce, post-enrichment, and to evaluate a new and rapid conventional multiplex assay that targets the Shigella ipaH, virB and mxiC virulence genes. This assay can detect less than two Shigella cells in pure culture, even when the pathogen is mixed with background microflora, and it can also differentiate natural Shigella strains from a control strain and eliminate false positive results due to accidental laboratory contamination. The four DNA extraction methods (boiling, PrepMan Ultra [Applied Biosystems], InstaGene Matrix [Bio-Rad], DNeasy Tissue kit [Qiagen]) detected 1.6 × 10(3)Shigella CFU/ml post-enrichment, requiring ∼18 doublings to one cell in 25 g of produce pre-enrichment. Lower sensitivity was obtained, depending on produce type and extraction method. The InstaGene Matrix was the most consistent and sensitive and the multiplex assay accurately detected Shigella in less than 90 min, outperforming, to the best of our knowledge, molecular assays currently in place for this pathogen. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  17. Rapid DNA haplotyping using a multiplex heteroduplex approach: Application to Duchenne muscula dystrophy carrier detection

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Prior, T.W.; Wenger, G.D.; Moore, J. [Ohio State Univ., Columbus, OH (United States)] [and others

    1994-09-01

    A new strategy has been developed for rapid haplotype analysis. It is based on an initial multiplex amplification of several polymorphic sites, followed by heteroduplex detection. Heteroduplexes formed between two different alleles are detected because they migrate differently than the corresponding homoduplexes in Hydrolink-MDE gel. The method is simple, rapid, does not depend on specific sequences such as restriction enzyme sites or CA boxes and does not require the use of isotope. This approach has been tested using 12 commonly occurring polymorphisms spanning the dystrophin gene as a model. We describe the use of the method to assign the carrier status of females in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) pedigrees. As a result of expanding the number of detectable polymorphisms throughout the dystrophin gene, we show how the method can easily be combined with dinucleotide analysis to improve the accuracy of carrier detection in the nondeletion cases. The technique is also shown to be used as an effective screen for improving carrier detection in several families with deletions. The finding of heterozygosity within the deletion identifies the at-risk female as a noncarrier. Using this method, we have identified and incorporated 3 new dystrophin polymorphisms (one of which in exon 16 is unique to African Americans). The method may be used other genetic diseases when mutations are unknown, or there are few dinucleotide markers in the gene proximity, or for the identification of haplotype backgrounds of mutant alleles.

  18. Development and evaluation of one step single tube multiplex RT-PCR for rapid detection and typing of dengue viruses

    OpenAIRE

    Parida Manmohan; Shrivastava Ambuj; Santhosh SR; Dash Paban; Saxena Parag; Rao PV

    2008-01-01

    Abstract Background Dengue is emerging as a major public health concern in many parts of the world. The development of a one-step, single tube, rapid, and multiplex reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (M-RT-PCR) for simultaneous detection and typing of dengue virus using serotype specific primers during acute phase of illness is reported. Results An optimal assay condition with zero background was established having no cross-reaction with closely related members of flavivirus (Jap...

  19. Development of a GeXP-multiplex PCR assay for the simultaneous detection and differentiation of six cattle viruses.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qing Fan

    Full Text Available Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV, Bluetongue virus (BTV, Vesicular stomatitis Virus (VSV, Bovine viral diarrheal (BVDV, Bovine rotavirus (BRV, and Bovine herpesvirus 1 (IBRV are common cattle infectious viruses that cause a great economic loss every year in many parts of the world. A rapid and high-throughput GenomeLab Gene Expression Profiler (GeXP analyzer-based multiplex PCR assay was developed for the simultaneous detection and differentiation of these six cattle viruses. Six pairs of chimeric primers consisting of both the gene-specific primer and a universal primer were designed and used for amplification. Then capillary electrophoresis was used to separate the fluorescent labeled PCR products according to the amplicons size. The specificity of GeXP-multiplex PCR assay was examined with samples of the single template and mixed template of six viruses. The sensitivity was evaluated using the GeXP-multiplex PCR assay on serial 10-fold dilutions of ssRNAs obtained via in vitro transcription. To further evaluate the reliability, 305 clinical samples were tested by the GeXP-multiplex PCR assay. The results showed that the corresponding virus specific fragments of genes were amplified. The detection limit of the GeXP-multiplex PCR assay was 100 copies/μL in a mixed sample of ssRNAs containing target genes of six different cattle viruses, whereas the detection limit for the Gexp-mono PCR assay for a single target gene was 10 copies/μL. In detection of viruses in 305 clinical samples, the results of GeXP were consistent with simplex real-time PCR. Analysis of positive samples by sequencing demonstrated that the GeXP-multiplex PCR assay had no false positive samples of nonspecific amplification. In conclusion, this GeXP-multiplex PCR assay is a high throughput, specific, sensitive, rapid and simple method for the detection and differentiation of six cattle viruses. It is an effective tool that can be applied for the rapid differential diagnosis

  20. Rapid focused sequencing: a multiplexed assay for simultaneous detection and strain typing of Bacillus anthracis, Francisella tularensis, and Yersinia pestis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rosemary S Turingan

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The intentional release of Bacillus anthracis in the United States in 2001 has heightened concern about the use of pathogenic microorganisms in bioterrorism attacks. Many of the deadliest bacteria, including the Class A Select Agents Bacillus anthracis, Francisella tularensis, and Yersinia pestis, are highly infectious via the pulmonary route when released in aerosolized form. Hence, rapid, sensitive, and reliable methods for detection of these biothreats and characterization of their potential impact on the exposed population are of critical importance to initiate and support rapid military, public health, and clinical responses. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We have developed microfluidic multiplexed PCR and sequencing assays based on the simultaneous interrogation of three pathogens per assay and ten loci per pathogen. Microfluidic separation of amplified fluorescently labeled fragments generated characteristic electrophoretic signatures for identification of each agent. The three sets of primers allowed significant strain typing and discrimination from non-pathogenic closely-related species and environmental background strains based on amplicon sizes alone. Furthermore, sequencing of the 10 amplicons per pathogen, termed "Rapid Focused Sequencing," allowed an even greater degree of strain discrimination and, in some cases, can be used to determine virulence. Both amplification and sequencing assays were performed in microfluidic biochips developed for fast thermal cycling and requiring 7 µL per reaction. The 30-plex sequencing assay resulted in genotypic resolution of 84 representative strains belonging to each of the three biothreat species. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The microfluidic multiplexed assays allowed identification and strain differentiation of the biothreat agents Bacillus anthracis, Francisella tularensis, and Yersinia pestis and clear discrimination from closely-related species and several environmental

  1. Rapid detection and strain typing of Chlamydia trachomatis using a highly multiplexed microfluidic PCR assay.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rosemary S Turingan

    Full Text Available Nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs are recommended by the CDC for detection of Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct urogenital infections. Current commercial NAATs require technical expertise and sophisticated laboratory infrastructure, are time-consuming and expensive, and do not differentiate the lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV strains that require a longer duration of treatment than non-LGV strains. The multiplexed microfluidic PCR-based assay presented in this work simultaneously interrogates 13 loci to detect Ct and identify LGV and non-LGV strain-types. Based on amplified fragment length polymorphisms, the assay differentiates LGV, ocular, urogenital, and proctocolitis clades, and also serovars L1, L2, and L3 within the LGV group. The assay was evaluated in a blinded fashion using 95 clinical swabs, with 76 previously reported as urogenital Ct-positive samples and typed by ompA genotyping and/or Multi-Locus Sequence Typing. Results of the 13-plex assay showed that 51 samples fell within urogenital clade 2 or 4, 24 samples showed both clade 2 and 4 signatures, indicating possible mixed infection, gene rearrangement, or inter-clade recombination, and one sample was a noninvasive trachoma biovar (either a clade 3 or 4. The remaining 19 blinded samples were correctly identified as LGV clade 1 (3, ocular clade 3 (4, or as negatives (12. To date, no NAAT assay can provide a point-of-care applicable turnaround time for Ct detection while identifying clinically significant Ct strain types to inform appropriate treatment. Coupled with rapid DNA processing of clinical swabs (approximately 60 minutes from swab-in to result-out, the assay has significant potential as a rapid POC diagnostic for Ct infections.

  2. Rapid screening of pyogenic Staphylococcus aureus for confirmation of genus and species, methicillin resistance and virulence factors by using two novel multiplex PCR.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haque, Abdul; Haque, Asma; Saeed, Muhammad; Azhar, Aysha; Rasool, Samreen; Shan, Sidra; Ehsan, Beenish; Nisar, Zohaib

    2017-01-01

    Emergence of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a major medical problem of current era. These bacteria are resistant to most drugs and rapid diagnosis can provide a clear guideline to clinicians. They possess specific virulence factors and relevant information can be very useful. We designed this study to develop multiplex PCRs to provide rapid information. We studied 60 Staphylococcus aureus isolates and detected methicillin resistance by cefoxitin sensitivity and targeting of mecA gene. After initial studies with uniplex PCRs we optimized two multiplex PCRs with highly reproducible results. The first multiplex PCR was developed to confirm genus, species and methicillin resistance simultaneously, and the second multiplex PCR was for screening of virulence factors. We found 38.33% isolates as methicillin resistant. α -toxin, the major cytotoxic factor, was detected in 40% whereas β-hemolysin was found in 25% cases. Panton Valentine leucocidin was detected in 8.33% and toxic shock syndrome toxin in5% cases. The results of uniplex and multiplex PCRs were highly compatible. These two multiplex PCRs when run simultaneously can provide vital information about methicillin resistance and virulence status of the isolate within a few hours as compared to several days needed by routine procedures.

  3. Graphene nano-ink biosensor arrays on a microfluidic paper for multiplexed detection of metabolites

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Labroo, Pratima; Cui, Yue, E-mail: yue.cui@usu.edu

    2014-02-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • We report graphene-ink biosensor arrays on a microfluidic paper for metabolites. • The device is able to detect multiple metabolites sensitively and rapidly. • The device fabrication process is simple and inexpensive. - Abstract: The development of a miniaturized and low-cost platform for the highly sensitive, selective and rapid detection of multiplexed metabolites is of great interest for healthcare, pharmaceuticals, food science, and environmental monitoring. Graphene is a delicate single-layer, two-dimensional network of carbon atoms with extraordinary electrical sensing capability. Microfluidic paper with printing technique is a low cost matrix. Here, we demonstrated the development of graphene-ink based biosensor arrays on a microfluidic paper for the multiplexed detection of different metabolites, such as glucose, lactate, xanthine and cholesterol. Our results show that the graphene biosensor arrays can detect multiple metabolites on a microfluidic paper sensitively, rapidly and simultaneously. The device exhibits a fast measuring time of less than 2 min, a low detection limit of 0.3 μM, and a dynamic detection range of 0.3–15 μM. The process is simple and inexpensive to operate and requires a low consumption of sample volume. We anticipate that these results could open exciting opportunities for a variety of applications.

  4. Multiplex detection of pathogen biomarkers in human blood, serum, and saliva using silicon photonic microring resonators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Estrada, I. A.; Burlingame, R. W.; Wang, A. P.; Chawla, K.; Grove, T.; Wang, J.; Southern, S. O.; Iqbal, M.; Gunn, L. C.; Gleeson, M. A.

    2015-05-01

    Genalyte has developed a multiplex silicon photonic chip diagnostics platform (MaverickTM) for rapid detection of up to 32 biological analytes from a drop of sample in just 10 to 20 minutes. The chips are manufactured with waveguides adjacent to ring resonators, and probed with a continuously variable wavelength laser. A shift in the resonant wavelength as mass binds above the ring resonators is measured and is directly proportional to the amount of bound macromolecules. We present here the ability to multiplex the detection of hemorrhagic fever antigens in whole blood, serum, and saliva in a 16 minute assay. Our proof of concept testing of a multiplex antigencapture chip has the ability to detect Zaire Ebola (ZEBOV) recombinant soluble glycoprotein (rsGP), Marburg virus (MARV) Angola recombinant glycoprotein (rGP) and dengue nonstructural protein I (NS1). In parallel, detection of 2 malaria antigens has proven successful, but has yet to be incorporated into multiplex with the others. Each assay performs with sensitivity ranging from 1.6 ng/ml to 39 ng/ml depending on the antigen detected, and with minimal cross-reactivity.

  5. A new trilocus sequence-based multiplex-PCR to detect major Acinetobacter baumannii clones.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martins, Natacha; Picão, Renata Cristina; Cerqueira-Alves, Morgana; Uehara, Aline; Barbosa, Lívia Carvalho; Riley, Lee W; Moreira, Beatriz Meurer

    2016-08-01

    A collection of 163 Acinetobacter baumannii isolates detected in a large Brazilian hospital, was potentially related with the dissemination of four clonal complexes (CC): 113/79, 103/15, 109/1 and 110/25, defined by University of Oxford/Institut Pasteur multilocus sequence typing (MLST) schemes. The urge of a simple multiplex-PCR scheme to specify these clones has motivated the present study. The established trilocus sequence-based typing (3LST, for ompA, csuE and blaOXA-51-like genes) multiplex-PCR rapidly identifies international clones I (CC109/1), II (CC118/2) and III (CC187/3). Thus, the system detects only one (CC109/1) out of four main CC in Brazil. We aimed to develop an alternative multiplex-PCR scheme to detect these clones, known to be present additionally in Africa, Asia, Europe, USA and South America. MLST, performed in the present study to complement typing our whole collection of isolates, confirmed that all isolates belonged to the same four CC detected previously. When typed by 3LST-based multiplex-PCR, only 12% of the 163 isolates were classified into groups. By comparative sequence analysis of ompA, csuE and blaOXA-51-like genes, a set of eight primers was designed for an alternative multiplex-PCR to distinguish the five CC 113/79, 103/15, 109/1, 110/25 and 118/2. Study isolates and one CC118/2 isolate were blind-tested with the new alternative PCR scheme; all were correctly clustered in groups of the corresponding CC. The new multiplex-PCR, with the advantage of fitting in a single reaction, detects five leading A. baumannii clones and could help preventing the spread in healthcare settings. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Detection of enteroviruses and hepatitis a virus in water by consensus primer multiplex RT-PCR

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Jun-Wen; Wang, Xin-Wei; Yuan, Chang-Qing; Zheng, Jin-Lai; Jin, Min; Song, Nong; Shi, Xiu-Quan; Chao, Fu-Huan

    2002-01-01

    AIM: To develop a rapid detection method of enteroviruses and Hepatitis A virus (HAV). METHODS: A one-step, single-tube consensus primers multiplex RT-PCR was developed to simultaneously detect Poliovirus, Coxsackie virus, Echovirus and HAV. A general upstream primer and a HAV primer and four different sets of primers (5 primers) specific for Poliovirus, Coxsacki evirus, Echovirus and HAV cDNA were mixed in the PCR mixture to reverse transcript and amplify the target DNA. Four distinct amplified DNA segments representing Poliovirus, Coxsackie virus, Echovirus and HAV were identified by gel electrophoresis as 589-, 671-, 1084-, and 1128 bp sequences, respectively. Semi-nested PCR was used to confirm the amplified products for each enterovirus and HAV. RESULTS: All four kinds of viral genome RNA were detected, and producing four bands which could be differentiated by the band size on the gel. To confirm the specificity of the multiplex PCR products, semi-nested PCR was performed. For all the four strains tested gave positive results. The detection sensitivity of multiplex PCR was similar to that of monoplex RT-PCR which was 24 PFU for Poliovrus, 21 PFU for Coxsackie virus, 60 PFU for Echovirus and 105 TCID50 for HAV. The minimum amount of enteric viral RNA detected by semi-nested PCR was equivalent to 2.4 PFU for Poliovrus, 2.1 PFU for Coxsackie virus, 6.0 PFU for Echovirus and 10.5 TCID50 for HAV. CONCLUSION: The consensus primers multiplex RT-PCR has more advantages over monoplex RT-PCR for enteric viruses detection, namely, the rapid turnaround time and cost effectiveness. PMID:12174381

  7. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering based nonfluorescent probe for multiplex DNA detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Lan; Yu, Chenxu; Irudayaraj, Joseph

    2007-06-01

    To provide rapid and accurate detection of DNA markers in a straightforward, inexpensive, and multiplex format, an alternative surface-enhanced Raman scattering based probe was designed and fabricated to covalently attach both DNA probing sequence and nonfluorescent Raman tags to the surface of gold nanoparticles (DNA-AuP-RTag). The intensity of Raman signal of the probes could be controlled through the surface coverage of the nonfluorescent Raman tags (RTags). Detection sensitivity of these probes could be optimized by fine-tuning the amount of DNA molecules and RTags on the probes. Long-term stability of the DNA-AuP-RTag probes was found to be good (over 3 months). Excellent multiplexing capability of the DNA-AuP-RTag scheme was demonstrated by simultaneous identification of up to eight probes in a mixture. Detection of hybridization of single-stranded DNA to its complementary targets was successfully accomplished with a long-term goal to use nonfluorescent RTags in a Raman-based DNA microarray platform.

  8. Development of multiplex real-time PCR assay for the detection of Brucella spp., Leptospira spp. and Campylobacter foetus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abdelfattah M. Selim

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Abortion among dairy cattle is one of the major causes of economic losses in the livestock industry. This study describes a 1-step multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR to detect Brucella spp., Leptospira spp. and Campylobacter foetus, these are significant bacteria commonly implicated in bovine abortion. ß-actin was added to the same PCR reaction as an internal control to detect any extraction failure or PCR inhibition. The detection limit of multiplex real-time PCR using purified DNA from cultured organisms was set to 5 fg for Leptospira spp. and C. foetus and to 50 fg for Brucella spp. The multiplex real-time PCR did not produce any non-specific amplification when tested with different strains of the 3 pathogens. This multiplex real-time PCR provides a valuable tool for diagnosis, simultaneous and rapid detection for the 3 pathogens causing abortion in bovine.

  9. Simultaneous detection of enteropathogenic viruses in buffalos faeces using multiplex reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (mRT-PCR

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    U. Pagnini

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available A multiplex reverse transcription- polymerase chain reaction (mRT-PCR assay that detects Bovine Viral Diarrhoea Virus, Bovine Coronavirus, and Group A Rotaviruses in infected cell-culture fluids and clinical faecal samples is described. One hundred twenty faecal samples from buffalo calves with acute gastroenteritis were tested. The mRT-PCR was validated against simplex RT-PCR with published primers for Pestivirus, Coronavirus and Rotavirus. The multiplex RT-PCR was equally sensitive and specific in detecting viral infections compared with simplex RT-PCR. The mRT-PCR readily identified viruses by discriminating the size of their amplified gene products. This mRT-PCR may be a sensitive and rapid assay for surveillance of buffalo enteric viruses in field specimens. This novel multiplex RT-PCR is an attractive technique for the rapid, specific, and cost-effective laboratory diagnosis of acute gastroenteritis.

  10. Multiplex Nucleic Acid Sequence-Based Amplification for Simultaneous Detection of Several Enteric Viruses in Model Ready-To-Eat Foods†

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jean, Julie; D'Souza, Doris H.; Jaykus, Lee-Ann

    2004-01-01

    Human enteric viruses are currently recognized as one of the most important causes of food-borne disease. Implication of enteric viruses in food-borne outbreaks can be difficult to confirm due to the inadequacy of the detection methods available. In this study, a nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA) method was developed in a multiplex format for the specific, simultaneous, and rapid detection of epidemiologically relevant human enteric viruses. Three previously reported primer sets were used in a single reaction for the amplification of RNA target fragments of 474, 371, and 165 nucleotides for the detection of hepatitis A virus and genogroup I and genogroup II noroviruses, respectively. Amplicons were detected by agarose gel electrophoresis and confirmed by electrochemiluminescence and Northern hybridization. Endpoint detection sensitivity for the multiplex NASBA assay was approximately 10−1 reverse transcription-PCR-detectable units (or PFU, as appropriate) per reaction. When representative ready-to-eat foods (deli sliced turkey and lettuce) were inoculated with various concentrations of each virus and processed for virus detection with the multiplex NASBA method, all three human enteric viruses were simultaneously detected at initial inoculum levels of 100 to 102 reverse transcription-PCR-detectable units (or PFU)/9 cm2 in both food commodities. The multiplex NASBA system provides rapid and simultaneous detection of clinically relevant food-borne viruses in a single reaction tube and may be a promising alternative to reverse transcription-PCR for the detection of viral contamination of foods. PMID:15528524

  11. Multiplex nucleic acid sequence-based amplification for simultaneous detection of several enteric viruses in model ready-to-eat foods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jean, Julie; D'Souza, Doris H; Jaykus, Lee-Ann

    2004-11-01

    Human enteric viruses are currently recognized as one of the most important causes of food-borne disease. Implication of enteric viruses in food-borne outbreaks can be difficult to confirm due to the inadequacy of the detection methods available. In this study, a nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA) method was developed in a multiplex format for the specific, simultaneous, and rapid detection of epidemiologically relevant human enteric viruses. Three previously reported primer sets were used in a single reaction for the amplification of RNA target fragments of 474, 371, and 165 nucleotides for the detection of hepatitis A virus and genogroup I and genogroup II noroviruses, respectively. Amplicons were detected by agarose gel electrophoresis and confirmed by electrochemiluminescence and Northern hybridization. Endpoint detection sensitivity for the multiplex NASBA assay was approximately 10(-1) reverse transcription-PCR-detectable units (or PFU, as appropriate) per reaction. When representative ready-to-eat foods (deli sliced turkey and lettuce) were inoculated with various concentrations of each virus and processed for virus detection with the multiplex NASBA method, all three human enteric viruses were simultaneously detected at initial inoculum levels of 10(0) to 10(2) reverse transcription-PCR-detectable units (or PFU)/9 cm2 in both food commodities. The multiplex NASBA system provides rapid and simultaneous detection of clinically relevant food-borne viruses in a single reaction tube and may be a promising alternative to reverse transcription-PCR for the detection of viral contamination of foods.

  12. Rapid, Time-Division Multiplexed, Direct Absorption- and Wavelength Modulation-Spectroscopy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexander Klein

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available We present a tunable diode laser spectrometer with a novel, rapid time multiplexed direct absorption- and wavelength modulation-spectroscopy operation mode. The new technique allows enhancing the precision and dynamic range of a tunable diode laser absorption spectrometer without sacrificing accuracy. The spectroscopic technique combines the benefits of absolute concentration measurements using calibration-free direct tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (dTDLAS with the enhanced noise rejection of wavelength modulation spectroscopy (WMS. In this work we demonstrate for the first time a 125 Hz time division multiplexed (TDM-dTDLAS-WMS spectroscopic scheme by alternating the modulation of a DFB-laser between a triangle-ramp (dTDLAS and an additional 20 kHz sinusoidal modulation (WMS. The absolute concentration measurement via the dTDLAS-technique allows one to simultaneously calibrate the normalized 2f/1f-signal of the WMS-technique. A dTDLAS/WMS-spectrometer at 1.37 µm for H2O detection was built for experimental validation of the multiplexing scheme over a concentration range from 50 to 3000 ppmV (0.1 MPa, 293 K. A precision of 190 ppbV was achieved with an absorption length of 12.7 cm and an averaging time of two seconds. Our results show a five-fold improvement in precision over the entire concentration range and a significantly decreased averaging time of the spectrometer.

  13. Development of a multiplex lateral flow strip test for foot-and-mouth disease virus detection using monoclonal antibodies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Ming; Caterer, Nigel R; Xu, Wanhong; Goolia, Melissa

    2015-09-01

    Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is one of the world's most highly contagious animal diseases with tremendous economic consequences. A rapid and specific test for FMD diagnosis at the site of a suspected outbreak is crucial for the implementation of control measures. This project developed a multiplex lateral flow immunochromatographic strip test (multiplex-LFI) for the rapid detection and serotyping of FMD viruses. The monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against serotypes O, A, and Asia 1 were used as capture mAbs. The mAbs were conjugated with fluorescein, rhodamine or biotin for serotype O, A and Asia 1, respectively. The detection mAbs which consisted of a serotype-independent mAb in combination with one serotype A-specific mAb and one Asia 1-specific mAb, were each colloidal gold-conjugated. The strips used in this study contained one control line and three test lines, which corresponded to one of the three serotypes, O, A or Asia 1. The newly developed multiplex-LFI strip test specifically identified serotype O (n=46), A (n=45) and Asia 1 (n=17) in all tested field isolates. The sensitivity of this strip test was comparable to the double antibody sandwich ELISA for serotypes O and A, but lower than the ELISA for serotype Asia 1. The multiplex-LFI strip test identified all tissue suspensions from animals that were experimentally inoculated with serotypes O, A or Asia 1. FMD viruses were detected in 38% and 50% of the swab samples from the lesion areas of experimentally inoculated sheep for serotypes O and A, respectively. The capability of the multiplex-LFI strip tests to produce rapid results with high specificity for FMD viruses of multiple serotypes makes this test a valuable tool to detect FMD viruses at outbreak sites. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Development and evaluation of one step single tube multiplex RT-PCR for rapid detection and typing of dengue viruses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Parida Manmohan

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Dengue is emerging as a major public health concern in many parts of the world. The development of a one-step, single tube, rapid, and multiplex reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (M-RT-PCR for simultaneous detection and typing of dengue virus using serotype specific primers during acute phase of illness is reported. Results An optimal assay condition with zero background was established having no cross-reaction with closely related members of flavivirus (Japanese encephalitis, West Nile, Yellow fever and alphavirus (Chikungunya. The feasibility of M-RT-PCR assay for clinical diagnosis was validated with 620 acute phase dengue patient sera samples of recent epidemics in India. The comparative evaluation vis a vis conventional virus isolation revealed higher sensitivity. None of the forty healthy serum samples screened in the present study revealed any amplification, thereby establishing specificity of the reported assay for dengue virus only. Conclusion These findings clearly suggested that M-RT-PCR assay reported in the present study is the rapid and cost-effective method for simultaneous detection as well as typing of the dengue virus in acute phase patient serum samples. Thus, the M-RT-PCR assay developed in this study will serve as a very useful tool for rapid diagnosis and typing of dengue infections in endemic areas.

  15. Rapid and simple method by combining FTA™ card DNA extraction with two set multiplex PCR for simultaneous detection of non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli strains and virulence genes in food samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, S A; Park, S H; Lee, S I; Ricke, S C

    2017-12-01

    The aim of this research was to optimize two multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays that could simultaneously detect six non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) as well as the three virulence genes. We also investigated the potential of combining the FTA™ card-based DNA extraction with the multiplex PCR assays. Two multiplex PCR assays were optimized using six primer pairs for each non-O157 STEC serogroup and three primer pairs for virulence genes respectively. Each STEC strain specific primer pair only amplified 155, 238, 321, 438, 587 and 750 bp product for O26, O45, O103, O111, O121 and O145 respectively. Three virulence genes were successfully multiplexed: 375 bp for eae, 655 bp for stx1 and 477 bp for stx2. When two multiplex PCR assays were validated with ground beef samples, distinctive bands were also successfully produced. Since the two multiplex PCR examined here can be conducted under the same PCR conditions, the six non-O157 STEC and their virulence genes could be concurrently detected with one run on the thermocycler. In addition, all bands clearly appeared to be amplified by FTA card DNA extraction in the multiplex PCR assay from the ground beef sample, suggesting that an FTA card could be a viable sampling approach for rapid and simple DNA extraction to reduce time and labour and therefore may have practical use for the food industry. Two multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays were optimized for discrimination of six non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and identification of their major virulence genes within a single reaction, simultaneously. This study also determined the successful ability of the FTA™ card as an alternative to commercial DNA extraction method for conducting multiplex STEC PCR assays. The FTA™ card combined with multiplex PCR holds promise for the food industry by offering a simple and rapid DNA sample method for reducing time, cost and labour for detection of STEC in

  16. Multiplex TaqMan® detection of pathogenic and multi-drug resistant Salmonella.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Prashant; Mustapha, Azlin

    2013-09-02

    Overuse of antibiotics in the medical and animal industries is one of the major causes for the development of multi-drug-resistant (MDR) food pathogens that are often difficult to treat. In the past few years, higher incidences of outbreaks caused by MDR Salmonella have been increasingly documented. The objective of this study was to develop a rapid multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for simultaneous detection of pathogenic and MDR Salmonella spp. A multiplex TaqMan®real-time PCR was designed by targeting the invasin virulence gene (invA), and four commonly found antibiotic resistance genes, viz. ampicillin, chloramphenicol, streptomycin and tetracycline. To avoid false negative results and to increase the reliability of the assay, an internal amplification control (IAC) was added which was detected using a locked nucleic acid (LNA) probe. In serially diluted (5 ng-50 fg) DNA samples, the assay was able to detect 100 genomic equivalents of Salmonella, while in a multiplex format, the sensitivity was 1000 genomic equivalents. The assay performed equally well on artificially contaminated samples of beef trim, ground beef of different fat contents (73:27, 80:20, 85:15 and 93:7), chicken rinse, ground chicken, ground turkey, egg, spinach and tomato. While the detection limit for un-enriched inoculated food samples was 10(4) CFU/g, this was improved to 10 CFU/g after a 12-h enrichment in buffered peptone water, with 100% reproducibility. The multiplex real-time assay developed in this study can be used as a valuable tool to detect MDR virulent Salmonella, thus enhancing the safety of food. © 2013.

  17. A multiplex RT-PCR assay for the rapid and differential diagnosis of classical swine fever and other pestivirus infections.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Díaz de Arce, Heidy; Pérez, Lester J; Frías, Maria T; Rosell, Rosa; Tarradas, Joan; Núñez, José I; Ganges, Llilianne

    2009-11-18

    Classical swine fever is a highly contagious viral disease causing severe economic losses in pig production almost worldwide. All pestivirus species can infect pigs, therefore accurate and rapid pestivirus detection and differentiation is of great importance to assure control measures in swine farming. Here we describe the development and evaluation of a novel multiplex, highly sensitive and specific RT-PCR for the simultaneous detection and rapid differentiation between CSFV and other pestivirus infections in swine. The universal and differential detection was based on primers designed to amplify a fragment of the 5' non-coding genome region for the detection of pestiviruses and a fragment of the NS5B gene for the detection of classical swine fever virus. The assay proved to be specific when different pestivirus strains from swine and ruminants were evaluated. The analytical sensitivity was estimated to be as little as 0.89TCID(50). The assay analysis of 30 tissue homogenate samples from naturally infected and non-CSF infected animals and 40 standard serum samples evaluated as part of two European Inter-laboratory Comparison Tests conducted by the European Community Reference Laboratory, Hanover, Germany proved that the multiplex RT-PCR method provides a rapid, highly sensitive, and cost-effective laboratory diagnosis for classical swine fever and other pestivirus infections in swine.

  18. A PDMS/paper/glass hybrid microfluidic biochip integrated with aptamer-functionalized graphene oxide nano-biosensors for one-step multiplexed pathogen detection

    OpenAIRE

    Zuo, Peng; Li, XiuJun; Dominguez, Delfina C.; Ye, Bang-Ce

    2013-01-01

    Infectious pathogens often cause serious public health concerns throughout the world. There is an increasing demand for simple, rapid and sensitive approaches for multiplexed pathogen detection. In this paper we have developed a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)/paper/glass hybrid microfluidic system integrated with aptamer-functionalized graphene oxide (GO) nano-biosensors for simple, one-step, multiplexed pathogen detection. The paper substrate used in this hybrid microfluidic system facilitated ...

  19. Multiplexed detection of cardiac biomarkers in serum with nanowire arrays using readout ASIC.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Guo-Jun; Chai, Kevin Tshun Chuan; Luo, Henry Zhan Hong; Huang, Joon Min; Tay, Ignatius Guang Kai; Lim, Andy Eu-Jin; Je, Minkyu

    2012-05-15

    Early detection of cardiac biomarkers for diagnosis of heart attack is the key to saving lives. Conventional method of detection like the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is time consuming and low in sensitivity. Here, we present a label-free detection system consisting of an array of silicon nanowire sensors and an interface readout application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). This system provides a rapid solution that is highly sensitive and is able to perform direct simultaneous-multiplexed detection of cardiac biomarkers in serum. Nanowire sensor arrays were demonstrated to have the required selectivity and sensitivity to perform multiplexed detection of 100 fg/ml troponin T, creatine kinase MM, and creatine kinase MB in serum. A good correlation between measurements from a probe station and the readout ASIC was obtained. Our detection system is expected to address the existing limitations in cardiac health management that are currently imposed by the conventional testing platform, and opens up possibilities in the development of a miniaturized device for point-of-care diagnostic applications. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Single tube multiplex real-time PCR for the rapid detection of herpesvirus infections of the central nervous system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sankuntaw, Nipaporn; Sukprasert, Saovaluk; Engchanil, Chulapan; Kaewkes, Wanlop; Chantratita, Wasun; Pairoj, Vantanit; Lulitanond, Viraphong

    2011-01-01

    Human herpesvirus infection of immunocompromised hosts may lead to central nervous system (CNS) infection and diseases. In this study, a single tube multiplex real-time PCR was developed for the detection of five herpesviruses (HSV-1, HSV-2, VZV, EBV and CMV) in clinical cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens. Two primer pairs specific for the herpesvirus polymerase gene and five hybridization probe pairs for the specific identification of the herpesvirus types were used in a LightCycler multiplex real-time PCR. A singleplex real-time PCR was first optimized and then applied to the multiplex real-time PCR. The singleplex and multiplex real-time PCRs showed no cross-reactivity. The sensitivity of the singleplex real-time PCR was 1 copy per reaction for each herpesvirus, while that of the multiplex real-time PCR was 1 copy per reaction for HSV-1 and VZV and 10 copies per reaction for HSV-2, EBV and CMV. Intra and inter-assay variations of the single tube multiplex assay were in the range of 0.02%-3.67% and 0.79%-4.35%, respectively. The assay was evaluated by testing 62 clinical CSF samples and was found to have equivalent sensitivity, specificity and agreement as the routine real-time PCR, but reducing time, cost and amount of used sample. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. RAPID DETECTION OF -THALASSEMIA MUTATIONS IN THAILAND USING MULTIPLEX ARMS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. Shimbhu

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available The number of mutations underlining b-thalassemia generate a wide variety of different clinical phenotypes. An understanding of the genotype is important for medical personnel in order to provide proper counseling to patients and their families. Characterization of these mutations should aid the planning of a prenatal diagnosis program for bthalassemia. The heterogeneity of the mutations makes it difficult and time consuming to identify the mutation in some individuals. We developed a single-tube multiplex amplification refractory mutation system (multiplex ARMS to identify common ethnic- specific b-thalassemia mutations. Confirmation of multiplex ARMS results was carried out using direct sequencing. Three thousand three hundred twenty two people from Phitsanulok province were screened for the b-thalassemia trait by quantitation of HbA2 with microcolumn chromatography and the genotypes of mutations were characterized using multiplex ARMS and direct sequencing. We found that the deletion at codons 41/42 (-TCTT was the most frequent (48%, codon 17 (A®T (30%, -28 (A®G (6% and IVS-I-1(G®T (6% were the second and third in frequency respectively. A -87 (C®A mutation (4%, IVS II-654 (C®T (2%, codons 71/72 (+A (2% and codon 35 (C®A mutations (2% were also found. These techniques were found to be a valuable tool for analysis of b-thalassemia mutations because they are accurate, simple, and speedy in operation. The application for the diagnosis of severe thalassemia in high-risk pregnancies is promising.

  2. Interferometric Reflectance Imaging Sensor (IRIS—A Platform Technology for Multiplexed Diagnostics and Digital Detection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oguzhan Avci

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Over the last decade, the growing need in disease diagnostics has stimulated rapid development of new technologies with unprecedented capabilities. Recent emerging infectious diseases and epidemics have revealed the shortcomings of existing diagnostics tools, and the necessity for further improvements. Optical biosensors can lay the foundations for future generation diagnostics by providing means to detect biomarkers in a highly sensitive, specific, quantitative and multiplexed fashion. Here, we review an optical sensing technology, Interferometric Reflectance Imaging Sensor (IRIS, and the relevant features of this multifunctional platform for quantitative, label-free and dynamic detection. We discuss two distinct modalities for IRIS: (i low-magnification (ensemble biomolecular mass measurements and (ii high-magnification (digital detection of individual nanoparticles along with their applications, including label-free detection of multiplexed protein chips, measurement of single nucleotide polymorphism, quantification of transcription factor DNA binding, and high sensitivity digital sensing and characterization of nanoparticles and viruses.

  3. Multiplexed Detection of Attomoles of Nucleic Acids Using Fluorescent Nanoparticle Counting Platform.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pei, Xiaojing; Yin, Haoyan; Lai, Tiancheng; Zhang, Junlong; Liu, Feng; Xu, Xiao; Li, Na

    2018-01-16

    The sensitive multiplexed detection of nucleic acids in a single sample by a simple manner is of pivotal importance for the diagnosis and therapy of human diseases. Herein, we constructed an automatic fluorescent nanoparticle (FNP) counting platform with a common fluorescence microscopic imaging setup for nonamplification multiplexed detection of attomoles of nucleic acids. Taking the advantages of the highly bright, multicolor emitting FNPs and magnetic separation, the platform enables sensitive multiplexed detection without the need for extra fluorescent labels. Quantification for multiplex DNAs, multiplex microRNAs (miRNA), as well as a DNA and miRNA mixture was achieved with a similar dynamic range, a limit of detection down to 5 amol (5 μL detection volume), and a 81-115% spike recovery from different biological sample matrices. In particular, the sensitivity for multiplex miRNA is by far among the highest without using amplification or the lock nucleic acid hybridization enhancement strategy. Results regarding miRNA-141 from four different cell lines were agreeable with those of the quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Simultaneous detection of miRNA-141 and miRNA-21 in four different cell lines yielded consistent results with publications, indicating the potential for monitoring multiplex miRNA expression associated with the collaborative regulation of important cellular events. This work expands the rule set of multiplex nucleic acid detection strategies and shows promising potential application in clinical diagnosis.

  4. Simultaneous Detection of 13 Key Bacterial Respiratory Pathogens by Combination of Multiplex PCR and Capillary Electrophoresis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Lu Xi; Ren, Hong Yu; Zhou, Hai Jian; Zhao, Si Hong; Hou, Bo Yan; Yan, Jian Ping; Qin, Tian; Chen, Yu

    2017-08-01

    Lower respiratory tract infections continue to pose a significant threat to human health. It is important to accurately and rapidly detect respiratory bacteria. To compensate for the limits of current respiratory bacteria detection methods, we developed a combination of multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and capillary electrophoresis (MPCE) assay to detect thirteen bacterial pathogens responsible for lower respiratory tract infections, including Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Legionella spp., Bordetella pertussis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, Corynebacterium diphtheriae, and Streptococcus pyogenes. Three multiplex PCR reactions were built, and the products were analyzed by capillary electrophoresis using the high-throughput DNA analyzer. The specificity of the MPCE assay was examined and the detection limit was evaluated using DNA samples from each bacterial strain and the simulative samples of each strain. This assay was further evaluated using 152 clinical specimens and compared with real-time PCR reactions. For this assay, three nested-multiplex-PCRs were used to detect these clinical specimens. The detection limits of the MPCE assay for the 13 pathogens were very low and ranged from 10-7 to 10-2 ng/μL. Furthermore, analysis of the 152 clinical specimens yielded a specificity ranging from 96.5%-100.0%, and a sensitivity of 100.0% for the 13 pathogens. This study revealed that the MPCE assay is a rapid, reliable, and high-throughput method with high specificity and sensitivity. This assay has great potential in the molecular epidemiological survey of respiratory pathogens. Copyright © 2017 The Editorial Board of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences. Published by China CDC. All rights reserved.

  5. Multiplex hydrolysis probe real-time PCR for simultaneous detection of hepatitis A virus and hepatitis E virus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiu, Feng; Cao, Jingyuan; Su, Qiudong; Yi, Yao; Bi, Shengli

    2014-05-30

    Detection of hepatitis viral infections has traditionally relied on the circulating antibody test using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. However, multiplex real-time PCR has been increasingly used for a variety of viral nucleic acid detections and has proven to be superior to traditional methods. Hepatitis A virus (HAV) and hepatitis E virus (HEV) are the major causes of acute hepatitis worldwide; both HAV and HEV infection are a main public health problem. In the present study, a one-step multiplex reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay using hydrolysis probes was developed for simultaneously detecting HAV and HEV. This novel detection system proved specific to the target viruses, to be highly sensitive and to be applicable to clinical sera samples, making it useful for rapid, accurate and feasible identification of HAV and HEV.

  6. A multiplex PCR assay for the detection and quantification of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and Botrytis cinerea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reich, J D; Alexander, T W; Chatterton, S

    2016-05-01

    Traditional culture methods for identifying the plant fungal pathogens Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary and Botrytis cinerea Pers.:Fr. are slow and laborious. The goal of this study was to develop a multiplex real-time PCR (qPCR) assay to detect and quantify DNA from S. sclerotiorum and B. cinerea. A primer set (SsIGS_5) for S. sclerotiorum was designed that targeted the intergenic spacer (IGS) regions of the ribosomal DNA. Addition of a probe to the assay increased its specificity: when the primer/probe set was tested against 21 fungal species (35 strains), amplification was detected from all S. sclerotiorum strains and no other species. For qPCR, the SsIGS_5 primer and probe set exhibited a linear range from 7·0 ng to 0·07 pg target DNA (R(2)  = 0·99). SsIGS_5 was then multiplexed with a previously published primer/probe set for B. cinerea to develop a high-throughput method for the detection and quantification of DNA from both pathogens. When multiplexed, the sensitivity and specificity of both assays were not different from individual qPCR reactions. The multiplex assay is currently being used to detect and quantify S. sclerotiorum and B. cinerea DNA from aerosol samples collected in commercial seed alfalfa fields. A primer and probe set for the quantification of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum DNA in a PCR assay was developed. The probe-based nature of this assay signifies an improvement over previous assays for this species by allowing multiplex reactions while maintaining high sensitivity. The primer/probe set was used in a multiplex real-time PCR assay for the quantification of S. sclerotiorum and Botrytis cinerea DNA, enabling rapid analysis of environmental samples. In crops susceptible to both pathogens, this multiplex assay can be used to quickly quantify the presence of each pathogen. © 2016 Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada © 2016 The Society for Applied Microbiology. Reproduced with the permission of the Office of the

  7. A high-throughput multiplex method adapted for GMO detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chaouachi, Maher; Chupeau, Gaëlle; Berard, Aurélie; McKhann, Heather; Romaniuk, Marcel; Giancola, Sandra; Laval, Valérie; Bertheau, Yves; Brunel, Dominique

    2008-12-24

    A high-throughput multiplex assay for the detection of genetically modified organisms (GMO) was developed on the basis of the existing SNPlex method designed for SNP genotyping. This SNPlex assay allows the simultaneous detection of up to 48 short DNA sequences (approximately 70 bp; "signature sequences") from taxa endogenous reference genes, from GMO constructions, screening targets, construct-specific, and event-specific targets, and finally from donor organisms. This assay avoids certain shortcomings of multiplex PCR-based methods already in widespread use for GMO detection. The assay demonstrated high specificity and sensitivity. The results suggest that this assay is reliable, flexible, and cost- and time-effective for high-throughput GMO detection.

  8. Development of an In-House Multiplex Nested RT-PCR Method for Detecting Acute HIV-1 Infection in High Risk Populations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Zhiying; Li, Wei; Xu, Meng; Sheng, Bo; Yang, Zixuan; Jiao, Yanmei; Zhang, Tong; Mou, Danlei; Chen, Dexi; Wu, Hao

    2015-01-01

    The detection of acute HIV infection (AHI) among high risk populations can help reduce secondary transmission of HIV. The nucleic acid testing (NAT) can shorten the test window period by up to 7-12 days. In this study, we describe an in-house NAT based on the multiplex nested RT-PCR method to detect the HIV RNA. We also evaluated it in a high risk cohort in Beijing. Four primer pairs were designed and evaluated for the detection of different HIV-1 subtypes in group M. Multiplex RT-PCR and nested PCR were performed. The sensitivity, specialty, primers compatibility among HIV subtypes were evaluated simultaneously. In an MSM cohort in Beijing during a 3-year period, a total of 11,808 blood samples that were negative by ELISA or indeterminate by Western blot were analyzed by this multiplex nested RT-PCR with pooling strategy. The multiplex nested RT-PCR was successfully applied for the detection of at least six HIV-1 subtypes. The sensitivity was 40 copies/ml and the specificity was 100%. A total of 29 people were tested HIV-1 positive with acute infection in a MSM cohort of Beijing during a 3 years period. This multiplex nested RT-PCR provides a useful tool for the rapid detection of acute HIV-1 infection. When used in combination with the 3(rd) generation ELISA, it can improve the detection rate of HIV infection, especially in the source limited regions.

  9. Detection of respiratory bacterial pathogens causing atypical pneumonia by multiplex Lightmix® RT-PCR.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wagner, Karoline; Springer, Burkard; Imkamp, Frank; Opota, Onya; Greub, Gilbert; Keller, Peter M

    2018-04-01

    Pneumonia is a severe infectious disease. In addition to common viruses and bacterial pathogens (e.g. Streptococcus pneumoniae), fastidious respiratory pathogens like Chlamydia pneumoniae, Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Legionella spp. can cause severe atypical pneumonia. They do not respond to penicillin derivatives, which may cause failure of antibiotic empirical therapy. The same applies for infections with B. pertussis and B. parapertussis, the cause of pertussis disease, that may present atypically and need to be treated with macrolides. Moreover, these fastidious bacteria are difficult to identify by culture or serology, and therefore often remain undetected. Thus, rapid and accurate identification of bacterial pathogens causing atypical pneumonia is crucial. We performed a retrospective method evaluation study to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the new, commercially available Lightmix ® multiplex RT-PCR assay that detects these fastidious bacterial pathogens causing atypical pneumonia. In this retrospective study, 368 clinical respiratory specimens, obtained from patients suffering from atypical pneumonia that have been tested negative for the presence of common agents of pneumonia by culture and viral PCR, were investigated. These clinical specimens have been previously characterized by singleplex RT-PCR assays in our diagnostic laboratory and were used to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the respiratory multiplex Lightmix ® RT-PCR. The multiplex RT-PCR displayed a limit of detection between 5 and 10 DNA copies for different in-panel organisms and showed identical performance characteristics with respect to specificity and sensitivity as in-house singleplex RT-PCRs for pathogen detection. The Lightmix ® multiplex RT-PCR assay represents a low-cost, time-saving and accurate diagnostic tool with high throughput potential. The time-to-result using an automated DNA extraction device for respiratory specimens followed by multiplex RT-PCR detection was

  10. Molecular beacon probes-base multiplex NASBA Real-time for detection of HIV-1 and HCV.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohammadi-Yeganeh, S; Paryan, M; Mirab Samiee, S; Kia, V; Rezvan, H

    2012-06-01

    Developed in 1991, nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA) has been introduced as a rapid molecular diagnostic technique, where it has been shown to give quicker results than PCR, and it can also be more sensitive. This paper describes the development of a molecular beacon-based multiplex NASBA assay for simultaneous detection of HIV-1 and HCV in plasma samples. A well-conserved region in the HIV-1 pol gene and 5'-NCR of HCV genome were used for primers and molecular beacon design. The performance features of HCV/HIV-1 multiplex NASBA assay including analytical sensitivity and specificity, clinical sensitivity and clinical specificity were evaluated. The analysis of scalar concentrations of the samples indicated that the limit of quantification of the assay was beacon probes detected all HCV genotypes and all major variants of HIV-1. This method may represent a relatively inexpensive isothermal method for detection of HIV-1/HCV co-infection in monitoring of patients.

  11. New multiplex PCR methods for rapid screening of genetically modified organisms in foods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Datukishvili, Nelly; Kutateladze, Tamara; Gabriadze, Inga; Bitskinashvili, Kakha; Vishnepolsky, Boris

    2015-01-01

    We present novel multiplex PCR methods for rapid and reliable screening of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). New designed PCR primers targeting four frequently used GMO specific sequences permitted identification of new DNA markers, in particular 141 bp fragment of cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter, 224 bp fragment of Agrobacterium tumefaciens nopaline synthase (NOS) terminator, 256 bp fragment of 5-enolppyruvylshikimate-phosphate synthase (epsps) gene and 258 bp fragment of Cry1Ab delta-endotoxin (cry1Ab) gene for GMO screening. The certified reference materials containing Roundup Ready soybean (RRS) and maize MON 810 were applied for the development and optimization of uniplex and multiplex PCR systems. Evaluation of amplification products by agarose gel electrophoresis using negative and positive controls confirmed high specificity and sensitivity at 0.1% GMO for both RRS and MON 810. The fourplex PCR was developed and optimized that allows simultaneous detection of three common transgenic elements, such as: CaMV 35S promoter, NOS terminator, epsps gene together with soybean-specific lectin gene. The triplex PCR developed enables simultaneous identification of transgenic elements, such as: 35S promoter and cry1Ab gene together with maize zein gene. The analysis of different processed foods demonstrated that multiplex PCR methods developed in this study are useful for accurate and fast screening of GM food products.

  12. New multiplex PCR methods for rapid screening of genetically modified organisms in foods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nelly eDatukishvili

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available We present novel multiplex PCR methods for rapid and reliable screening of genetically modified organisms (GMOs. New designed PCR primers targeting four frequently used GMO specific sequences permitted identification of new DNA markers, in particular 141 bp fragment of cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV 35S promoter, 224 bp fragment of Agrobacterium tumefaciens nopaline synthase (NOS terminator, 256 bp fragment of 5-enolppyruvylshikimate-phosphate synthase (epsps gene and 258 bp fragment of Cry1Ab delta-endotoxin (cry1Ab gene for GMO screening. The certified reference materials containing Roundup Ready soybean (RRS and maize MON 810 were applied for the development and optimization of uniplex and multiplex PCR systems. Evaluation of amplification products by agarose gel electrophoresis using negative and positive controls confirmed high specificity and sensitivity at 0.1% GMO for both RRS and MON 810. The fourplex PCR was developed and optimized that allows simultaneous detection of three common transgenic elements, such as: CaMV 35S promoter, NOS terminator, epsps gene together with soybean-specific lectin gene. The triplex PCR developed enables simultaneous identification of transgenic elements, such as: 35S promoter and cry1Ab gene together with maize zein gene. The analysis of different processed foods demonstrated that multiplex PCR methods developed in this study are useful for accurate and fast screening of GM food products.

  13. Evaluation of a multiplex real-time PCR assay for the detection of respiratory viruses in clinical specimens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rheem, Insoo; Park, Joowon; Kim, Tae-Hyun; Kim, Jong Wan

    2012-11-01

    In this study, we evaluated the analytical performance and clinical potential of a one-step multiplex real-time PCR assay for the simultaneous detection of 14 types of respiratory viruses using the AdvanSure RV real-time PCR Kit (LG Life Sciences, Korea). Three hundred and twenty clinical specimens were tested with the AdvanSure RV real-time PCR Kit and conventional multiplex reverse transcription (RT)-PCR assay. The assay results were analyzed and the one-step AdvanSure RV real-time PCR Kit was compared with the conventional multiplex RT-PCR assay with respect to the sensitivity and specificity of the detection of respiratory viruses. The limit of detection (LOD) was 1.31 plaque-forming units (PFU)/mL for human rhinoviruses (hRVs), 4.93 PFU/mL for human coronavirus HCoV-229E/NL63, 2.67 PFU/mL for human coronavirus HCoV-OC43, 18.20 PFU/mL for parainfluenza virus 1 (PIV)-1, 24.57 PFU/mL for PIV-2, 1.73 PFU/mL for PIV-3, 1.79 PFU/mL for influenza virus group (Flu) A, 59.51 PFU/mL for FluB, 5.46 PFU/mL for human respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV)-A, 17.23 PFU/mL for hRSV-B, 9.99 PFU/mL for human adenovirus (ADVs). The cross-reactivity test for this assay against 23 types of non-respiratory viruses showed negative results for all viruses tested. The agreement between the one-step AdvanSure multiplex real-time PCR assay and the conventional multiplex RT-PCR assay was 98%. The one-step AdvanSure RV multiplex real-time PCR assay is a simple assay with high potential for specific, rapid and sensitive laboratory diagnosis of respiratory viruses compared to conventional multiplex RT-PCR.

  14. Development of a real-time multiplex PCR assay for the detection of multiple Salmonella serotypes in chicken samples

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Whyte Paul

    2008-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background A real-time multiplex PCR assay was developed for the detection of multiple Salmonella serotypes in chicken samples. Poultry-associated serotypes detected in the assay include Enteritidis, Gallinarum, Typhimurium, Kentucky and Dublin. The traditional cultural method according to EN ISO 6579:2002 for the detection of Salmonella in food was performed in parallel. The real-time PCR based method comprised a pre-enrichment step in Buffered Peptone Water (BPW overnight, followed by a shortened selective enrichment in Rappaport Vasilliadis Soya Broth (RVS for 6 hours and subsequent DNA extraction. Results The real-time multiplex PCR assay and traditional cultural method showed 100% inclusivity and 100% exclusivity on all strains tested. The real-time multiplex PCR assay was as sensitive as the traditional cultural method in detecting Salmonella in artificially contaminated chicken samples and correctly identified the serotype. Artificially contaminated chicken samples resulted in a detection limit of between 1 and 10 CFU per 25 g sample for both methods. A total of sixty-three naturally contaminated chicken samples were investigated by both methods and relative accuracy, relative sensitivity and relative specificity of the real-time PCR method were determined to be 89, 94 and 87%, respectively. Thirty cultures blind tested were correctly identified by the real-time multiplex PCR method. Conclusion Real-time PCR methodology can contribute to meet the need for rapid identification and detection methods in food testing laboratories.

  15. Evaluation of a PCR multiplex for detection and differentiation of Mycoplasma synoviae, M. gallisepticum, and M. gallisepticum strain F-vaccine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elena Mettifogo

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG and Mycoplasma synoviae (MS are the mycoplasma infections of most concern for commercial poultry industry. MG infection is commonly designated as chronic respiratory disease (CRD of chickens and infections sinusitis of turkeys. MS causes sub clinical upper respiratory infection and tenosynovitis or bursitis in chickens and turkeys. The multiplex PCR was standardized to detect simultaneously the MS, MG field strains and MG F-vaccine strain specific. The generic PCR for detection of any species of Mollicutes Class was performed and compared to the multiplex PCR and to PCR using species-specific primers. A total of 129 avian tracheal swabs were collected from broiler-breeders, layer hens and broilers in seven different farms and were examined by multiplex PCR methods. The system (multiplex PCR demonstrated to be very rapid, sensitive, and specific. Therefore, the results showed a high prevalence of MS in the flocks examined (27.9%, and indicate that the MS is a recurrent pathogen in Brazilian commercial poultry flocks.

  16. Multiplex PCR for rapid diagnosis and differentiation of pox and pox-like diseases in dromedary Camels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khalafalla, Abdelmalik I; Al-Busada, Khalid A; El-Sabagh, Ibrahim M

    2015-07-07

    Pox and pox-like diseases of camels are a group of exanthematous skin conditions that have become increasingly important economically. Three distinct viruses may cause them: camelpox virus (CMLV), camel parapox virus (CPPV) and camelus dromedary papilloma virus (CdPV). These diseases are often difficult to differentiate based on clinical presentation in disease outbreaks. Molecular methods such as PCR targeting species-specific genes have been developed and used to identify these diseases, but not simultaneously in a single tube. Recently, multiplex PCR has gained reputation as a convenient diagnostic method with cost-and timesaving benefits. In the present communication, we describe the development, optimization and validation of a multiplex PCR assay able to detect simultaneously the genome of the three viruses in one single test allowing for rapid and efficient molecular diagnosis. The assay was developed based on the evaluation and combination of published and new primer sets and was validated with viral genomic DNA extracted from known virus strains (n = 14) and DNA extracted from homogenized clinical skin specimens (n = 86). The assay detects correctly the target pathogens by amplification of targeted genes, even in case of co-infection. The method showed high sensitivity, and the specificity was confirmed by PCR-product sequencing. This assay provide rapid, sensitive and specific method for identifying three important viruses in specimens collected from dromedary camels with varying clinical presentations.

  17. Interlaboratory study of DNA extraction from multiple ground samples, multiplex real-time PCR, and multiplex qualitative PCR for individual kernel detection system of genetically modified maize.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akiyama, Hiroshi; Sakata, Kozue; Makiyma, Daiki; Nakamura, Kosuke; Teshima, Reiko; Nakashima, Akie; Ogawa, Asako; Yamagishi, Toru; Futo, Satoshi; Oguchi, Taichi; Mano, Junichi; Kitta, Kazumi

    2011-01-01

    In many countries, the labeling of grains, feed, and foodstuff is mandatory if the genetically modified (GM) organism content exceeds a certain level of approved GM varieties. We previously developed an individual kernel detection system consisting of grinding individual kernels, DNA extraction from the individually ground kernels, GM detection using multiplex real-time PCR, and GM event detection using multiplex qualitative PCR to analyze the precise commingling level and varieties of GM maize in real sample grains. We performed the interlaboratory study of the DNA extraction with multiple ground samples, multiplex real-time PCR detection, and multiplex qualitative PCR detection to evaluate its applicability, practicality, and ruggedness for the individual kernel detection system of GM maize. DNA extraction with multiple ground samples, multiplex real-time PCR, and multiplex qualitative PCR were evaluated by five laboratories in Japan, and all results from these laboratories were consistent with the expected results in terms of the commingling level and event analysis. Thus, the DNA extraction with multiple ground samples, multiplex real-time PCR, and multiplex qualitative PCR for the individual kernel detection system is applicable and practicable in a laboratory to regulate the commingling level of GM maize grain for GM samples, including stacked GM maize.

  18. Microfluidic platform for multiplexed detection in single cells and methods thereof

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Meiye; Singh, Anup K.

    2018-05-01

    The present invention relates to a microfluidic device and platform configured to conduct multiplexed analysis within the device. In particular, the device allows multiple targets to be detected on a single-cell level. Also provided are methods of performing multiplexed analyses to detect one or more target nucleic acids, proteins, and post-translational modifications.

  19. Multicolor fluorescent biosensor for multiplexed detection of DNA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Rong; Liu, Tao; Zhang, Xiao-Bing; Huan, Shuang-Yan; Wu, Cuichen; Fu, Ting; Tan, Weihong

    2014-05-20

    Development of efficient methods for highly sensitive and rapid screening of specific oligonucleotide sequences is essential to the early diagnosis of serious diseases. In this work, an aggregated cationic perylene diimide (PDI) derivative was found to efficiently quench the fluorescence emission of a variety of anionic oligonucleotide-labeled fluorophores that emit at wavelengths from the visible to NIR region. This broad-spectrum quencher was then adopted to develop a multicolor biosensor via a label-free approach for multiplexed fluorescent detection of DNA. The aggregated perylene derivative exhibits a very high quenching efficiency on all ssDNA-labeled dyes associated with biosensor detection, having efficiency values of 98.3 ± 0.9%, 97 ± 1.1%, and 98.2 ± 0.6% for FAM, TAMRA, and Cy5, respectively. An exonuclease-assisted autocatalytic target recycling amplification was also integrated into the sensing system. High quenching efficiency combined with autocatalytic target recycling amplification afforded the biosensor with high sensitivity toward target DNA, resulting in a detection limit of 20 pM, which is about 50-fold lower than that of traditional unamplified homogeneous fluorescent assay methods. The quencher did not interfere with the catalytic activity of nuclease, and the biosensor could be manipulated in either preaddition or postaddition manner with similar sensitivity. Moreover, the proposed sensing system allows for simultaneous and multicolor analysis of several oligonucleotides in homogeneous solution, demonstrating its potential application in the rapid screening of multiple biotargets.

  20. A Multiplex SYBR Green Real-Time PCR Assay for the Detection of Three Colistin Resistance Genes from Cultured Bacteria, Feces, and Environment Samples

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiyun Li

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the study was to develop a multiplex assay for rapid detection of mcr-1, mcr-2, and mcr-3, a group of genes of conferring resistance to colistin mediated by plasmid in Enterobacteriaceae. A SYBR Green based real-time PCR assay has been designed to detect the mcr genes, and applied to cultured bacteria, feces and soil samples. All three mcr genes could be detected with a lower limit of 102 cultured bacteria. This test was highly specific and sensitive, and generated no false-positive results. The assay was also conclusive when applied to feces and soil samples containing mcr-1-positive Escherichia coli, which could facilitate the screening of mcr genes not only in the bacteria, but also directly from the environment. This simple, rapid, sensitive, and specific multiplex assay will be useful for rapid screening of the colistin resistance in both clinical medicine and animal husbandry.

  1. Multiplex PCR assay for simultaneous detection of six major bacterial pathogens of rice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cui, Z; Ojaghian, M R; Tao, Z; Kakar, K U; Zeng, J; Zhao, W; Duan, Y; Vera Cruz, C M; Li, B; Zhu, B; Xie, G

    2016-05-01

    The aim of this study was to develop a multiplex PCR (mPCR) assay for rapid, sensitive and simultaneous detection of six important rice pathogens: Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae, X. oryzae pv. oryzicola, Pseudomonas fuscovaginae, Burkholderia glumae, Burkholderia gladioli and Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae. Specific primers were designed through a bioinformatics pipeline. Sensitivity of detection was established using both traditional PCR and quantitative real-time PCR on isolated DNA and on bacterial cells both in vitro and in simulated diseased seeds and the parameters were optimized for an mPCR assay. A total of 150 bacterial strains were tested for specificity. The mPCR assay accurately predicted the presence of pathogens among 44 symptomatic and asymptomatic rice seed, sheath and leaf samples. This study confirmed that this mPCR assay is a rapid, reliable and simple tool for the simultaneous detection of six important rice bacterial pathogens. This study is the first report of a method allowing simultaneous detection of six major rice pathogens. The ability to use crude extracts from plants without bacterial isolation or DNA extraction enhances the value of this mPCR technology for rapid detection and aetiological/epidemiological studies. © 2016 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

  2. Detection and serotyping of dengue virus in serum samples by multiplex reverse transcriptase PCR-ligase detection reaction assay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Das, S; Pingle, M R; Muñoz-Jordán, J; Rundell, M S; Rondini, S; Granger, K; Chang, G-J J; Kelly, E; Spier, E G; Larone, D; Spitzer, E; Barany, F; Golightly, L M

    2008-10-01

    The detection and successful typing of dengue virus (DENV) from patients with suspected dengue fever is important both for the diagnosis of the disease and for the implementation of epidemiologic control measures. A technique for the multiplex detection and typing of DENV serotypes 1 to 4 (DENV-1 to DENV-4) from clinical samples by PCR-ligase detection reaction (LDR) has been developed. A serotype-specific PCR amplifies the regions of genes C and E simultaneously. The two amplicons are targeted in a multiplex LDR, and the resultant fluorescently labeled ligation products are detected on a universal array. The assay was optimized using 38 DENV strains and was evaluated with 350 archived acute-phase serum samples. The sensitivity of the assay was 98.7%, and its specificity was 98.4%, relative to the results of real-time PCR. The detection threshold was 0.017 PFU for DENV-1, 0.004 PFU for DENV-2, 0.8 PFU for DENV-3, and 0.7 PFU for DENV-4. The assay is specific; it does not cross-react with the other flaviviruses tested (West Nile virus, St. Louis encephalitis virus, Japanese encephalitis virus, Kunjin virus, Murray Valley virus, Powassan virus, and yellow fever virus). All but 1 of 26 genotypic variants of DENV serotypes in a global DENV panel from different geographic regions were successfully identified. The PCR-LDR assay is a rapid, sensitive, specific, and high-throughput technique for the simultaneous detection of all four serotypes of DENV.

  3. Evaluation of multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification analysis versus multiplex polymerase chain reaction assays in the detection of dystrophin gene rearrangements in an Iranian population subset

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nayereh Nouri

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: The Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD gene is located in the short arm of the X chromosome (Xp21. It spans 2.4 Mb of the human genomic DNA and is composed of 79 exons. Mutations in the Dystrophin gene result in DMD and Becker muscular dystrophy. In this study, the efficiency of multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA over multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR assays in an Iranian population was investigated. Materials and Methods: Multiplex PCR assays and MLPA analysis were carried out in 74 patients affected with DMD. Results: Multiplex PCR detected deletions in 51% of the patients with DMD. MLPA analysis could determine all the deletions detected by the multiplex PCR. Additionally, MLPA was able to identify one more deletion and duplication in patients without detectable mutations by multiplex PCR. Moreover, MLPA precisely determined the exact size of the deletions. Conclusion: Although MLPA analysis is more sensitive for detection of deletions and duplications in the dystrophin gene, multiplex PCR might be used for the initial analysis of the boys affected with DMD in the Iranian population as it was able to detect 95% of the rearrangements in patients with DMD.

  4. Multiplex, rapid and sensitive isothermal detection of nucleic-acid sequence by endonuclease restriction-mediated real-time multiple cross displacement amplification

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yi eWang

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available We have devised a novel isothermal amplification technology, termed endonuclease restriction-mediated real-time multiple cross displacement amplification (ET-MCDA, which facilitated multiplex, rapid, specific and sensitive detection of nucleic-acid sequences at a constant temperature. The ET-MCDA integrated multiple cross displacement amplification strategy, restriction endonuclease cleavage and real-time fluorescence detection technique. In the ET-MCDA system, the functional cross primer E-CP1 or E-CP2 was constructed by adding a short sequence at the 5’ end of CP1 or CP2, respectively, and the new E-CP1 or E-CP2 primer was labelled at the 5’ end with a fluorophore and in the middle with a dark quencher. The restriction endonuclease Nb.BsrDI specifically recognized the short sequence and digested the newly synthesized double-stranded terminal sequences (5’ end short sequences and their complementary sequences, which released the quenching, resulting on a gain of fluorescence signal. Thus, the ET-MCDA allowed real-time detection of single or multiple targets in only a single reaction, and the positive results were observed in as short as 12 minutes, detecting down to 3.125 fg of genomic DNA per tube. Moreover, the analytical specificity and the practical application of the ET-MCDA were also successfully evaluated in this study. Here we provided the details on the novel ET-MCDA technique and expounded the basic ET-MCDA amplification mechanism.

  5. Multiplex, Rapid, and Sensitive Isothermal Detection of Nucleic-Acid Sequence by Endonuclease Restriction-Mediated Real-Time Multiple Cross Displacement Amplification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yi; Wang, Yan; Zhang, Lu; Liu, Dongxin; Luo, Lijuan; Li, Hua; Cao, Xiaolong; Liu, Kai; Xu, Jianguo; Ye, Changyun

    2016-01-01

    We have devised a novel isothermal amplification technology, termed endonuclease restriction-mediated real-time multiple cross displacement amplification (ET-MCDA), which facilitated multiplex, rapid, specific and sensitive detection of nucleic-acid sequences at a constant temperature. The ET-MCDA integrated multiple cross displacement amplification strategy, restriction endonuclease cleavage and real-time fluorescence detection technique. In the ET-MCDA system, the functional cross primer E-CP1 or E-CP2 was constructed by adding a short sequence at the 5' end of CP1 or CP2, respectively, and the new E-CP1 or E-CP2 primer was labeled at the 5' end with a fluorophore and in the middle with a dark quencher. The restriction endonuclease Nb.BsrDI specifically recognized the short sequence and digested the newly synthesized double-stranded terminal sequences (5' end short sequences and their complementary sequences), which released the quenching, resulting on a gain of fluorescence signal. Thus, the ET-MCDA allowed real-time detection of single or multiple targets in only a single reaction, and the positive results were observed in as short as 12 min, detecting down to 3.125 fg of genomic DNA per tube. Moreover, the analytical specificity and the practical application of the ET-MCDA were also successfully evaluated in this study. Here, we provided the details on the novel ET-MCDA technique and expounded the basic ET-MCDA amplification mechanism.

  6. Detection of four important Eimeria species by multiplex PCR in a single assay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    You, Myung-Jo

    2014-06-01

    The oocysts of some of the recognized species of chicken coccidiosis are difficult to distinguish morphologically. Diagnostic laboratories are increasingly utilizing DNA-based technologies for the specific identification of Eimeria species. This study reports a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay based on internal transcribed spacer-1 (ITS-1) for the simultaneous diagnosis of the Eimeria tenella, Eimeria acervulina, Eimeria maxima, and Eimeria necatrix species, which infect domestic fowl. Primer pairs specific to each species were designed in order to generate a ladder of amplification products ranging from 20 to 25 bp, and a common optimum annealing temperature for these species was determined to be 52.5 °C. Sensitivity tests were performed for each species, showing a detection threshold of 1-5 pg. All the species were amplified homogeneously, and a homogenous band ladder was observed, indicating that the assay permitted the simultaneous detection of all the species in a single-tube reaction. In the phylogenic study, there was a clear species clustering, which was irrespective of geographical location, for all the ITS-1 sequences used. This multiplex PCR assay represents a rapid and potential cost-effective diagnostic method for the detection of some key Eimeria species that infect domestic fowl. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Fluorescence-Based Multiplex Protein Detection Using Optically Encoded Microbeads

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dae Hong Jeong

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Potential utilization of proteins for early detection and diagnosis of various diseases has drawn considerable interest in the development of protein-based multiplex detection techniques. Among the various techniques for high-throughput protein screening, optically-encoded beads combined with fluorescence-based target monitoring have great advantages over the planar array-based multiplexing assays. This review discusses recent developments of analytical methods of screening protein molecules on microbead-based platforms. These include various strategies such as barcoded microbeads, molecular beacon-based techniques, and surface-enhanced Raman scattering-based techniques. Their applications for label-free protein detection are also addressed. Especially, the optically-encoded beads such as multilayer fluorescence beads and SERS-encoded beads are successful for generating a large number of coding.

  8. Multiplexed lateral flow microarray assay for detection of citrus pathogens Xylella fastidiosa and Xanthomonas axonopodis pv citri

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cary,; Bruce, R [Santa Fe, NM; Stubben, Christopher J [Los Alamos, NM

    2011-03-22

    The invention provides highly sensitive and specific assays for the major citrus pathogens Xylella fastidiosa and Xanthomonas axonopodis, including a field deployable multiplexed assay capable of rapidly assaying for both pathogens simultaneously. The assays are directed at particular gene targets derived from pathogenic strains that specifically cause the major citrus diseases of citrus variegated chlorosis (Xylella fastidiosa 9a5c) and citrus canker (Xanthomonas axonopodis pv citri). The citrus pathogen assays of the invention offer femtomole sensitivity, excellent linear dynamic range, and rapid and specific detection.

  9. A Portable Immunoassay Platform for Multiplexed Detection of Biotoxins in Clinical and Environmental Samples

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Koh, Chung-Yan [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States); Piccini, Matthew Ernest [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States); Cepheid, Sunnyvale, CA (United States); Schaff, Ulrich Y. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States); Sandstone Diagnostics, Livermore, CA (United States); Stanker, Larry H. [US Dept. of Agriculture, Albany, CA (United States). Western Regional Research Center, Foodborne Contaminants Research Unit; Cheng, Luisa W. [US Dept. of Agriculture, Albany, CA (United States). Western Regional Research Center, Foodborne Contaminants Research Unit; Ravichandran, Easwaran [Univ. of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, MA (United States); Singh, Bal-Ram [Univ. of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, MA (United States); Sommer, Greg J. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States); Sandstone Diagnostics, Livermore, CA (United States); Singh, Anup K. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States)

    2015-01-01

    Multiple cases of attempted bioterrorism events using biotoxins have highlighted the urgent need for tools capable of rapid screening of suspect samples in the field (e.g., mailroom and public events). We present a portable microfluidic device capable of analyzing environmental (e.g., white powder), food (e.g., milk) and clinical (e.g., blood) samples for multiplexed detection of biotoxins. The device is rapid (<15-30 min sample-to-answer), sensitive (< 0.08 pg/mL detection limit for botulinum toxin), multiplexed (up to 64 parallel assays) and capable of analyzing small volume samples (< 20 μL total sample input). The immunoassay approach (SpinDx) is based on binding of toxins in a sample to antibody-laden capture particles followed by sedimentation of particles through a density-media in a microfluidic disk and quantification using a laser-induced fluorescence detector. A direct, blinded comparison with a gold standard ELISA revealed a 5-fold more sensitive detection limit for botulinum toxin while requiring 250-fold less sample volume and a 30 minute assay time with a near unity correlation. A key advantage of the technique is its compatibility with a variety of sample matrices with no additional sample preparation required. Ultrasensitive quantification has been demonstrated from direct analysis of multiple clinical, environmental and food samples, including white powder, whole blood, saliva, salad dressing, whole milk, peanut butter, half and half, honey, and canned meat. We believe that this device can met an urgent need in screening both potentially exposed people as well as suspicious samples in mail-rooms, airports, public sporting venues and emergency rooms. The general-purpose immunodiagnostics device can also find applications in screening of infectious and systemic diseases or serve as a lab device for conducting rapid immunoassays.

  10. A PDMS/paper/glass hybrid microfluidic biochip integrated with aptamer-functionalized graphene oxide nano-biosensors for one-step multiplexed pathogen detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zuo, Peng; Li, XiuJun; Dominguez, Delfina C; Ye, Bang-Ce

    2013-10-07

    Infectious pathogens often cause serious public health concerns throughout the world. There is an increasing demand for simple, rapid and sensitive approaches for multiplexed pathogen detection. In this paper we have developed a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)/paper/glass hybrid microfluidic system integrated with aptamer-functionalized graphene oxide (GO) nano-biosensors for simple, one-step, multiplexed pathogen detection. The paper substrate used in this hybrid microfluidic system facilitated the integration of aptamer biosensors on the microfluidic biochip, and avoided complicated surface treatment and aptamer probe immobilization in a PDMS or glass-only microfluidic system. Lactobacillus acidophilus was used as a bacterium model to develop the microfluidic platform with a detection limit of 11.0 cfu mL(-1). We have also successfully extended this method to the simultaneous detection of two infectious pathogens - Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella enterica. This method is simple and fast. The one-step 'turn on' pathogen assay in a ready-to-use microfluidic device only takes ~10 min to complete on the biochip. Furthermore, this microfluidic device has great potential in rapid detection of a wide variety of different other bacterial and viral pathogens.

  11. Ultrasensitive aptamer-based multiplexed electrochemical detection by coupling distinguishable signal tags with catalytic recycling of DNase I.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Dianping; Tang, Juan; Li, Qunfang; Su, Biling; Chen, Guonan

    2011-10-01

    This work reports an aptamer-based, disposable, and multiplexed sensing platform for simultaneous electrochemical determination of small molecules, employing adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and cocaine as the model target analytes. The multiplexed sensing strategy is based on target-induced release of distinguishable redox tag-conjugated aptamers from a magnetic graphene platform. The electronic signal of the aptasensors could be further amplified by coupling DNase I with catalytic recycling of self-produced reactants. The assay was based on the change in the current at the various peak potentials in the presence of the corresponding signal tags. Experimental results revealed that the multiplexed electrochemical aptasensor enabled the simultaneous monitoring of ATP and cocaine in a single run with wide working ranges and low detection limits (LODs: 0.1 pM for ATP and 1.5 pM for cocaine). This concept offers promise for rapid, simple, and cost-effective analysis of biological samples.

  12. Utility of a Multiplex PCR Assay for Detecting Herpesvirus DNA in Clinical Samples

    Science.gov (United States)

    Druce, Julian; Catton, Mike; Chibo, Doris; Minerds, Kirsty; Tyssen, David; Kostecki, Renata; Maskill, Bill; Leong-Shaw, Wendy; Gerrard, Marie; Birch, Chris

    2002-01-01

    A multiplex PCR was designed to amplify herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2, cytomegalovirus, and varicella-zoster virus DNA present in a diverse range of clinical material. The susceptibility of these viruses to in vivo inhibition by at least one antiviral drug was an important consideration in their inclusion in the multiplex detection system. An aliquot of equine herpesvirus was introduced into each specimen prior to extraction and served as an indicator of potential inhibitors of the PCR and a detector of suboptimal PCR conditions. Compared to virus isolation and immunofluorescence-based antigen detection, the multiplex assay yielded higher detection rates for all viruses represented in the assay. The turnaround time for performance of the assay was markedly reduced compared to those for the other techniques used to identify these viruses. More than 21,000 tests have been performed using the assay. Overall, the multiplex PCR enabled the detection of substantially increased numbers of herpesviruses, in some cases in specimens or anatomical sites where previously they were rarely if ever identified using traditional detection methods. PMID:11980951

  13. Chasing halorespirers: High throughput multiplex detection of dechlorinating bacteria using Pri-Lock probes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Maphosa, F.; Doorn, R. van; Vos, W. de; Cor Schoen, C.; Smidt, H.

    2009-07-01

    Bioremediation management strategies for sites contaminated with chlorinated compounds require monitoring technologies that enable simultaneous detection and quantification of a wide range of microorganisms involved in reductive dechlorination. Many multiplex, quantitative detection methods available suffer from compromises between the level of multiplexing, throughput and accuracy of quantification. (Author)

  14. A Multiplex PCR for Simultaneous Detection of Three Zoonotic Parasites Ancylostoma ceylanicum, A. caninum, and Giardia lamblia Assemblage A

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wei Hu

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Ancylostoma ceylanicum, A. caninum, and Giardia lamblia assemblage A are common intestinal parasites of dogs and cats; they can also infect humans, causing parasitic zoonoses. In this study, a multiplex PCR method was developed for simultaneous identification and detection of those three zoonotic parasites. Three pairs of specific primers were designed based on ITS sequence of A. ceylanicum and A. caninum and TPI gene of G. lamblia available in the GenBank. The multiplex PCR reaction system was established by optimizing the reaction condition, and a series of tests on the sensitivity, specificity, and clinical application were also conducted. Results showed that three target fragments were amplified specifically; the detection limit was 10 eggs for both A. ceylanicum and A. caninum, 72 pg DNA for G. lamblia. Of 112 clinical fecal samples, 34.8% and 17.8% samples were positive for A. caninum and A. ceylanicum, respectively, while only 2.7% samples were positive for G. lamblia assemblage A. It is concluded that the established multiplex PCR assay is a convenient, rapid, cost-effective, and high-efficiency method for molecular detection and epidemiological investigation of three zoonotic parasites.

  15. Impact of Aerosol Dust on xMAP Multiplex Detection of Different Class Pathogens

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Denis A. Kleymenov

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Environmental or city-scale bioaerosol surveillance can provide additional value for biodefense and public health. Efficient bioaerosol monitoring should rely on multiplex systems capable of detecting a wide range of biologically hazardous components potentially present in air (bacteria, viruses, toxins and allergens. xMAP technology from LuminexTM allows multiplex bead-based detection of antigens or nucleic acids, but its use for simultaneous detection of different classes of pathogens (bacteria, virus, toxin is questionable. Another problem is the detection of pathogens in complex matrices, e.g., in the presence of dust. In the this research, we developed the model xMAP multiplex test-system aiRDeTeX 1.0, which enables detection of influenza A virus, Adenovirus type 6 Salmonella typhimurium, and cholera toxin B subunit representing RNA virus, DNA virus, gram-negative bacteria and toxin respectively as model organisms of biologically hazardous components potentially present in or spreadable through the air. We have extensively studied the effect of matrix solution (PBS, distilled water, environmental dust and ultrasound treatment for monoplex and multiplex detection efficiency of individual targets. All targets were efficiently detectable in PBS and in the presence of dust. Ultrasound does not improve the detection except for bacterial LPS.

  16. Multiplex PCR for the detection and identification of dairy bacteriophages in milk.

    Science.gov (United States)

    del Rio, B; Binetti, A G; Martín, M C; Fernández, M; Magadán, A H; Alvarez, M A

    2007-02-01

    Bacteriophage infections of starter lactic acid bacteria are a serious risk in the dairy industry. Phage infection can lead to slow lactic acid production or even the total failure of fermentation. The associated economic losses can be substantial. Rapid and sensitive methods are therefore required to detect and identify phages at all stages of the manufacture of fermented dairy products. This study describes a simple and rapid multiplex PCR method that, in a single reaction, detects the presence of bacteriophages infecting Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii, plus three genetically distinct 'species' of Lactococcus lactis phages commonly found in dairy plants (P335, 936 and c2). Available bacteriophage genome sequences were examined and the conserved regions used to design five pairs of primers, one for each of the above bacteriophage species. These primers were designed to generate specific fragments of different size depending on the species. Since this method can detect the above phages in untreated milk and can be easily incorporated into dairy industry routines, it might be readily used to earmark contaminated milk for use in processes that do not involve susceptible starter organisms or for use in those that involve phage-deactivating conditions.

  17. A nucleic acid strand displacement system for the multiplexed detection of tuberculosis-specific mRNA using quantum dots

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gliddon, H. D.; Howes, P. D.; Kaforou, M.; Levin, M.; Stevens, M. M.

    2016-05-01

    The development of rapid, robust and high performance point-of-care diagnostics relies on the advancement and combination of various areas of research. We have developed an assay for the detection of multiple mRNA molecules that combines DNA nanotechnology with fluorescent nanomaterials. The core switching mechanism is toehold-mediated strand displacement. We have used fluorescent quantum dots (QDs) as signal transducers in this assay, as they bring many benefits including bright fluorescence and multiplexing abilities. The resulting assay is capable of multiplexed detection of long RNA targets against a high concentration of background non-target RNA, with high sensitivity and specificity and limits of detection in the nanomolar range using only a standard laboratory plate reader. We demonstrate the utility of our QD-based system for the detection of two genes selected from a microarray-derived tuberculosis-specific gene expression signature. Levels of up- and downregulated gene transcripts comprising this signature can be combined to give a disease risk score, making the signature more amenable for use as a diagnostic marker. Our QD-based approach to detect these transcripts could pave the way for novel diagnostic assays for tuberculosis.The development of rapid, robust and high performance point-of-care diagnostics relies on the advancement and combination of various areas of research. We have developed an assay for the detection of multiple mRNA molecules that combines DNA nanotechnology with fluorescent nanomaterials. The core switching mechanism is toehold-mediated strand displacement. We have used fluorescent quantum dots (QDs) as signal transducers in this assay, as they bring many benefits including bright fluorescence and multiplexing abilities. The resulting assay is capable of multiplexed detection of long RNA targets against a high concentration of background non-target RNA, with high sensitivity and specificity and limits of detection in the nanomolar

  18. A novel multiplex PCR assay for simultaneous detection of nine clinically significant bacterial pathogens associated with bovine mastitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ashraf, Aqeela; Imran, Muhammad; Yaqub, Tahir; Tayyab, Muhammad; Shehzad, Wasim; Thomson, Peter C

    2017-06-01

    For rapid and simultaneous detection of nine bovine mastitic pathogens, a sensitive and specific multiplex PCR assay was developed. The assay was standardized using reference strains and validated on mastitic milk cultures which were identified to species level based on 16S rRNA sequencing. Multiplex PCR assay also efficiently detected the target bacterial strains directly from milk. The detection limit of the assay was up to 50 pg for DNA isolated from pure cultures and 10 4  CFU/ml for spiked milk samples. As estimated by latent class analysis, the assay was sensitive up to 88% and specific up to 98% for targeted mastitic pathogens, compared with the bacterial culture method and the 16S rRNA sequence analysis. This novel molecular assay could be useful for monitoring and maintaining the bovine udder health, ensuring the bacteriological safety of milk, and conducting epidemiological studies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Spectrally efficient polarization multiplexed direct-detection OFDM system without frequency gap.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, Chia-Chien; Zeng, Wei-Siang; Lin, Chun-Ting

    2016-01-25

    We experimentally demonstrate a spectrally efficient direct-detection orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (DD-OFDM) system. In addition to polarization-division multiplexing, removing the frequency gap further improves the spectral efficiency of the OFDM system. The frequency gap between a reference carrier and OFDM subcarriers avoids subcarrier-to-subcarrier beating interference (SSBI) in traditional DD-OFDM systems. Without dynamic polarization control, the resulting interference after square-law direct detection in the proposed gap-less system is polarization-dependent and composed of linear inter-carrier interference (ICI) and nonlinear SSBI. Thus, this work proposes an iterative multiple-input multiple-output detection scheme to remove the mixed polarization-dependent interference. Compared to the previous scheme, which only removes ICI, the proposed scheme can further eliminate SSBI to achieve the improvement of ∼ 7 dB in signal-to-noise ratio. Without the need for polarization control, we successfully utilize 7-GHz bandwidth to transmit a 39.5-Gbps polarization multiplexed OFDM signal over 100 km.

  20. Multiplex real-time PCR assay for Legionella species.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Seung Min; Jeong, Yoojung; Sohn, Jang Wook; Kim, Min Ja

    2015-12-01

    Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 (sg1) accounts for the majority of infections in humans, but other Legionella species are also associated with human disease. In this study, a new SYBR Green I-based multiplex real-time PCR assay in a single reaction was developed to allow the rapid detection and differentiation of Legionella species by targeting specific gene sequences. Candidate target genes were selected, and primer sets were designed by referring to comparative genomic hybridization data of Legionella species. The Legionella species-specific groES primer set successfully detected all 30 Legionella strains tested. The xcpX and rfbA primers specifically detected L. pneumophila sg1-15 and L. pneumophila sg1, respectively. In addition, this assay was validated by testing clinical samples and isolates. In conclusion, this novel multiplex real-time PCR assay might be a useful diagnostic tool for the rapid detection and differentiation of Legionella species in both clinical and epidemiological studies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Rapid Sequential in Situ Multiplexing with DNA Exchange Imaging in Neuronal Cells and Tissues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yu; Woehrstein, Johannes B; Donoghue, Noah; Dai, Mingjie; Avendaño, Maier S; Schackmann, Ron C J; Zoeller, Jason J; Wang, Shan Shan H; Tillberg, Paul W; Park, Demian; Lapan, Sylvain W; Boyden, Edward S; Brugge, Joan S; Kaeser, Pascal S; Church, George M; Agasti, Sarit S; Jungmann, Ralf; Yin, Peng

    2017-10-11

    To decipher the molecular mechanisms of biological function, it is critical to map the molecular composition of individual cells or even more importantly tissue samples in the context of their biological environment in situ. Immunofluorescence (IF) provides specific labeling for molecular profiling. However, conventional IF methods have finite multiplexing capabilities due to spectral overlap of the fluorophores. Various sequential imaging methods have been developed to circumvent this spectral limit but are not widely adopted due to the common limitation of requiring multirounds of slow (typically over 2 h at room temperature to overnight at 4 °C in practice) immunostaining. We present here a practical and robust method, which we call DNA Exchange Imaging (DEI), for rapid in situ spectrally unlimited multiplexing. This technique overcomes speed restrictions by allowing for single-round immunostaining with DNA-barcoded antibodies, followed by rapid (less than 10 min) buffer exchange of fluorophore-bearing DNA imager strands. The programmability of DEI allows us to apply it to diverse microscopy platforms (with Exchange Confocal, Exchange-SIM, Exchange-STED, and Exchange-PAINT demonstrated here) at multiple desired resolution scales (from ∼300 nm down to sub-20 nm). We optimized and validated the use of DEI in complex biological samples, including primary neuron cultures and tissue sections. These results collectively suggest DNA exchange as a versatile, practical platform for rapid, highly multiplexed in situ imaging, potentially enabling new applications ranging from basic science, to drug discovery, and to clinical pathology.

  2. Evaluation of an Internally Controlled Multiplex Tth Endonuclease Cleavage Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (TEC-LAMP Assay for the Detection of Bacterial Meningitis Pathogens

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Owen Higgins

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Bacterial meningitis infection is a leading global health concern for which rapid and accurate diagnosis is essential to reduce associated morbidity and mortality. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP offers an effective low-cost diagnostic approach; however, multiplex LAMP is difficult to achieve, limiting its application. We have developed novel real-time multiplex LAMP technology, TEC-LAMP, using Tth endonuclease IV and a unique LAMP primer/probe. This study evaluates the analytical specificity, limit of detection (LOD and clinical application of an internally controlled multiplex TEC-LAMP assay for detection of leading bacterial meningitis pathogens: Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis and Haemophilus influenzae. Analytical specificities were established by testing 168 bacterial strains, and LODs were determined using Probit analysis. The TEC-LAMP assay was 100% specific, with LODs for S. pneumoniae, N. meningitidis and H. influenzae of 39.5, 17.3 and 25.9 genome copies per reaction, respectively. Clinical performance was evaluated by testing 65 archived PCR-positive samples. Compared to singleplex real-time PCR, the multiplex TEC-LAMP assay demonstrated diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of 92.3% and 100%, respectively. This is the first report of a single-tube internally controlled multiplex LAMP assay for bacterial meningitis pathogen detection, and the first report of Tth endonuclease IV incorporation into nucleic acid amplification diagnostic technology.

  3. Evaluation of an Internally Controlled Multiplex Tth Endonuclease Cleavage Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (TEC-LAMP) Assay for the Detection of Bacterial Meningitis Pathogens

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clancy, Eoin; Cormican, Martin; Boo, Teck Wee; Cunney, Robert

    2018-01-01

    Bacterial meningitis infection is a leading global health concern for which rapid and accurate diagnosis is essential to reduce associated morbidity and mortality. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) offers an effective low-cost diagnostic approach; however, multiplex LAMP is difficult to achieve, limiting its application. We have developed novel real-time multiplex LAMP technology, TEC-LAMP, using Tth endonuclease IV and a unique LAMP primer/probe. This study evaluates the analytical specificity, limit of detection (LOD) and clinical application of an internally controlled multiplex TEC-LAMP assay for detection of leading bacterial meningitis pathogens: Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis and Haemophilus influenzae. Analytical specificities were established by testing 168 bacterial strains, and LODs were determined using Probit analysis. The TEC-LAMP assay was 100% specific, with LODs for S. pneumoniae, N. meningitidis and H. influenzae of 39.5, 17.3 and 25.9 genome copies per reaction, respectively. Clinical performance was evaluated by testing 65 archived PCR-positive samples. Compared to singleplex real-time PCR, the multiplex TEC-LAMP assay demonstrated diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of 92.3% and 100%, respectively. This is the first report of a single-tube internally controlled multiplex LAMP assay for bacterial meningitis pathogen detection, and the first report of Tth endonuclease IV incorporation into nucleic acid amplification diagnostic technology. PMID:29425124

  4. Non-labeling multiplex surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wong, Chi Lok; Dinish, U. S.; Schmidt, Michael Stenbæk

    2014-01-01

    chemical sensing layer for the enrichment of gas molecules on sensor surface. The leaning nano-pillar substrate also showed highly reproducible SERS signal in cyclic VOCs detection, which can reduce the detection cost in practical applications. Further, multiplex SERS detection on different combination...... device for multiplex, specific and highly sensitive detection of complex VOCs samples that can find potential applications in exhaled breath analysis, hazardous gas analysis, homeland security and environmental monitoring....

  5. Rapid genetically modified organism (GMO screening of various food products and animal feeds using multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lisha, V.

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available modified crops which brought up a controversy on the safety usage of genetically modified organisms (GMOs. It has been implemented globally that all GMO products and its derived ingredients should have regulations on the usage and labelling. Thus, it is necessary to develop methods that allow rapid screening of GMO products to comply with the regulations. This study employed a reliable and flexible multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR method for the rapid detection of transgenic elements in genetically modified soy and maize along with the soybean LECTIN gene and maize ZEIN gene respectively. The selected four common transgenic elements were 35S promoter (35S; Agrobacterium tumefaciens nopaline synthase terminator (NOS; 5-enolypyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (epsps gene; and Cry1Ab delta-endotoxin (cry1Ab gene. Optimization of the multiplex PCR methods were carried out by using 1% Roundup ReadyTM Soybean (RRS as the certified reference material for soybean that produced fourplex PCR method detecting 35S promoter, NOS terminator, epsps gene and soybean LECTIN gene and by using 1% MON810 as the certified reference material for maize that produced triplex PCR method detecting 35S promoter, cry1Ab gene and maize ZEIN gene prior to screening of the GMO traits in various food products and animal feeds. 1/9 (11.1% of the animal feed contained maize and 1/15 (6.7% of the soybean food products showed positive results for the detection of GMO transgenic gene. None of the maize food products showed positive results for GMO transgenic gene. In total, approximately 4% of the food products and animal feed were positive as GMO. This indicated GMOs have not widely entered the food chain. However, it is necessary to have an appropriate screening method due to GMOs’ unknown potential risk to humans and to animals. This rapid screening method will provide leverage in terms of being economically wise, time saving and reliable.

  6. Multiplex detection of plant pathogens using a microsphere immunoassay technology.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ratthaphol Charlermroj

    Full Text Available Plant pathogens are a serious problem for seed export, plant disease control and plant quarantine. Rapid and accurate screening tests are urgently required to protect and prevent plant diseases spreading worldwide. A novel multiplex detection method was developed based on microsphere immunoassays to simultaneously detect four important plant pathogens: a fruit blotch bacterium Acidovorax avenae subsp. citrulli (Aac, chilli vein-banding mottle virus (CVbMV, potyvirus, watermelon silver mottle virus (WSMoV, tospovirus serogroup IV and melon yellow spot virus (MYSV, tospovirus. An antibody for each plant pathogen was linked on a fluorescence-coded magnetic microsphere set which was used to capture corresponding pathogen. The presence of pathogens was detected by R-phycoerythrin (RPE-labeled antibodies specific to the pathogens. The assay conditions were optimized by identifying appropriate antibody pairs, blocking buffer, concentration of RPE-labeled antibodies and assay time. Once conditions were optimized, the assay was able to detect all four plant pathogens precisely and accurately with substantially higher sensitivity than enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA when spiked in buffer and in healthy watermelon leaf extract. The assay time of the microsphere immunoassay (1 hour was much shorter than that of ELISA (4 hours. This system was also shown to be capable of detecting the pathogens in naturally infected plant samples and is a major advancement in plant pathogen detection.

  7. Multiplex detection of plant pathogens using a microsphere immunoassay technology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Charlermroj, Ratthaphol; Himananto, Orawan; Seepiban, Channarong; Kumpoosiri, Mallika; Warin, Nuchnard; Oplatowska, Michalina; Gajanandana, Oraprapai; Grant, Irene R; Karoonuthaisiri, Nitsara; Elliott, Christopher T

    2013-01-01

    Plant pathogens are a serious problem for seed export, plant disease control and plant quarantine. Rapid and accurate screening tests are urgently required to protect and prevent plant diseases spreading worldwide. A novel multiplex detection method was developed based on microsphere immunoassays to simultaneously detect four important plant pathogens: a fruit blotch bacterium Acidovorax avenae subsp. citrulli (Aac), chilli vein-banding mottle virus (CVbMV, potyvirus), watermelon silver mottle virus (WSMoV, tospovirus serogroup IV) and melon yellow spot virus (MYSV, tospovirus). An antibody for each plant pathogen was linked on a fluorescence-coded magnetic microsphere set which was used to capture corresponding pathogen. The presence of pathogens was detected by R-phycoerythrin (RPE)-labeled antibodies specific to the pathogens. The assay conditions were optimized by identifying appropriate antibody pairs, blocking buffer, concentration of RPE-labeled antibodies and assay time. Once conditions were optimized, the assay was able to detect all four plant pathogens precisely and accurately with substantially higher sensitivity than enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) when spiked in buffer and in healthy watermelon leaf extract. The assay time of the microsphere immunoassay (1 hour) was much shorter than that of ELISA (4 hours). This system was also shown to be capable of detecting the pathogens in naturally infected plant samples and is a major advancement in plant pathogen detection.

  8. Rapid and sensitive PCR-dipstick DNA chromatography for multiplex analysis of the oral microbiota.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tian, Lingyang; Sato, Takuichi; Niwa, Kousuke; Kawase, Mitsuo; Tanner, Anne C R; Takahashi, Nobuhiro

    2014-01-01

    A complex of species has been associated with dental caries under the ecological hypothesis. This study aimed to develop a rapid, sensitive PCR-dipstick DNA chromatography assay that could be read by eye for multiplex and semiquantitative analysis of plaque bacteria. Parallel oligonucleotides were immobilized on a dipstick strip for multiplex analysis of target DNA sequences of the caries-associated bacteria, Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sobrinus, Scardovia wiggsiae, Actinomyces species, and Veillonella parvula. Streptavidin-coated blue-colored latex microspheres were to generate signal. Target DNA amplicons with an oligonucleotide-tagged terminus and a biotinylated terminus were coupled with latex beads through a streptavidin-biotin interaction and then hybridized with complementary oligonucleotides on the strip. The accumulation of captured latex beads on the test and control lines produced blue bands, enabling visual detection with the naked eye. The PCR-dipstick DNA chromatography detected quantities as low as 100 pg of DNA amplicons and demonstrated 10- to 1000-fold higher sensitivity than PCR-agarose gel electrophoresis, depending on the target bacterial species. Semiquantification of bacteria was performed by obtaining a series of chromatograms using serial 10-fold dilution of PCR-amplified DNA extracted from dental plaque samples. The assay time was less than 3 h. The semiquantification procedure revealed the relative amounts of each test species in dental plaque samples, indicating that this disposable device has great potential in analysis of microbial composition in the oral cavity and intestinal tract, as well as in point-of-care diagnosis of microbiota-associated diseases.

  9. Rapid and Sensitive PCR-Dipstick DNA Chromatography for Multiplex Analysis of the Oral Microbiota

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lingyang Tian

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available A complex of species has been associated with dental caries under the ecological hypothesis. This study aimed to develop a rapid, sensitive PCR-dipstick DNA chromatography assay that could be read by eye for multiplex and semiquantitative analysis of plaque bacteria. Parallel oligonucleotides were immobilized on a dipstick strip for multiplex analysis of target DNA sequences of the caries-associated bacteria, Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sobrinus, Scardovia wiggsiae, Actinomyces species, and Veillonella parvula. Streptavidin-coated blue-colored latex microspheres were to generate signal. Target DNA amplicons with an oligonucleotide-tagged terminus and a biotinylated terminus were coupled with latex beads through a streptavidin-biotin interaction and then hybridized with complementary oligonucleotides on the strip. The accumulation of captured latex beads on the test and control lines produced blue bands, enabling visual detection with the naked eye. The PCR-dipstick DNA chromatography detected quantities as low as 100 pg of DNA amplicons and demonstrated 10- to 1000-fold higher sensitivity than PCR-agarose gel electrophoresis, depending on the target bacterial species. Semiquantification of bacteria was performed by obtaining a series of chromatograms using serial 10-fold dilution of PCR-amplified DNA extracted from dental plaque samples. The assay time was less than 3 h. The semiquantification procedure revealed the relative amounts of each test species in dental plaque samples, indicating that this disposable device has great potential in analysis of microbial composition in the oral cavity and intestinal tract, as well as in point-of-care diagnosis of microbiota-associated diseases.

  10. Upconversion Nanoparticles-Encoded Hydrogel Microbeads-Based Multiplexed Protein Detection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shikha, Swati; Zheng, Xiang; Zhang, Yong

    2018-06-01

    Fluorescently encoded microbeads are in demand for multiplexed applications in different fields. Compared to organic dye-based commercially available Luminex's xMAP technology, upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) are better alternatives due to their large anti-Stokes shift, photostability, nil background, and single wavelength excitation. Here, we developed a new multiplexed detection system using UCNPs for encoding poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) microbeads as well as for labeling reporter antibody. However, to prepare UCNPs-encoded microbeads, currently used swelling-based encapsulation leads to non-uniformity, which is undesirable for fluorescence-based multiplexing. Hence, we utilized droplet microfluidics to obtain encoded microbeads of uniform size, shape, and UCNPs distribution inside. Additionally, PEGDA microbeads lack functionality for probe antibodies conjugation on their surface. Methods to functionalize the surface of PEGDA microbeads (acrylic acid incorporation, polydopamine coating) reported thus far quench the fluorescence of UCNPs. Here, PEGDA microbeads surface was coated with silica followed by carboxyl modification without compromising the fluorescence intensity of UCNPs. In this study, droplet microfluidics-assisted UCNPs-encoded microbeads of uniform shape, size, and fluorescence were prepared. Multiple color codes were generated by mixing UCNPs emitting red and green colors at different ratios prior to encapsulation. UCNPs emitting blue color were used to label the reporter antibody. Probe antibodies were covalently immobilized on red UCNPs-encoded microbeads for specific capture of human serum albumin (HSA) as a model protein. The system was also demonstrated for multiplexed detection of both human C-reactive protein (hCRP) and HSA protein by immobilizing anti-hCRP antibodies on green UCNPs.

  11. Rapid Methods for the Detection of Foodborne Bacterial Pathogens: Principles, Applications, Advantages and Limitations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Law eJodi Woan-Fei

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The incidence of foodborne diseases has increased over the years and resulted in major public health problem globally. Foodborne pathogens can be found in various foods and it is important to detect foodborne pathogens to provide safe food supply and to prevent foodborne diseases. The conventional methods used to detect foodborne pathogen are time consuming and laborious. Hence, a variety of methods have been developed for rapid detection of foodborne pathogens as it is required in many food analyses. Rapid detection methods can be categorized into nucleic acid-based, biosensor-based and immunological-based methods. This review emphasizes on the principles and application of recent rapid methods for the detection of foodborne bacterial pathogens. Detection methods included are simple polymerase chain reaction (PCR, multiplex PCR, real-time PCR, nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA, loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP and oligonucleotide DNA microarray which classified as nucleic acid-based methods; optical, electrochemical and mass-based biosensors which classified as biosensor-based methods; enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA and lateral flow immunoassay which classified as immunological-based methods. In general, rapid detection methods are generally time-efficient, sensitive, specific and labor-saving. The developments of rapid detection methods are vital in prevention and treatment of foodborne diseases.

  12. Quantitative multiplex assay for simultaneous detection and identification of Indiana and New Jersey serotypes of vesicular stomatitis virus

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Thomas Bruun; Uttenthal, Åse; Fernandez, Jovita

    2005-01-01

    In order to establish a rapid and reliable system for the detection of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), we developed a quantitative reverse transcription-PCR assay for the detection, quantification, and differentiation of the major serotypes, VSV Indiana and VSV New Jersey, using a closed......-tube multiplex format. The detection system is based on the recently invented primer-probe energy transfer (PriProET) system. A region of the gene encoding the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase was amplified by using VSV-specific primers in the presence of two serotype-specific fluorescent probes. By incorporating...... probes. The limits of detection ware found to be less than 10 50% tissue culture infective doses/ml for both serotypes. The diagnostic value of the new method was tested with clinical materials from experimentally infected pigs, and it is concluded that the method is a powerful tool for the rapid...

  13. Multiplex detection of tumor markers with photonic suspension array

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhao Yuanjin; Zhao Xiangwei [State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096 (China); Pei Xiaoping [Department of Hematology, Affiliated Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009 (China); Hu Jing; Zhao Wenju [State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096 (China); Chen Baoan [Department of Hematology, Affiliated Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009 (China); Gu Zhongze [State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096 (China); Laboratory of Environment and Biosafety, Research Institute of Southeast University in Suzhou, Dushu Lake Higher Education Town, Suzhou 215123 (China)], E-mail: gu@seu.edu.cn

    2009-02-02

    A novel photonic suspension array was developed for multiplex immunoassay. The carries of this array were silica colloidal crystal beads (SCCBs). The codes of these carriers are the characteristic reflection peak originated from their structural periodicity, and therefore they do not suffer from fading, bleaching, quenching, and chemical instability. In addition, because no dyes or materials related with fluorescence are included, the fluorescence background of SCCBs is very low. With a sandwich format, the proposed suspension array was used for simultaneous multiplex detection of tumor markers in one test tube. The results showed that the four tumor markers, {alpha}-fetoprotein (AFP), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carcinoma antigen 125 (CA 125) and carcinoma antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) could be assayed in the ranges of 1.0-500 ng mL{sup -1}, 1.0-500 ng mL{sup -1}, 1.0-500 U mL{sup -1} and 3.0-500 U mL{sup -1} with limits of detection of 0.68 ng mL{sup -1}, 0.95 ng mL{sup -1}, 0.99 U mL{sup -1} and 2.30 U mL{sup -1} at 3{sigma}, respectively. The proposed array showed acceptable accuracy, detection reproducibility, storage stability and the results obtained were in acceptable agreement with those from parallel single-analyte test of practical clinical sera. This technique provides a new strategy for low cost, automated, and simultaneous multiplex immunoassay.

  14. Rapid and sensitive multiplex single-tube nested PCR for the identification of five human Plasmodium species.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saito, Takahiro; Kikuchi, Aoi; Kaneko, Akira; Isozumi, Rie; Teramoto, Isao; Kimura, Masatsugu; Hirasawa, Noriyasu; Hiratsuka, Masahiro

    2018-06-01

    Malaria is caused by five species of Plasmodium in humans. Microscopy is currently used for pathogen detection, requiring considerable training and technical expertise as the parasites are often difficult to differentiate morphologically. Rapid diagnostic tests are as reliable as microscopy and offer faster diagnoses but possess lower detection limits and are incapable of distinguishing among the parasitic species. To improve global health efforts towards malaria control, a rapid, sensitive, species-specific, and economically viable diagnostic method is needed. In this study, we designed a malaria diagnostic method involving a multiplex single-tube nested PCR targeting Plasmodium mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase III and single-stranded tag hybridization chromatographic printed-array strip. The detection sensitivity was found to be at least 40 times higher than that of agarose gel electrophoresis with ethidium bromide. This system also enables the identification of both single- and mixed-species malaria infections. The assay was validated with 152 Kenyan samples; using nested PCR as the standard, the assay's sensitivity and specificity were 88.7% and 100.0%, respectively. The turnaround time required, from PCR preparation to signal detection, is 90min. Our method should improve the diagnostic speed, treatment efficacy, and control of malaria, in addition to facilitating surveillance within global malaria eradication programs. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Rapid and sensitive suspension array for multiplex detection of organophosphorus pesticides and carbamate pesticides based on silica–hydrogel hybrid microbeads

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Xuan; Mu, Zhongde; Shangguan, Fengqi; Liu, Ran; Pu, Yuepu; Yin, Lihong

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Silica–hydrogel hybrid microbeads were used to develop suspension array. • The results in detecting pesticides agree well with those from LC–MS/MS. • The method showed the good capability for multiplex analysis of pesticides residues. - Abstract: A technique for multiplex detection of organophosphorus pesticides and carbamate pesticides has been developed using a suspension array based on silica–hydrogel hybrid microbeads (SHHMs). The main advantage of SHHMs, which consist of both silica and hydrogel materials, is that they not only could be distinguished by their characteristic reflection peak originating from the stop-band of the photonic crystal but also have low non-specific adsorption of proteins. Using fluorescent immunoassay, the LODs for fenitrothion, chlorpyrifos-methyl, fenthion, carbaryl and metolcarb were measured to be 0.02 ng/mL, 0.012 ng/mL, 0.04 ng/mL, 0.05 ng/mL and 0.1 ng/mL, respectively, all of which are much lower than the maximum residue limits, as reported in the European Union pesticides database. All the determination coefficients for these five pesticides were greater than 0.99, demonstrating excellent correlations. The suspension array was specific and had no significant cross-reactivity with other chemicals. The results for the detection of pesticide residues collected from agricultural samples using this method agree well with those from liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Our results showed that this simple method is suitable for simultaneous detection of these five pesticides residues in fruits and vegetables

  16. Rapid and sensitive suspension array for multiplex detection of organophosphorus pesticides and carbamate pesticides based on silica–hydrogel hybrid microbeads

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Xuan [Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu (China); Mu, Zhongde; Shangguan, Fengqi [State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu (China); Liu, Ran; Pu, Yuepu [Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu (China); Yin, Lihong, E-mail: lhyin@seu.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu (China)

    2014-05-01

    Highlights: • Silica–hydrogel hybrid microbeads were used to develop suspension array. • The results in detecting pesticides agree well with those from LC–MS/MS. • The method showed the good capability for multiplex analysis of pesticides residues. - Abstract: A technique for multiplex detection of organophosphorus pesticides and carbamate pesticides has been developed using a suspension array based on silica–hydrogel hybrid microbeads (SHHMs). The main advantage of SHHMs, which consist of both silica and hydrogel materials, is that they not only could be distinguished by their characteristic reflection peak originating from the stop-band of the photonic crystal but also have low non-specific adsorption of proteins. Using fluorescent immunoassay, the LODs for fenitrothion, chlorpyrifos-methyl, fenthion, carbaryl and metolcarb were measured to be 0.02 ng/mL, 0.012 ng/mL, 0.04 ng/mL, 0.05 ng/mL and 0.1 ng/mL, respectively, all of which are much lower than the maximum residue limits, as reported in the European Union pesticides database. All the determination coefficients for these five pesticides were greater than 0.99, demonstrating excellent correlations. The suspension array was specific and had no significant cross-reactivity with other chemicals. The results for the detection of pesticide residues collected from agricultural samples using this method agree well with those from liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Our results showed that this simple method is suitable for simultaneous detection of these five pesticides residues in fruits and vegetables.

  17. Parallel segmented outlet flow high performance liquid chromatography with multiplexed detection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Camenzuli, Michelle; Terry, Jessica M.; Shalliker, R. Andrew; Conlan, Xavier A.; Barnett, Neil W.; Francis, Paul S.

    2013-01-01

    Graphical abstract: -- Highlights: •Multiplexed detection for liquid chromatography. •‘Parallel segmented outlet flow’ distributes inner and outer portions of the analyte zone. •Three detectors were used simultaneously for the determination of opiate alkaloids. -- Abstract: We describe a new approach to multiplex detection for HPLC, exploiting parallel segmented outlet flow – a new column technology that provides pressure-regulated control of eluate flow through multiple outlet channels, which minimises the additional dead volume associated with conventional post-column flow splitting. Using three detectors: one UV-absorbance and two chemiluminescence systems (tris(2,2′-bipyridine)ruthenium(III) and permanganate), we examine the relative responses for six opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) alkaloids under conventional and multiplexed conditions, where approximately 30% of the eluate was distributed to each detector and the remaining solution directed to a collection vessel. The parallel segmented outlet flow mode of operation offers advantages in terms of solvent consumption, waste generation, total analysis time and solute band volume when applying multiple detectors to HPLC, but the manner in which each detection system is influenced by changes in solute concentration and solution flow rates must be carefully considered

  18. Parallel segmented outlet flow high performance liquid chromatography with multiplexed detection

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Camenzuli, Michelle [Australian Centre for Research on Separation Science (ACROSS), School of Science and Health, University of Western Sydney (Parramatta), Sydney, NSW (Australia); Terry, Jessica M. [Centre for Chemistry and Biotechnology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria 3216 (Australia); Shalliker, R. Andrew, E-mail: r.shalliker@uws.edu.au [Australian Centre for Research on Separation Science (ACROSS), School of Science and Health, University of Western Sydney (Parramatta), Sydney, NSW (Australia); Conlan, Xavier A.; Barnett, Neil W. [Centre for Chemistry and Biotechnology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria 3216 (Australia); Francis, Paul S., E-mail: paul.francis@deakin.edu.au [Centre for Chemistry and Biotechnology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria 3216 (Australia)

    2013-11-25

    Graphical abstract: -- Highlights: •Multiplexed detection for liquid chromatography. •‘Parallel segmented outlet flow’ distributes inner and outer portions of the analyte zone. •Three detectors were used simultaneously for the determination of opiate alkaloids. -- Abstract: We describe a new approach to multiplex detection for HPLC, exploiting parallel segmented outlet flow – a new column technology that provides pressure-regulated control of eluate flow through multiple outlet channels, which minimises the additional dead volume associated with conventional post-column flow splitting. Using three detectors: one UV-absorbance and two chemiluminescence systems (tris(2,2′-bipyridine)ruthenium(III) and permanganate), we examine the relative responses for six opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) alkaloids under conventional and multiplexed conditions, where approximately 30% of the eluate was distributed to each detector and the remaining solution directed to a collection vessel. The parallel segmented outlet flow mode of operation offers advantages in terms of solvent consumption, waste generation, total analysis time and solute band volume when applying multiple detectors to HPLC, but the manner in which each detection system is influenced by changes in solute concentration and solution flow rates must be carefully considered.

  19. A multiplex PCR for detection of Listeria monocytogenes and its lineages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rawool, Deepak B; Doijad, Swapnil P; Poharkar, Krupali V; Negi, Mamta; Kale, Satyajit B; Malik, S V S; Kurkure, Nitin V; Chakraborty, Trinad; Barbuddhe, Sukhadeo B

    2016-11-01

    A novel multiplex PCR assay was developed to identify genus Listeria, and discriminate Listeria monocytogenes and its major lineages (LI, LII, LIII). This assay is a rapid and inexpensive subtyping method for screening and characterization of L. monocytogenes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Development of multiplex loop mediated isothermal amplification (m-LAMP) label-based gold nanoparticles lateral flow dipstick biosensor for detection of pathogenic Leptospira

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nurul Najian, A.B.; Engku Nur Syafirah, E.A.R.; Ismail, Nabilah; Mohamed, Maizan; Yean, Chan Yean

    2016-01-01

    In recent years extensive numbers of molecular diagnostic methods have been developed to meet the need of point-of-care devices. Efforts have been made towards producing rapid, simple and inexpensive DNA tests, especially in the diagnostics field. We report on the development of a label-based lateral flow dipstick for the rapid and simple detection of multiplex loop-mediated isothermal amplification (m-LAMP) amplicons. A label-based m-LAMP lateral flow dipstick assay was developed for the simultaneous detection of target DNA template and a LAMP internal control. This biosensor operates through a label based system, in which probe-hybridization and the additional incubation step are eliminated. We demonstrated this m-LAMP assay by detecting pathogenic Leptospira, which causes the re-emerging disease Leptospirosis. The lateral flow dipstick was developed to detect of three targets, the LAMP target amplicon, the LAMP internal control amplicon and a chromatography control. Three lines appeared on the dipstick, indicating positive results for all representative pathogenic Leptospira species, whereas two lines appeared, indicating negative results, for other bacterial species. The specificity of this biosensor assay was 100% when it was tested with 13 representative pathogenic Leptospira species, 2 intermediate Leptospira species, 1 non-pathogenic Leptospira species and 28 other bacteria species. This study found that this DNA biosensor was able to detect DNA at concentrations as low as 3.95 × 10 −1 genomic equivalent ml −1 . An integrated m-LAMP and label-based lateral flow dipstick was successfully developed, promising simple and rapid visual detection in clinical diagnostics and serving as a point-of-care device. - Highlights: • We develop multiplex LAMP label-based lateral flow dipstick biosensor for detection of pathogenic Leptospira. • We design primers for multiplex LAMP targeting the conserved LipL32 gene of pathogenic Leptospira and LAMP internal

  1. Development of multiplex loop mediated isothermal amplification (m-LAMP) label-based gold nanoparticles lateral flow dipstick biosensor for detection of pathogenic Leptospira

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nurul Najian, A.B.; Engku Nur Syafirah, E.A.R.; Ismail, Nabilah [Department of Medical Microbiology & Parasitology, School of Medical Sciences, Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan (Malaysia); Mohamed, Maizan [Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, City Campus, Pengkalan Chepa, Locked Bag 36, 16100 Kota Bharu, Kelantan (Malaysia); Yean, Chan Yean, E-mail: yeancyn@yahoo.com [Department of Medical Microbiology & Parasitology, School of Medical Sciences, Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan (Malaysia); Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine (INFORMM), Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan (Malaysia)

    2016-01-15

    In recent years extensive numbers of molecular diagnostic methods have been developed to meet the need of point-of-care devices. Efforts have been made towards producing rapid, simple and inexpensive DNA tests, especially in the diagnostics field. We report on the development of a label-based lateral flow dipstick for the rapid and simple detection of multiplex loop-mediated isothermal amplification (m-LAMP) amplicons. A label-based m-LAMP lateral flow dipstick assay was developed for the simultaneous detection of target DNA template and a LAMP internal control. This biosensor operates through a label based system, in which probe-hybridization and the additional incubation step are eliminated. We demonstrated this m-LAMP assay by detecting pathogenic Leptospira, which causes the re-emerging disease Leptospirosis. The lateral flow dipstick was developed to detect of three targets, the LAMP target amplicon, the LAMP internal control amplicon and a chromatography control. Three lines appeared on the dipstick, indicating positive results for all representative pathogenic Leptospira species, whereas two lines appeared, indicating negative results, for other bacterial species. The specificity of this biosensor assay was 100% when it was tested with 13 representative pathogenic Leptospira species, 2 intermediate Leptospira species, 1 non-pathogenic Leptospira species and 28 other bacteria species. This study found that this DNA biosensor was able to detect DNA at concentrations as low as 3.95 × 10{sup −1} genomic equivalent ml{sup −1}. An integrated m-LAMP and label-based lateral flow dipstick was successfully developed, promising simple and rapid visual detection in clinical diagnostics and serving as a point-of-care device. - Highlights: • We develop multiplex LAMP label-based lateral flow dipstick biosensor for detection of pathogenic Leptospira. • We design primers for multiplex LAMP targeting the conserved LipL32 gene of pathogenic Leptospira and LAMP

  2. Detection of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli by use of melting-curve analysis and real-time multiplex PCR.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guion, Chase E; Ochoa, Theresa J; Walker, Christopher M; Barletta, Francesca; Cleary, Thomas G

    2008-05-01

    Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli strains are important causes of diarrhea in children from the developing world and are now being recognized as emerging enteropathogens in the developed world. Current methods of detection are too expensive and labor-intensive for routine detection of these organisms to be practical. We developed a real-time fluorescence-based multiplex PCR for the detection of all six of the currently recognized classes of diarrheagenic E. coli. The primers were designed to specifically amplify eight different virulence genes in the same reaction: aggR for enteroaggregative E. coli, stIa/stIb and lt for enterotoxigenic E. coli, eaeA for enteropathogenic E. coli and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), stx(1) and stx(2) for STEC, ipaH for enteroinvasive E. coli, and daaD for diffusely adherent E. coli (DAEC). Eighty-nine of ninety diarrheagenic E. coli and 36/36 nonpathogenic E. coli strains were correctly identified using this approach (specificity, 1.00; sensitivity, 0.99). The single false negative was a DAEC strain. The total time between preparation of DNA from E. coli colonies on agar plates and completion of PCR and melting-curve analysis was less than 90 min. The cost of materials was low. Melting-point analysis of real-time multiplex PCR is a rapid, sensitive, specific, and inexpensive method for detection of diarrheagenic E. coli.

  3. A Multiplex Snapback Primer System for the Enrichment and Detection of JAK2 V617F and MPL W515L/K Mutations in Philadelphia-Negative Myeloproliferative Neoplasms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhiyuan Wu

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available A multiplex snapback primer system was developed for the simultaneous detection of JAK2 V617F and MPL W515L/K mutations in Philadelphia chromosome- (Ph- negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs. The multiplex system comprises two snapback versus limiting primer sets for JAK2 and MPL mutation enrichment and detection, respectively. Linear-After exponential (LATE PCR strategy was employed for the primer design to maximize the amplification efficiency of the system. Low ionic strength buffer and rapid PCR protocol allowed for selective amplification of the mutant alleles. Amplification products were analyzed by melting curve analysis for mutation identification. The multiplex system archived 0.1% mutation load sensitivity and <5% coefficient of variation inter-/intra-assay reproducibility. 120 clinical samples were tested by the multiplex snapback primer assay, and verified with amplification refractory system (ARMS, quantitative PCR (qPCR and Sanger sequencing method. The multiplex system, with a favored versatility, provided the molecular diagnosis of Ph-negative MPNs with a suitable implement and simplified the genetic test process.

  4. A Multiplex Snapback Primer System for the Enrichment and Detection of JAK2 V617F and MPL W515L/K Mutations in Philadelphia-Negative Myeloproliferative Neoplasms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yunqing; Zhang, Xinju; Xu, Xiao; Kang, Zhihua; Li, Shibao; Zhang, Chen; Su, Bing

    2014-01-01

    A multiplex snapback primer system was developed for the simultaneous detection of JAK2 V617F and MPL W515L/K mutations in Philadelphia chromosome- (Ph-) negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs). The multiplex system comprises two snapback versus limiting primer sets for JAK2 and MPL mutation enrichment and detection, respectively. Linear-After exponential (LATE) PCR strategy was employed for the primer design to maximize the amplification efficiency of the system. Low ionic strength buffer and rapid PCR protocol allowed for selective amplification of the mutant alleles. Amplification products were analyzed by melting curve analysis for mutation identification. The multiplex system archived 0.1% mutation load sensitivity and <5% coefficient of variation inter-/intra-assay reproducibility. 120 clinical samples were tested by the multiplex snapback primer assay, and verified with amplification refractory system (ARMS), quantitative PCR (qPCR) and Sanger sequencing method. The multiplex system, with a favored versatility, provided the molecular diagnosis of Ph-negative MPNs with a suitable implement and simplified the genetic test process. PMID:24729973

  5. One-step multiplex quantitative RT-PCR for the simultaneous detection of viroids and phytoplasmas of pome fruit trees.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malandraki, Ioanna; Varveri, Christina; Olmos, Antonio; Vassilakos, Nikon

    2015-03-01

    A one-step multiplex real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) based on TaqMan chemistry was developed for the simultaneous detection of Pear blister canker viroid and Apple scar skin viroid along with universal detection of phytoplasmas, in pome trees. Total nucleic acids (TNAs) extraction was performed according to a modified CTAB protocol. Primers and TaqMan MGB probes for specific detection of the two viroids were designed in this study, whereas for phytoplasma detection published universal primers and probe were used, with the difference that the later was modified to carry a MGB quencher. The pathogens were detected simultaneously in 10-fold serial dilutions of TNAs from infected plant material into TNAs of healthy plant up to dilutions 10(-5) for viroids and 10(-4) for phytoplasmas. The multiplex real-time assay was at least 10 times more sensitive than conventional protocols for viroid and phytoplasma detection. Simultaneous detection of the three targets was achieved in composite samples at least up to a ratio of 1:100 triple-infected to healthy tissue, demonstrating that the developed assay has the potential to be used for rapid and massive screening of viroids and phytoplasmas of pome fruit trees in the frame of certification schemes and surveys. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Rapid Multiplex Small DNA Sequencing on the MinION Nanopore Sequencing Platform

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shan Wei

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Real-time sequencing of short DNA reads has a wide variety of clinical and research applications including screening for mutations, target sequences and aneuploidy. We recently demonstrated that MinION, a nanopore-based DNA sequencing device the size of a USB drive, could be used for short-read DNA sequencing. In this study, an ultra-rapid multiplex library preparation and sequencing method for the MinION is presented and applied to accurately test normal diploid and aneuploidy samples’ genomic DNA in under three hours, including library preparation and sequencing. This novel method shows great promise as a clinical diagnostic test for applications requiring rapid short-read DNA sequencing.

  7. Multiplex Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction untuk Deteksi Cepat Virus Flu Burung H5N1 (MULTIPLEX REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION-POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION FOR RAPID DETECTION OF H5N1 AVIAN INFLUENZA VIRUS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raden Wasito

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Avian influenza virus subtype H5N1 (AIV H5N1 is highly pathogenic and fatal in poultry. The virusis still endemic with low virulence rate, although it may play a critical role in causing high morbidity andmortality rates in poultry in Indonesia. In general, diagnostic approach for AIV H5N1 is based onconventional serological and viral isolation methods that have the potential to produce consumings oftime and relatively expensive cost within the laboratory without compromising test utility. Thus, amolecular approach of multiplex reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (mRT-PCR was developedand applied for the detection of matrix gene type A influenza viruses, AIV subtype subtype H5hemagglutinin gene with simultaneous detection of N1 nucleoprotein gene. Thirty sera specimens fromthe diseased commercial chickens that were specifically amplified positive-RT-PCR for AIV H5N1 wereselected for mRT-PCR. The mRT-PCR products were visualized by agarose gel electrophoresis and consistedof DNA fragments of AIV of 245 bp, 545 bp and 343 bp for M, H5 and N1 genes, respectively. Thus, themRT-PCR that can rapidly differentiate simultaneously between these genes is very important for thecontrol and even eradication of AIV transmission in poultry in Indonesia.

  8. Photocleavable DNA barcode-antibody conjugates allow sensitive and multiplexed protein analysis in single cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agasti, Sarit S; Liong, Monty; Peterson, Vanessa M; Lee, Hakho; Weissleder, Ralph

    2012-11-14

    DNA barcoding is an attractive technology, as it allows sensitive and multiplexed target analysis. However, DNA barcoding of cellular proteins remains challenging, primarily because barcode amplification and readout techniques are often incompatible with the cellular microenvironment. Here we describe the development and validation of a photocleavable DNA barcode-antibody conjugate method for rapid, quantitative, and multiplexed detection of proteins in single live cells. Following target binding, this method allows DNA barcodes to be photoreleased in solution, enabling easy isolation, amplification, and readout. As a proof of principle, we demonstrate sensitive and multiplexed detection of protein biomarkers in a variety of cancer cells.

  9. A highly sensitive, multiplex broad-spectrum PCR-DNA-enzyme immunoassay and reverse hybridization assay for rapid detection and identification of Chlamydia trachomatis serovars.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Quint, K.D.; Doorn, L.J. van; Kleter, B.; Koning, M.N. de; Munckhof, H.A. van den; Morre, S.A.; Harmsel, B. ter; Weiderpass, E.; Harbers, G.; Melchers, W.J.G.; Quint, W.G.V.

    2007-01-01

    Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) comprises distinct serogroups and serovars. The present study evaluates a novel Ct amplification, detection, and genotyping method (Ct-DT assay). The Ct-DT amplification step is a multiplex broad-spectrum PCR for the cryptic plasmid and the VD2-region of ompl. The Ct-DT

  10. Evaluation of a Multiplex Real-Time Reverse Transcriptase PCR Assay for Detection and Differentiation of Influenza Viruses A and B during the 2001-2002 Influenza Season in Israel

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hindiyeh, Musa; Levy, Virginia; Azar, Roberto; Varsano, Noemi; Regev, Liora; Shalev, Yael; Grossman, Zehava; Mendelson, Ella

    2005-01-01

    The ability to rapidly diagnose influenza virus infections is of the utmost importance in the evaluation of patients with upper respiratory tract infections. It is also important for the influenza surveillance activities performed by national influenza centers. In the present study we modified a multiplex real-time reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) assay (which uses TaqMan chemistry) and evaluated it for its ability to detect and concomitantly differentiate influenza viruses A and B in 370 patient samples collected during the 2001-2002 influenza season in Israel. The performance of the TaqMan assay was compared to those of a multiplex one-step RT-PCR with gel detection, a shell vial immunofluorescence assay, and virus isolation in tissue culture. The TaqMan assay had an excellent sensitivity for the detection of influenza viruses compared to that of tissue culture. The overall sensitivity and specificity of the TaqMan assay compared to the results of culture were 98.4 and 85.5%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of the TaqMan assay for the detection of influenza virus A alone were 100 and 91.1%, respectively. On the other hand, the sensitivity and specificity for the detection of influenza virus B alone were 95.7 and 98.7%, respectively. The rapid turnaround time for the performance of the TaqMan assay (4.5 h) and the relatively low direct cost encourage the routine use of this assay in place of tissue culture. We conclude that the multiplex TaqMan assay is highly suitable for the rapid diagnosis of influenza virus infections both in well-established molecular biology laboratories and in reference clinical laboratories. PMID:15695650

  11. A multiplex microplatform for the detection of multiple DNA methylation events using gold-DNA affinity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sina, Abu Ali Ibn; Foster, Matthew Thomas; Korbie, Darren; Carrascosa, Laura G; Shiddiky, Muhammad J A; Gao, Jing; Dey, Shuvashis; Trau, Matt

    2017-10-07

    We report a new multiplexed strategy for the electrochemical detection of regional DNA methylation across multiple regions. Using the sequence dependent affinity of bisulfite treated DNA towards gold surfaces, the method integrates the high sensitivity of a micro-fabricated multiplex device comprising a microarray of gold electrodes, with the powerful multiplexing capability of multiplex-PCR. The synergy of this combination enables the monitoring of the methylation changes across several genomic regions simultaneously from as low as 500 pg μl -1 of DNA with no sequencing requirement.

  12. Development of a chip-based multiplexed immunoassay using liposomal nanovesicles and its application in the detection of pathogens causing female lower genital tract infections

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wen-Hsiang Su

    2013-03-01

    Conclusion: This microarray chip was a rapid, easy, inexpensive and sensitive tool for detecting female lower genital tract Candida infection in a one-time vaginal sampling process, although the data on the four other pathogens were still unavailable. A larger population study is encouraged to test the validity of this multiplexed immunoassay chip.

  13. Clinical Application of a Multiplex Real-Time PCR Assay for Simultaneous Detection of Legionella Species, Legionella pneumophila, and Legionella pneumophila Serogroup 1

    OpenAIRE

    Benitez, Alvaro J.; Winchell, Jonas M.

    2014-01-01

    We developed a single-tube multiplex real-time PCR assay capable of simultaneously detecting and discriminating Legionella spp., Legionella pneumophila, and Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 in primary specimens. Evaluation of 21 clinical specimens and 115 clinical isolates demonstrated this assay to be a rapid, high-throughput diagnostic test with 100% specificity that may aid during legionellosis outbreaks and epidemiologic investigations.

  14. One-Step Multiplex RT-qPCR Assay for the detection of Peste des petits ruminants virus, Capripoxvirus, Pasteurella multocida and Mycoplasma capricolum subspecies (ssp.) capripneumoniae

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Settypalli, T.B.K.; Lamien, C.; Spergser, J.; Lelenta, M.; Wade, A.; Gelaye, E.; Loitsch, A.; Minoungou, G.; Thiaucourt, F.; Diallo, A.

    2016-01-01

    17 samples, PPRV in 45, and PM in six samples. In addition, three samples showed a co-infection of PPRV and PM. Overall, the one-step multiplex RT-qPCR assay developed will be a valuable tool for rapid detection of individual and co-infections of the targeted pathogens with high specificity and sensitivity. (author)

  15. One-Step Multiplex RT-qPCR Assay for the Detection of Peste des petits ruminants virus, Capripoxvirus, Pasteurella multocida and Mycoplasma capricolum subspecies (ssp. capripneumoniae.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tirumala Bharani Kumar Settypalli

    17 samples, PPRV in 45, and PM in six samples. In addition, three samples showed a co-infection of PPRV and PM. Overall, the one-step multiplex RT-qPCR assay developed will be a valuable tool for rapid detection of individual and co-infections of the targeted pathogens with high specificity and sensitivity.

  16. Development of a multiplex real-time PCR for the rapid detection of the predominant beta-lactamase genes CTX-M, SHV, TEM and CIT-type AmpCs in Enterobacteriaceae.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nicole Roschanski

    Full Text Available Beta-lactamase resistant bacteria and especially ESBL producing Enterobacteriaceae are an increasing problem worldwide. For this reason a major interest in efficient and reliable methods for rapid screening of high sample numbers is recognizable. Therefore, a multiplex real-time PCR was developed to detect the predominant class A beta-lactamase genes blaCTX-M, blaSHV, blaTEM and CIT-type AmpCs in a one-step reaction. A set of 114 Enterobacteriaceae containing previously identified resistance gene subtypes and in addition 20 undefined animal and environmental isolates were used for the validation of this assay. To confirm the accessibility in variable settings, the real-time runs were performed analogous in two different laboratories using different real-time cyclers. The obtained results showed complete accordance between the real-time data and the predetermined genotypes. Even if sequence analyses are further necessary for a comprehensive characterization, this method was proofed to be reliable for rapid screening of high sample numbers and therefore could be an important tool for e. g. epidemiological purposes or support infection control measures.

  17. Multiplexed detection of mycotoxins in foods with a regenerable array.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ngundi, Miriam M; Shriver-Lake, Lisa C; Moore, Martin H; Ligler, Frances S; Taitt, Chris R

    2006-12-01

    The occurrence of different mycotoxins in cereal products calls for the development of a rapid, sensitive, and reliable detection method that is capable of analyzing samples for multiple toxins simultaneously. In this study, we report the development and application of a multiplexed competitive assay for the simultaneous detection of ochratoxin A (OTA) and deoxynivalenol (DON) in spiked barley, cornmeal, and wheat, as well as in naturally contaminated maize samples. Fluoroimmunoassays were performed with the Naval Research Laboratory array biosensor, by both a manual and an automated version of the system. This system employs evanescent-wave fluorescence excitation to probe binding events as they occur on the surface of a waveguide. Methanolic extracts of the samples were diluted threefold with buffer containing a mixture of fluorescent antibodies and were then passed over the arrays of mycotoxins immobilized on a waveguide. Fluorescent signals of the surface-bound antibody-antigen complexes decreased with increasing concentrations of free mycotoxins in the extract. After sample analysis was completed, surfaces were regenerated with 6 M guanidine hydrochloride in 50 mM glycine, pH 2.0. The limits of detection determined by the manual biosensor system were as follows: 1, 180, and 65 ng/g for DON and 1, 60, and 85 ng/g for OTA in cornmeal, wheat, and barley, respectively. The limits of detection in cornmeal determined with the automated array biosensor were 15 and 150 ng/g for OTA and DON, respectively.

  18. Evaluation of efficiency of nested multiplex allele-specific PCR assay for detection of multidrug resistant tuberculosis directly from sputum samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mistri, S K; Sultana, M; Kamal, S M M; Alam, M M; Irin, F; Nessa, J; Ahsan, C R; Yasmin, M

    2016-05-01

    For an effective control of tuberculosis, rapid detection of multidrug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is necessary. Therefore, we developed a modified nested multiplex allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (MAS-PCR) method that enables rapid MDR-TB detection directly from sputum samples. The efficacy of this method was evaluated using 79 sputum samples collected from suspected tuberculosis patients. The performance of nested MAS-PCR method was compared with other MDR-TB detection methods like drug susceptibility testing (DST) and DNA sequencing. As rifampicin (RIF) resistance conforms to MDR-TB in greater than 90% cases, only the presence of RIF-associated mutations in rpoB gene was determined by DNA sequencing and nested MAS-PCR to detect MDR-TB. The concordance between nested MAS-PCR and DNA sequencing results was found to be 96·3%. When compared with DST, the sensitivity and specificity of nested MAS-PCR for RIF-resistance detection were determined to be 92·9 and 100% respectively. For developing- and high-TB burden countries, molecular-based tests have been recommended by the World Health Organization for rapid detection of MDR-TB. The results of this study indicate that, nested MAS-PCR assay might be a practical and relatively cost effective molecular method for rapid detection of MDR-TB from suspected sputum samples in developing countries with resource poor settings. © 2016 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

  19. Toward photostable multiplex analyte detection on a single mode planar optical waveguide

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mukundan, Harshini [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Xei, Hongshi [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Anderson, Aaron S [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Grace, Wynne K [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Martinez, Jennifer S [NON LANL; Swanson, Basil [Los Alamos National Laboratory

    2009-01-01

    We have developed a waveguide-based optical biosensor for the sensitive and specific detection of biomarkers associated with disease. Our technology combines the superior optical properties of single-mode planar waveguides, the robust nature of functionalized self-assembled monolayer sensing films and the specificity of fluorescence sandwich immunoassays to detect biomarkers in complex biological samples such as serum, urine and sputum. We have previously reported the adaptation of our technology to the detection of biomarkers associated with breast cancer and anthrax. However, these approaches primarily used phospholipid bilayers as the functional film and organic dyes (ex: AlexaFluors) as the fluorescence reporter. Organic dyes are easily photodegraded and are not amenable to multiplexing because of their narrow Stokes' shift. Here we have developed strategies for conjugation of the detector antibodies with quantum dots for use in a multiplex detection platform. We have previously evaluated dihydroxylipoic acid quantum dots for the detection of a breast cancer biomarker. In this manuscript, we investigate the detection of the Bacillus anthracis protective antigen using antibodies conjugated with polymer-coated quantum dots. Kinetics of binding on the waveguide-based biosensor is reported. We compare the sensitivity of quantum dot labeled antibodies to those labeled with AlexaFluor and demonstrate the photostability of the former in our assay platform. In addition, we compare sulfydryl labeling of the antibody in the hinge region to that of nonspecific amine labeling. This is but the first step in developing a multiplex assay for such biomarkers on our waveguide platform.

  20. A multiplex ligation detection assay for the characterization of Salmonella enterica strains

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Aarts, H.J.M.; Vos, P.; Larsson, J.T.; Hoek, van A.H.A.M.; Huehn, S.; Weijers, T.; Gronlund, H.A.; Malorny, B.

    2011-01-01

    A proof of principle of a multi-target assay for genotyping Salmonella has been developed targeting 62 genomic marker sequences of Salmonella related to pathogenicity. The assay is based on multiplex ligation detection reaction (LDR) followed by customized ArrayTube (R) microarray detection. The

  1. Direct detection of hemophilia B F9 gene mutation using multiplex PCR and conformation sensitive gel electrophoresis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ki Young Yoo

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available Purpose : The F9 gene is known to be the causative gene for hemophilia B, but unfortunately the detection rate for restriction fragment length polymorphism-based linkage analysis is only 55.6%. Direct DNA sequencing can detect 98% of mutations, but this alternative procedure is very costly. Here, we conducted multiplex polymerase chain reactions (PCRs and conformation sensitive gel electrophoresis (CSGE to perform a screened DNA sequencing for the F9 gene, and we compared the results with direct sequencing in terms of accuracy, cost, simplicity, and time consumption. Methods : A total of 27 unrelated hemophilia B patients were enrolled. Direct DNA sequencing was performed for 27 patients by a separate institute, and multiplex PCR-CSGE screened sequencing was done in our laboratory. Results of the direct DNA sequencing were used as a reference, to which the results of the multiplex PCR-CSGE screened sequencing were compared. For the patients whose mutation was not detected by the 2 methods, multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA was conducted. Results : With direct sequencing, the mutations could be identified from 26 patients (96.3%, whereas for multiplex PCR- CSGE screened sequencing, the mutations could be detected in 23 (85.2%. One patient’s mutation was identified by MLPA. A total of 21 different mutations were found among the 27 patients. Conclusion : Multiplex PCR-CSGE screened DNA sequencing detected 88.9% of mutations and reduced costs by 55.7% compared with direct DNA sequencing. However, it was more labor-intensive and time-consuming.

  2. Immunomagnetic nanoparticle based quantitative PCR for rapid detection of Salmonella

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bakthavathsalam, Padmavathy; Rajendran, Vinoth Kumar; Saran, Uttara; Chatterjee, Suvro; Ali, Baquir Mohammed Jaffar

    2013-01-01

    We have developed a rapid and sensitive method for immunomagnetic separation (IMS) of Salmonella along with their real time detection via PCR. Silica-coated magnetic nanoparticles were functionalized with carboxy groups to which anti-Salmonella antibody raised against heat-inactivated whole cells of Salmonella were covalently attached. The immuno-captured target cells were detected in beverages like milk and lemon juice by multiplex PCR and real time PCR with a detection limit of 10 4 cfu.mL −1 and 10 3 cfu.mL −1 , respectively. We demonstrate that IMS can be used for selective concentration of target bacteria from beverages for subsequent use in PCR detection. PCR also enables differentiation of Salmonella typhi and Salmonella paratyphi A using a set of four specific primers. In addition, IMS—PCR can be used as a screening tool in the food and beverage industry for the detection of Salmonella within 3–4 h which compares favorably to the time of several days that is needed in case of conventional detection based on culture and biochemical methods. (author)

  3. Rapid Detection of the Chlamydiaceae and Other Families in the Order Chlamydiales: Three PCR Tests

    Science.gov (United States)

    Everett, Karin D. E.; Hornung, Linda J.; Andersen, Arthur A.

    1999-01-01

    Few identification methods will rapidly or specifically detect all bacteria in the order Chlamydiales, family Chlamydiaceae. In this study, three PCR tests based on sequence data from over 48 chlamydial strains were developed for identification of these bacteria. Two tests exclusively recognized the Chlamydiaceae: a multiplex test targeting the ompA gene and the rRNA intergenic spacer and a TaqMan test targeting the 23S ribosomal DNA. The multiplex test was able to detect as few as 200 inclusion-forming units (IFU), while the TaqMan test could detect 2 IFU. The amplicons produced in these tests ranged from 132 to 320 bp in length. The third test, targeting the 23S rRNA gene, produced a 600-bp amplicon from strains belonging to several families in the order Chlamydiales. Direct sequence analysis of this amplicon has facilitated the identification of new chlamydial strains. These three tests permit ready identification of chlamydiae for diagnostic and epidemiologic study. The specificity of these tests indicates that they might also be used to identify chlamydiae without culture or isolation. PMID:9986815

  4. Multiplexing of ChIP-Seq Samples in an Optimized Experimental Condition Has Minimal Impact on Peak Detection.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thadeous J Kacmarczyk

    Full Text Available Multiplexing samples in sequencing experiments is a common approach to maximize information yield while minimizing cost. In most cases the number of samples that are multiplexed is determined by financial consideration or experimental convenience, with limited understanding on the effects on the experimental results. Here we set to examine the impact of multiplexing ChIP-seq experiments on the ability to identify a specific epigenetic modification. We performed peak detection analyses to determine the effects of multiplexing. These include false discovery rates, size, position and statistical significance of peak detection, and changes in gene annotation. We found that, for histone marker H3K4me3, one can multiplex up to 8 samples (7 IP + 1 input at ~21 million single-end reads each and still detect over 90% of all peaks found when using a full lane for sample (~181 million reads. Furthermore, there are no variations introduced by indexing or lane batch effects and importantly there is no significant reduction in the number of genes with neighboring H3K4me3 peaks. We conclude that, for a well characterized antibody and, therefore, model IP condition, multiplexing 8 samples per lane is sufficient to capture most of the biological signal.

  5. Multiplexing of ChIP-Seq Samples in an Optimized Experimental Condition Has Minimal Impact on Peak Detection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kacmarczyk, Thadeous J.; Bourque, Caitlin; Zhang, Xihui; Jiang, Yanwen; Houvras, Yariv; Alonso, Alicia; Betel, Doron

    2015-01-01

    Multiplexing samples in sequencing experiments is a common approach to maximize information yield while minimizing cost. In most cases the number of samples that are multiplexed is determined by financial consideration or experimental convenience, with limited understanding on the effects on the experimental results. Here we set to examine the impact of multiplexing ChIP-seq experiments on the ability to identify a specific epigenetic modification. We performed peak detection analyses to determine the effects of multiplexing. These include false discovery rates, size, position and statistical significance of peak detection, and changes in gene annotation. We found that, for histone marker H3K4me3, one can multiplex up to 8 samples (7 IP + 1 input) at ~21 million single-end reads each and still detect over 90% of all peaks found when using a full lane for sample (~181 million reads). Furthermore, there are no variations introduced by indexing or lane batch effects and importantly there is no significant reduction in the number of genes with neighboring H3K4me3 peaks. We conclude that, for a well characterized antibody and, therefore, model IP condition, multiplexing 8 samples per lane is sufficient to capture most of the biological signal. PMID:26066343

  6. Multiplexing of ChIP-Seq Samples in an Optimized Experimental Condition Has Minimal Impact on Peak Detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kacmarczyk, Thadeous J; Bourque, Caitlin; Zhang, Xihui; Jiang, Yanwen; Houvras, Yariv; Alonso, Alicia; Betel, Doron

    2015-01-01

    Multiplexing samples in sequencing experiments is a common approach to maximize information yield while minimizing cost. In most cases the number of samples that are multiplexed is determined by financial consideration or experimental convenience, with limited understanding on the effects on the experimental results. Here we set to examine the impact of multiplexing ChIP-seq experiments on the ability to identify a specific epigenetic modification. We performed peak detection analyses to determine the effects of multiplexing. These include false discovery rates, size, position and statistical significance of peak detection, and changes in gene annotation. We found that, for histone marker H3K4me3, one can multiplex up to 8 samples (7 IP + 1 input) at ~21 million single-end reads each and still detect over 90% of all peaks found when using a full lane for sample (~181 million reads). Furthermore, there are no variations introduced by indexing or lane batch effects and importantly there is no significant reduction in the number of genes with neighboring H3K4me3 peaks. We conclude that, for a well characterized antibody and, therefore, model IP condition, multiplexing 8 samples per lane is sufficient to capture most of the biological signal.

  7. Simultaneous detection and differentiation of three genotypes of Brassica yellows virus by multiplex reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xiaoyan; Peng, Yanmei; Wang, Ying; Zhang, Zongying; Li, Dawei; Yu, Jialin; Han, Chenggui

    2016-11-22

    Brassica yellows virus (BrYV), proposed to be a new polerovirus species, three distinct genotypes (BrYV-A, BrYV-B and BrYV-C) have been described. This study was to develop a simple, rapid, sensitive, cost-effective method for simultaneous detection and differentiation of three genotypes of BrYV. In this study, a multiplex reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (mRT-PCR) was developed for simultaneous detection and differentiation of the three genotypes of BrYV. The three genotypes of BrYV and Tunip yellows virus (TuYV) could be differentiated simultaneously using six optimized specific oligonucleotide primers, including one universal primer for detecting BrYV, three BrYV genotype-specific primers, and a pair of primers for specific detection of TuYV. Primers were designed from conserved regions of each virus and their specificity was confirmed by sequencing PCR products. The mRT-PCR products were 278 bp for BrYV-A, 674 bp for BrYV-B, 505 bp for BrYV-C, and 205 bp for TuYV. Amplification of three target genotypes was optimized by increasing the PCR annealing temperatures to 62 °C. One to three fragments specific for the virus genotypes were simultaneously amplified from infected samples and identified by their specific molecular sizes in agarose gel electrophoresis. No specific products could be amplified from cDNAs of other viruses which could infect crucifer crops. Detection limits of the plasmids for multiplex PCR were 100 fg for BrYV-A and BrYV-B, 10 pg for BrYV-C, and 1 pg for TuYV, respectively. The mRT-PCR was applied successfully for detection of three BrYV genotypes from field samples collected in China. The simple, rapid, sensitive, and cost-effective mRT-PCR was developed successfully for detection and differentiation of the three genotypes of BrYV.

  8. Detection and typing of highly pathogenic porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus by multiplex real-time rt-PCR.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kerstin Wernike

    Full Text Available Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS causes economic losses in the pig industry worldwide, and PRRS viruses (PRRSV are classified into the two distinct genotypes "North American (NA, type 2" and "European (EU, type 1". In 2006, a highly pathogenic NA strain of PRRSV (HP-PRRSV, characterized by high fever as well as high morbidity and mortality, emerged in swine farms in China. Therefore, a real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR assay specific for HP-PRRSV was developed and combined with type 1- and type 2-specific RT-qPCR systems. Furthermore, an internal control, based on a heterologous RNA, was successfully introduced. This final multiplex PRRSV RT-qPCR, detecting and typing PRRSV, had an analytical sensitivity of less than 200 copies per µl for the type 1-assay and 20 copies per µl for the type 2- and HP assays and a high diagnostic sensitivity. A panel of reference strains and field isolates was reliably detected and samples from an animal trial with a Chinese HP-PRRS strain were used for test validation. The new multiplex PRRSV RT-qPCR system allows for the first time the highly sensitive detection and rapid differentiation of PRRSV of both genotypes as well as the direct detection of HP-PRRSV.

  9. Screening DNA chip and event-specific multiplex PCR detection methods for biotech crops.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Seong-Hun

    2014-11-01

    There are about 80 biotech crop events that have been approved by safety assessment in Korea. They have been controlled by genetically modified organism (GMO) and living modified organism (LMO) labeling systems. The DNA-based detection method has been used as an efficient scientific management tool. Recently, the multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA chip have been developed as simultaneous detection methods for several biotech crops' events. The event-specific multiplex PCR method was developed to detect five biotech maize events: MIR604, Event 3272, LY 038, MON 88017 and DAS-59122-7. The specificity was confirmed and the sensitivity was 0.5%. The screening DNA chip was developed from four endogenous genes of soybean, maize, cotton and canola respectively along with two regulatory elements and seven genes: P35S, tNOS, pat, bar, epsps1, epsps2, pmi, cry1Ac and cry3B. The specificity was confirmed and the sensitivity was 0.5% for four crops' 12 events: one soybean, six maize, three cotton and two canola events. The multiplex PCR and DNA chip can be available for screening, gene-specific and event-specific analysis of biotech crops as efficient detection methods by saving on workload and time. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

  10. Rapid multiplex detection of 10 foodborne pathogens with an up-converting phosphor technology-based 10-channel lateral flow assay

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Yong; Wang, Haoran; Zhang, Pingping; Sun, Chongyun; Wang, Xiaochen; Wang, Xinrui; Yang, Ruifu; Wang, Chengbin; Zhou, Lei

    2016-01-01

    The rapid high-throughput detection of foodborne pathogens is essential in controlling food safety. In this study, a 10-channel up-converting phosphor technology-based lateral flow (TC-UPT-LF) assay was established for the rapid and simultaneous detection of 10 epidemic foodborne pathogens. Ten different single-target UPT-LF strips were developed and integrated into one TC-UPT-LF disc with optimization. Without enrichment the TC-UPT-LF assay had a detection sensitivity of 104 CFU mL−1 or 105 CFU mL−1 for each pathogen, and after sample enrichment it was 10 CFU/0.6 mg. The assay also showed good linearity, allowing quantitative detection, with a linear fitting coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.916–0.998. The 10 detection channels did not cross-react, so multiple targets could be specifically detected. When 279 real food samples were tested, the assay was highly consistent (100%) with culture-based methods. The results for 110 food samples artificially contaminated with single or multiple targets showed a high detection rate (≥80%) for most target bacteria. Overall, the TC-UPT-LF assay allows the rapid, quantitative, and simultaneous detection of 10 kinds of foodborne pathogens within 20 min, and is especially suitable for the rapid detection and surveillance of foodborne pathogens in food and water. PMID:26884128

  11. Development of a multiplex polymerase chain reaction protocol for the simultaneous detection of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi and Class 1 integron

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juthika Mandal

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To develop a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR protocol for the simultaneous detection of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (S. Typhi and Class 1 integron, so as to aid rapid diagnosis of S. Typhi cases and help in the selection of treatment options based on the presence of the Class 1 integron that can carry resistance cassettes to a range of antibiotics. Methods: PCR for amplification of specific regions was done using fliC-d and intl primers and agarose gel electrophoresis was used for resolution of PCR products. Results: The fliC-d primer (S. Typhi specific amplified a 587 bp region and the intl primer (Class 1 integron specific amplified two bands approximately 500 and 550 bps. The developed method was specific for S. Typhi and did not amplify any products with Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium ATCC 14028, Salmonella enterica serovar Paratyphi and Escherichia coli O157:H7. Conclusions: The developed multiplex PCR protocol can be used for rapid diagnosis and aid in proper treatment strategies for patients infected with S. Typhi.

  12. A multiplex ligation detection assay for the characterization of Salmonella enterica strains

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Aarts, Henk J.M.; Vos, Pieter; Larsson, Jonas T.

    2011-01-01

    A proof of principle of a multi-target assay for genotyping Salmonella has been developed targeting 62 genomic marker sequences of Salmonella related to pathogenicity. The assay is based on multiplex ligation detection reaction (LDR) followed by customized ArrayTube® microarray detection. The fea...... assessors that support bio-traceability models....

  13. Detection of sexually transmitted infection and human papillomavirus in negative cytology by multiplex-PCR

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chung Hyun-Jae

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV and 15 species that cause sexually transmitted infections (STIs in negative cytology. In addition, we compared the diagnostic performance of multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR with widely available techniques used to detect HPV. Methods We recruited 235 women of reproductive age who had negative cytology findings in a liquid-based cervical smear. STIs were identified by multiplex PCR, and HPV genotypes by multiplex PCR, hybrid capture 2, and DNA microaray; discordant results were analyzed by direct sequencing. Results Approximately 96.6% of patients with negative cytology results were positive for pathogens that cause STIs. The pathogens most frequently detected were Gardnerella vaginalis, Ureaplasma urealyticum. The incidence of HPV in negative cytology was 23.3%. Low-risk HPV infection was significantly correlated with Chalmaydia trachomatis, and high-risk HPV infection was significantly correlated with Group β streptococcus. The analytical sensitivities of the multiplex PCR and DNA microarray were higher than 80%, and the analytical specificity was nearly 100% for all tests. Conclusions Multiplex PCR yielded results that most of patients with negative cytology were positive for pathogens that cause STIs, and were more similar to that of DNA microarray, than that of hybrid capture 2 in terms of analytical sensitivity and prediction value of HPV infection.

  14. Multiplexed Molecular Assays for Rapid Rule-Out of Foot-and-Mouth Disease

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lenhoff, R; Naraghi-Arani, P; Thissen, J; Olivas, J; Carillo, C; Chinn, C; Rasmussen, M; Messenger, S; Suer, L; Smith, S M; Tammero, L; Vitalis, E; Slezak, T R; Hullinger, P J; Hindson, B J; Hietala, S; Crossley, B; Mcbride, M

    2007-06-26

    A nucleic acid-based multiplexed assay was developed that combines detection of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) with rule-out assays for two other foreign animal diseases and four domestic animal diseases that cause vesicular or ulcerative lesions indistinguishable from FMDV infection in cattle, sheep and swine. The FMDV 'look-alike' diagnostic assay panel contains five PCR and twelve reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) signatures for a total of seventeen simultaneous PCR amplifications for seven diseases plus incorporating four internal assay controls. It was developed and optimized to amplify both DNA and RNA viruses simultaneously in a single tube and employs Luminex{trademark} liquid array technology. Assay development including selection of appropriate controls, a comparison of signature performance in single and multiplex testing against target nucleic acids, as well of limits of detection for each of the individual signatures is presented. While this assay is a prototype and by no means a comprehensive test for FMDV 'look-alike' viruses, an assay of this type is envisioned to have benefit to a laboratory network in routine surveillance and possibly for post-outbreak proof of freedom from foot-and-mouth disease.

  15. Gold-silver-alloy nanoprobes for one-pot multiplex DNA detection

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Doria, G; Larguinho, M; Dias, J T; Baptista, P V [Centro de Investigacao em Genetica Molecular Humana (CIGMH), Departamento de Ciencias da Vida, Faculdade de Ciencias e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica (Portugal); Pereira, E [Rede de Quimica e Tecnologia (REQUIMTE), Departamento de Quimica, Faculdade de Ciencias, Universidade do Porto, 4169-007 Porto (Portugal); Franco, R, E-mail: pmvb@fct.unl.pt [Rede de Quimica e Tecnologia (REQUIMTE), Departamento de Quimica, Faculdade de Ciencias e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica (Portugal)

    2010-06-25

    A specific colorimetric DNA detection method based on oligonucleotide functionalized gold-silver-alloy nanoparticles (AuAg-alloy-nanoprobes) is presented. The AuAg-alloy-nanoprobes were then used for the specific detection of a DNA sequence from TP53-a gene involved in cancer development. The AuAg-alloy-nanoprobes were then used in combination with Au-nanoprobes for a one-pot dual-colour detection strategy that allowed for the simultaneous differential detection of two distinct target sequences. This system poses an unprecedented opportunity to explore the combined use of metal nanoparticles with different composition towards the development of a multiplex one-pot colorimetric assay for DNA detection.

  16. Gold-silver-alloy nanoprobes for one-pot multiplex DNA detection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Doria, G; Larguinho, M; Dias, J T; Baptista, P V; Pereira, E; Franco, R

    2010-01-01

    A specific colorimetric DNA detection method based on oligonucleotide functionalized gold-silver-alloy nanoparticles (AuAg-alloy-nanoprobes) is presented. The AuAg-alloy-nanoprobes were then used for the specific detection of a DNA sequence from TP53-a gene involved in cancer development. The AuAg-alloy-nanoprobes were then used in combination with Au-nanoprobes for a one-pot dual-colour detection strategy that allowed for the simultaneous differential detection of two distinct target sequences. This system poses an unprecedented opportunity to explore the combined use of metal nanoparticles with different composition towards the development of a multiplex one-pot colorimetric assay for DNA detection.

  17. Rapid detection of coliforms in drinking water of Arak city using multiplex PCR method in comparison with the standard method of culture (Most Probably Number

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dehghan fatemeh

    2014-05-01

    Conclusions: Multiplex PCR method with shortened operation time was used for the simultaneous detection of total coliforms and Escherichia coli in distribution system of Arak city. It's recommended to be used at least as an initial screening test, and then the positive samples could be randomly tested by MPN.

  18. Development of a multiplex PCR assay detecting 52 autosomal SNPs

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sanchez Sanchez, Juan Jose; Phillips, C.; Børsting, Claus

    2006-01-01

    for amplifying 52 genomic DNA fragments, each containing one SNP, in a single tube, and accurately genotyping the PCR product mixture using two single base extension reactions. This multiplex approach reduces the cost of SNP genotyping and requires as little as 0.5 ng of genomic DNA to detect 52 SNPs. We used...

  19. Multiplex detection of plant pathogens through the luminex magplex bead system

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vlugt, van der R.A.A.; Raaij, van H.M.G.; Weerdt, de M.; Bergervoet, J.H.W.

    2015-01-01

    Here we describe a versatile multiplex method for both the serological and molecular detection of plant pathogens. The Luminex MagPlex bead system uses small paramagnetic microspheres (“beads”), either coated with specific antibodies or oligonucleotides, which capture respectively viruses and/or

  20. A Novel Multiplex HRM Assay to Detect Clopidogrel Resistance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Lichen; Ma, Xiaowei; You, Guoling; Zhang, Xiaoqing; Fu, Qihua

    2017-11-22

    Clopidogrel is an antiplatelet medicine used to prevent blood clots in patients who have had a heart attack, stroke, or other symptoms. Variability in the clinical response to clopidogrel treatment has been attributed to genetic factors. In particular, five SNPs of rs4244285, rs4986893, rs12248560, rs662 and rs1045642 have been associated with resistance to clopidogrel therapy in Chinese population. This work involves the development of a multiplex high-resolution melting (HRM) assay to genotype all five of these loci in 2 tubes. Amplicons corresponding to distinct SNPs in a common tube were designed with the aid of uMelt prediction software to have different melting temperatures Tm by addition of a GC-rich tail to the 5' end of the certain primers. Two kinds of commercial methods, Digital Fluorescence Molecular Hybridization (DFMH) and Sanger sequencing, were used as a control. Three hundred sixteen DFMH pretested samples from consecutive acute coronary syndrome patients were used for a blinded study of multiplex HRM. The sensitivity of HRM was 100% and the specificity was 99.93% reflecting detection of variants other than the known resistance SNPs. Multiplex HRM is an effective closed-tube, highly accurate, fast, and inexpensive method for genotyping the 5 clopidogrel resistance associated SNPs.

  1. Multiplex real-time quantitative PCR, microscopy and rapid diagnostic immuno-chromatographic tests for the detection of Plasmodium spp: performance, limit of detection analysis and quality assurance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ralevski Filip

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Accurate laboratory diagnosis of malaria species in returning travelers is paramount in the treatment of this potentially fatal infectious disease. Materials and methods A total of 466 blood specimens from returning travelers to Africa, Asia, and South/Central America with suspected malaria infection were collected between 2007 and 2009 at the reference public health laboratory. These specimens were assessed by reference microscopy, multipex real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (QPCR, and two rapid diagnostic immuno-chromatographic tests (ICT in a blinded manner. Key clinical laboratory parameters such as limit of detection (LOD analysis on clinical specimens by parasite stage, inter-reader variability of ICTs, staffing implications, quality assurance and cost analysis were evaluated. Results QPCR is the most analytically sensitive method (sensitivity 99.41%, followed by CARESTART (sensitivity 88.24%, and BINAXNOW (sensitivity 86.47% for the diagnosis of malaria in returning travelers when compared to reference microscopy. However, microscopy was unable to specifically identify Plasmodia spp. in 18 out of 170 positive samples by QPCR. Moreover, the 17 samples that were negative by microscopy and positive by QPCR were also positive by ICTs. Quality assurance was achieved for QPCR by exchanging a blinded proficiency panel with another reference laboratory. The Kappa value of inter-reader variability among three readers for BINAXNOW and CARESTART was calculated to be 0.872 and 0.898 respectively. Serial dilution studies demonstrated that the QPCR cycle threshold correlates linearly with parasitemia (R2 = 0.9746 in a clinically relevant dynamic range and retains a LOD of 11 rDNA copies/μl for P. falciparum, which was several log lower than reference microscopy and ICTs. LOD for QPCR is affected not only by parasitemia but the parasite stage distribution of each clinical specimen. QPCR was approximately 6-fold more

  2. Community Detection for Multiplex Social Networks Based on Relational Bayesian Networks

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jiang, Jiuchuan; Jaeger, Manfred

    2014-01-01

    Many techniques have been proposed for community detection in social networks. Most of these techniques are only designed for networks defined by a single relation. However, many real networks are multiplex networks that contain multiple types of relations and different attributes on the nodes...

  3. Simultaneous Expression of GUS and Actin Genes by Using the Multiplex RT-PCR and Multiplex Gold Nanoparticle Probes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghazi, Yaser; Vaseghi, Akbar; Ahmadi, Sepideh; Haddadi, Fatemeh

    2018-04-23

    Gene expression analysis is considered to be extremely important in many different biological researches. DNA-based diagnostic test, which contributes to DNA identification, has higher specificity, cost, and speed than some biochemical and molecular methods. In this study, we try to use the novel nano technology approach with Multiplex RT-PCR and Gold nano particular probes (GNPs-probes) in order to get gene expression in Curcumas melons. We used Agrobacterium tumefactions for gene transfer and GUS reporter gene as a reporter. After cDNA synthesis, Multiplex PCR and Multiplex RT-PCR techniques were used. Finally, probes were designed for RNA of GUS and Actin genes, and then the analysis of the gene expression using the probes attached to GNPs was carried out and the color changes in the GNPs were applied. In the following, probes hybridization was checked with DNA between 400 to 700 nm wavelengths and the highest rate was observed in the 550 to 650 nm. The results show that the simultaneous use of GNP-attached detectors and Multiplex RT-PCRcan reduce time and costmore considerably than somelaboratory methods for gene expiration investigation. Additionally, it can be seen thatthere is an increase in sensitivity and specificity of our investigation. Based on our findings, this can bea novel study doneusingMultiplex RT-PCRand unmodified AuNPs for gene transfer and expression detection to plants. We can claim that this assay has a remarkable advantage including rapid, cost-effectiveness, specificity and accuracy to detect transfer and expression genes in plants. Also,we can use this technique from other gene expressionsin many different biology samples.

  4. Design of a multiplex PCR assay for the simultaneous detection and confirmation of Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    O'Callaghan, Isabelle

    2010-05-01

    To improve the detection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae by designing a multiplex PCR assay using two N gonorrhoeae-specific genes as targets, thereby providing detection and confirmation of a positive result simultaneously.

  5. Simultaneous Detection of Genetically Modified Organisms in a Mixture by Multiplex PCR-Chip Capillary Electrophoresis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patwardhan, Supriya; Dasari, Srikanth; Bhagavatula, Krishna; Mueller, Steffen; Deepak, Saligrama Adavigowda; Ghosh, Sudip; Basak, Sanjay

    2015-01-01

    An efficient PCR-based method to trace genetically modified food and feed products is in demand due to regulatory requirements and contaminant issues in India. However, post-PCR detection with conventional methods has limited sensitivity in amplicon separation that is crucial in multiplexing. The study aimed to develop a sensitive post-PCR detection method by using PCR-chip capillary electrophoresis (PCR-CCE) to detect and identify specific genetically modified organisms in their genomic DNA mixture by targeting event-specific nucleotide sequences. Using the PCR-CCE approach, novel multiplex methods were developed to detect MON531 cotton, EH 92-527-1 potato, Bt176 maize, GT73 canola, or GA21 maize simultaneously when their genomic DNAs in mixtures were amplified using their primer mixture. The repeatability RSD (RSDr) of the peak migration time was 0.06 and 3.88% for the MON531 and Bt176, respectively. The RSD (RSDR) of the Cry1Ac peak ranged from 0.12 to 0.40% in multiplex methods. The method was sensitive in resolving amplicon of size difference up to 4 bp. The PCR-CCE method is suitable to detect multiple genetically modified events in a composite DNA sample by tagging their event specific sequences.

  6. Detection of Salmonella in Shellfish Using SYBR Green™ I-Based Real-Time Multiplexed PCR Assay Targeting invA and spvB

    KAUST Repository

    Gangwar, Maulshree

    2012-09-23

    A SYBR Green™ I-based real-time multiplexed PCR assay was developed targeting invA and spvB for the detection of Salmonella strains in shellfish after both hns and invA genes were identified in all Salmonella strains. Simultaneously, the 16S rRNA gene was used as a PCR internal amplification control (IAC). All 89 Salmonella strains tested in this study exhibited amplification of invA, whereas only 21 (23. 6 %) were PCR positive for spvB. The sensitivity of detection of all three targeted genes was 1 ng, which is equivalent to approximately 105 colony-forming unit (CFU) of Salmonella enterica. The analysis showed specific PCR products that were identified by reproducible melt temperature profiles (invA, 84. 27 ± 1. 7 °C; spvB, 88. 76 ± 1. 0 °C; and 16S rRNA gene, 87. 16 ± 0. 8 °C). The sensitivity of detection was 10 pg purified DNA (invA) or 105 CFU in 1 mL pure culture of S. enterica ATCC 14028. The above molecular detection method for Salmonella strains was successfully applied to the oyster homogenates (food matrix). An initial inoculum of 106 and 102 CFU Salmonella in 1 ml seeded oyster tissue homogenate was detected by multiplexed PCR for all three genes after 5 and 24 h of enrichment, respectively. Natural oysters isolated from Gulf of Mexico during the winter months exhibited negative PCR amplification results suggesting the absence of Salmonella. In contrast to conventional PCR, real-time multiplex PCR assay developed in this study is rapid and sensitive and will help Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference undertake appropriate measures to monitor Salmonella in oysters, thereby preventing disease outbreaks and consequently protecting consumer health. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

  7. Detection of Salmonella in Shellfish Using SYBR Green™ I-Based Real-Time Multiplexed PCR Assay Targeting invA and spvB

    KAUST Repository

    Gangwar, Maulshree; Waters, Alicia M.; Bej, Gautam A.; Bej, Asim K.; Mojib, Nazia

    2012-01-01

    A SYBR Green™ I-based real-time multiplexed PCR assay was developed targeting invA and spvB for the detection of Salmonella strains in shellfish after both hns and invA genes were identified in all Salmonella strains. Simultaneously, the 16S rRNA gene was used as a PCR internal amplification control (IAC). All 89 Salmonella strains tested in this study exhibited amplification of invA, whereas only 21 (23. 6 %) were PCR positive for spvB. The sensitivity of detection of all three targeted genes was 1 ng, which is equivalent to approximately 105 colony-forming unit (CFU) of Salmonella enterica. The analysis showed specific PCR products that were identified by reproducible melt temperature profiles (invA, 84. 27 ± 1. 7 °C; spvB, 88. 76 ± 1. 0 °C; and 16S rRNA gene, 87. 16 ± 0. 8 °C). The sensitivity of detection was 10 pg purified DNA (invA) or 105 CFU in 1 mL pure culture of S. enterica ATCC 14028. The above molecular detection method for Salmonella strains was successfully applied to the oyster homogenates (food matrix). An initial inoculum of 106 and 102 CFU Salmonella in 1 ml seeded oyster tissue homogenate was detected by multiplexed PCR for all three genes after 5 and 24 h of enrichment, respectively. Natural oysters isolated from Gulf of Mexico during the winter months exhibited negative PCR amplification results suggesting the absence of Salmonella. In contrast to conventional PCR, real-time multiplex PCR assay developed in this study is rapid and sensitive and will help Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference undertake appropriate measures to monitor Salmonella in oysters, thereby preventing disease outbreaks and consequently protecting consumer health. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

  8. Development of multiplex polymerase chain reaction for detection of Ehrlichia canis, Babesia spp and Hepatozoon canis in canine blood.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kledmanee, Kan; Suwanpakdee, Sarin; Krajangwong, Sakranmanee; Chatsiriwech, Jarin; Suksai, Parut; Suwannachat, Pongpun; Sariya, Ladawan; Buddhirongawatr, Ruangrat; Charoonrut, Phingphol; Chaichoun, Kridsada

    2009-01-01

    A multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been developed for simultaneous detection of canine blood parasites, Ehrlichia canis, Babesia spp and Hepatozoon canis, from blood samples in a single reaction. The multiplex PCR primers were specific to E. canis VirB9, Babesia spp 16S rRNA and H. canis 16S rRNA genes. Specificity of the amplicons was confirmed by DNA sequencing. The assay was evaluated using normal canine and infected blood samples, which were detected by microscopic examination. This multiplex PCR offers scope for simultaneous detection of three important canine blood parasites and should be valuable in monitoring parasite infections in dogs and ticks.

  9. Aqueous two-phase system patterning of detection antibody solutions for cross-reaction-free multiplex ELISA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frampton, John P.; White, Joshua B.; Simon, Arlyne B.; Tsuei, Michael; Paczesny, Sophie; Takayama, Shuichi

    2014-05-01

    Accurate disease diagnosis, patient stratification and biomarker validation require the analysis of multiple biomarkers. This paper describes cross-reactivity-free multiplexing of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) using aqueous two-phase systems (ATPSs) to confine detection antibodies at specific locations in fully aqueous environments. Antibody cross-reactions are eliminated because the detection antibody solutions are co-localized only to corresponding surface-immobilized capture antibody spots. This multiplexing technique is validated using plasma samples from allogeneic bone marrow recipients. Patients with acute graft versus host disease (GVHD), a common and serious condition associated with allogeneic bone marrow transplantation, display higher mean concentrations for four multiplexed biomarkers (HGF, elafin, ST2 and TNFR1) relative to healthy donors and transplant patients without GVHD. The antibody co-localization capability of this technology is particularly useful when using inherently cross-reactive reagents such as polyclonal antibodies, although monoclonal antibody cross-reactivity can also be reduced. Because ATPS-ELISA adapts readily available antibody reagents, plate materials and detection instruments, it should be easily transferable into other research and clinical settings.

  10. Detection of three porcine vesicular viruses using multiplex real-time primer-probe energy transfer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Thomas Bruun; Uttenthal, Åse; Aguero, M.

    2006-01-01

    Rapid identification of the etiologic agent in infected animals is important for the control of an outbreak of vesicular disease in livestock. We have in the present study developed a multiplex real-time reverse transcription-PCR, based on primer-probe energy transfer (PriProET), for simultaneous...

  11. Simultaneous Detection of Four Foodborne Viruses in Food Samples Using a One-Step Multiplex Reverse Transcription PCR.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Shin-Young; Kim, Mi-Ju; Kim, Hyun-Joong; Jeong, KwangCheol Casey; Kim, Hae-Yeong

    2018-02-28

    A one-step multiplex reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) method comprising six primer sets (for the detection of norovirus GI and GII, hepatitis A virus, rotavirus, and astrovirus) was developed to simultaneously detect four kinds of pathogenic viruses. The size of the PCR products for norovirus GI and GII, hepatitis A virus (VP3/VP1 and P2A regions), rotavirus, and astrovirus were 330, 164, 244, 198, 629, and 449 bp, respectively. The RT-PCR with the six primer sets showed specificity for the pathogenic viruses. The detection limit of the developed multiplex RT-PCR, as evaluated using serially diluted viral RNAs, was comparable to that of one-step single RT-PCR. Moreover, this multiplex RT-PCR was evaluated using food samples such as water, oysters, lettuce, and vegetable product. These food samples were artificially spiked with the four kinds of viruses in diverse combinations, and the spiked viruses in all food samples were detected successfully.

  12. Simultaneous detection of Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes in clinical isolates by multiplex-nested RT-PCR.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuamsab, Napaporn; Putaporntip, Chaturong; Pattanawong, Urassaya; Jongwutiwes, Somchai

    2012-06-10

    Gametocyte carriage is essential for malaria transmission and endemicity of disease; thereby it is a target for malaria control strategies. Malaria-infected individuals may harbour gametocytes below the microscopic detection threshold that can be detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) targeting gametocyte-specific mRNA. To date, RT-PCR has mainly been applied to the diagnosis of Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes but very limited for that of Plasmodium vivax. A multiplex-nested RT-PCR targeting Pfs25 and Pvs25 mRNA specific to mature gametocytes of P. falciparum and P. vivax, respectively, was developed. The assay was evaluated using blood samples collected in rainy and dry seasons from febrile patients,in a malaria-endemic area in Thailand. Malaria diagnosis was performed by Giemsa-stained blood smears and 18S rRNA PCR. The multiplex-nested RT-PCR detected Pfs25 mRNA in 75 of 86 (87.2%) P. falciparum-infected individuals and Pvs25 mRNA in 82 of 90 (91.1%) P. vivax malaria patients diagnosed by 18S rRNA PCR. Gametocytes were detected in 38 (eight P. falciparum and 30 P. vivax) of 157 microscopy positive samples, implying that a large number of patients harbour sub-microscopic gametocytaemia. No seasonal differences in gametocyte carriage were observed for both malaria species diagnosed by multiplex-nested RT-PCR. With single-nested RT-PCR targeting Pfs25 or Pvs25 mRNA as standard, the multiplex-nested RT-PCR offered sensitivities of 97.4% and 98.9% and specificities of 100% and 98.8% for diagnosing mature gametocytes of P. falciparum and P. vivax, respectively. The minimum detection limit of the multiplex-nested PCR was 10 copies of templates. The multiplex-nested RT-PCR developed herein is useful for simultaneous assessment of both P. falciparum and P. vivax gametocyte carriage that is prevalent and generally sympatric in several malaria-endemic areas outside Africa.

  13. Simultaneous detection of three pome fruit tree viruses by one-step multiplex quantitative RT-PCR.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malandraki, Ioanna; Beris, Despoina; Isaioglou, Ioannis; Olmos, Antonio; Varveri, Christina; Vassilakos, Nikon

    2017-01-01

    A one-step multiplex real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) based on TaqMan probes was developed for the simultaneous detection of Apple mosaic virus (ApMV), Apple stem pitting virus (ASPV) and Apple stem grooving virus (ASGV) in total RNA of pome trees extracted with a CTAB method. The sensitivity of the method was established using in vitro synthesized viral transcripts serially diluted in RNA from healthy, virus-tested (negative) pome trees. The three viruses were simultaneously detected up to a 10-4 dilution of total RNA from a naturally triple-infected apple tree prepared in total RNA of healthy apple tissue. The newly developed RT-qPCR assay was at least one hundred times more sensitive than conventional single RT-PCRs. The assay was validated with 36 field samples for which nine triple and 11 double infections were detected. All viruses were detected simultaneously in composite samples at least up to the ratio of 1:150 triple-infected to healthy pear tissue, suggesting the assay has the capacity to examine rapidly a large number of samples in pome tree certification programs and surveys for virus presence.

  14. Multiplex real-time PCR (TaqMan) assay for the simultaneous detection and discrimination of potato powdery and common scab diseases and pathogens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qu, X S; Wanner, L A; Christ, B J

    2011-03-01

    To develop a multiplex real-time PCR assay using TaqMan probes for the simultaneous detection and discrimination of potato powdery scab and common scab, two potato tuber diseases with similar symptoms, and the causal pathogens Spongospora subterranea and plant pathogenic Streptomyces spp. Real-time PCR primers and a probe for S. subterranea were designed based on the DNA sequence of the ribosomal RNA ITS2 region. Primers and a probe for pathogenic Streptomyces were designed based on the DNA sequence of the txtAB genes. The two sets of primer pairs and probes were used in a single real-time PCR assay. The multiplex real-time PCR assay was confirmed to be specific for S. subterranea and pathogenic Streptomyces. The assay detected DNA quantities of 100 fg for each of the two pathogens and linear responses and high correlation coefficients between the amount of DNA and C(t) values for each pathogen were achieved. The presence of two sets of primer pairs and probes and of plant extracts did not alter the sensitivity and efficiency of multiplex PCR amplification. Using the PCR assay, we could discriminate between powdery scab and common scab tubers with similar symptoms. Common scab and powdery scab were detected in some tubers with no visible symptoms. Mixed infections of common scab and powdery scab on single tubers were also revealed. This multiplex real-time PCR assay is a rapid, cost efficient, specific and sensitive tool for the simultaneous detection and discrimination of the two pathogens on infected potato tubers when visual symptoms are inconclusive or not present. Accurate and quick identification and discrimination of the cause of scab diseases on potatoes will provide critical information to potato growers and researchers for disease management. This is important because management strategies for common and powdery scab diseases are very different. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Applied Microbiology © 2011 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

  15. A multiplex nested PCR for the detection and identification of Candida species in blood samples of critically ill paediatric patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taira, Cleison Ledesma; Okay, Thelma Suely; Delgado, Artur Figueiredo; Ceccon, Maria Esther Jurfest Rivero; de Almeida, Margarete Teresa Gottardo; Del Negro, Gilda Maria Barbaro

    2014-07-21

    Nosocomial candidaemia is associated with high mortality rates in critically ill paediatric patients; thus, the early detection and identification of the infectious agent is crucial for successful medical intervention. The PCR-based techniques have significantly increased the detection of Candida species in bloodstream infections. In this study, a multiplex nested PCR approach was developed for candidaemia detection in neonatal and paediatric intensive care patients. DNA samples from the blood of 54 neonates and children hospitalised in intensive care units with suspected candidaemia were evaluated by multiplex nested PCR with specific primers designed to identify seven Candida species, and the results were compared with those obtained from blood cultures. The multiplex nested PCR had a detection limit of four Candida genomes/mL of blood for all Candida species. Blood cultures were positive in 14.8% of patients, whereas the multiplex nested PCR was positive in 24.0% of patients, including all culture-positive patients. The results obtained with the molecular technique were available within 24 hours, and the assay was able to identify Candida species with 100% of concordance with blood cultures. Additionally, the multiplex nested PCR detected dual candidaemia in three patients. Our proposed PCR method may represent an effective tool for the detection and identification of Candida species in the context of candidaemia diagnosis in children, showing highly sensitive detection and the ability to identify the major species involved in this infection.

  16. Polarization-multiplexing ghost imaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dongfeng, Shi; Jiamin, Zhang; Jian, Huang; Yingjian, Wang; Kee, Yuan; Kaifa, Cao; Chenbo, Xie; Dong, Liu; Wenyue, Zhu

    2018-03-01

    A novel technique for polarization-multiplexing ghost imaging is proposed to simultaneously obtain multiple polarimetric information by a single detector. Here, polarization-division multiplexing speckles are employed for object illumination. The light reflected from the objects is detected by a single-pixel detector. An iterative reconstruction method is used to restore the fused image containing the different polarimetric information by using the weighted sum of the multiplexed speckles based on the correlation coefficients obtained from the detected intensities. Next, clear images of the different polarimetric information are recovered by demultiplexing the fused image. The results clearly demonstrate that the proposed method is effective.

  17. Development of single-step multiplex real-time RT-PCR assays for rapid diagnosis of enterovirus 71, coxsackievirus A6, and A16 in patients with hand, foot, and mouth disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Puenpa, Jiratchaya; Suwannakarn, Kamol; Chansaenroj, Jira; Vongpunsawad, Sompong; Poovorawan, Yong

    2017-10-01

    Real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) to detect enterovirus 71 (EV-A71) and coxsackievirus A16 (CV-A16) has facilitated the rapid and accurate identification of the two most common etiological agents underlying hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD). However, the worldwide emergence of CV-A6 infection in HFMD necessitates development of an improved multiplex rRT-PCR method. To rapidly determine the etiology of HFMD, two rRT-PCR assays using TaqMan probes were developed to differentiate among three selected common enteroviruses (EV-A71, CV-A16 and CV-A6) and to enable broad detection of enteroviruses (pan-enterovirus assay). No cross-reactions were observed with other RNA viruses examined. The detection limits of both assays were 10 copies per microliter for EV-A71, CV-A6 and CV-A16, and pan-enterovirus. The methods showed high accuracy (EV-A71, 90.6%; CV-A6, 92.0%; CV-A16, 100%), sensitivity (EV-A71, 96.5%; CV-A6, 95.8%; CV-A16, 99.0%), and specificity (EV-A71, 100%; CV-A6, 99.9%; CV-A16, 99.9%) in testing clinical specimens (n=1049) during 2014-2016, superior to those of conventional RT-PCR. Overall, the multiplex rRT-PCR assays enabled highly sensitive detection and rapid simultaneous typing of EV-A71, CV-A6 and CV-A16, and enteroviruses, rendering them feasible and attractive methods for large-scale surveillance of enteroviruses associated with HFMD outbreaks. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Detection of virulence genes in Uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC strains by Multiplex-PCR method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Javad Mohammadi

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Background & Objectives: Urinary tract infection caused by E. coli is one of the most common illnesses in all age groups worldwide. Presence of virulence genes is a key factor in bacterial pathogens in uroepithelial cells. The present study was performed to detect iha, iroN, ompT genes in the Uropathogenic E.coli isolates from clinical samples using multiplex-PCR method in Kerman. Materials & Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 200 samples of patients with urinary tract infections in Kerman hospitals were collected. After biochemical and microbiological tests, all strains were tested with regard to the presence of iha, iroN, and ompT genes using multiplex-PCR method. Results: The results of Multiplex-PCR showed that all specimens had one, two, or three virulence genes simultaneously. The highest and lowest frequency distribution of genes was related to iha (56.7% and iroN (20% respectively. Conclusion: According to the prevalence of urinary tract infection in the community and distribution of resistance and virulence factors, the fast and accurate detection of the strains and virulence genes is necessary

  19. A novel multiplex PCR for the simultaneous detection of Salmonella enterica and Shigella species.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Radhika, M; Saugata, Majumder; Murali, H S; Batra, H V

    2014-01-01

    Salmonella enterica and Shigella species are commonly associated with food and water borne infections leading to gastrointestinal diseases. The present work was undertaken to develop a sensitive and reliable PCR based detection system for simultaneous detection of Salmonella enterica and Shigella at species level. For this the conserved regions of specific genes namely ipaH1, ipaH, wbgZ, wzy and invA were targeted for detection of Shigella genus, S. flexneri, S. sonnei, S. boydii and Salmonella enterica respectively along with an internal amplification control (IAC). The results showed that twenty Salmonella and eleven Shigella spp., were accurately identified by the assay without showing non-specificity against closely related other Enterobacteriaceae organisms and also against other pathogens. Further evaluation of multiplex PCR was undertaken on 50 natural samples of chicken, eggs and poultry litter and results compared with conventional culture isolation and identification procedure. The multiplex PCR identified the presence of Salmonella and Shigella strains with a short pre-enrichment step of 5 h in peptone water and the same samples were processed by conventional procedures for comparison. Therefore, this reported multiplex PCR can serve as an alternative to the tedious time-consuming procedure of culture and identification in food safety laboratories.

  20. Comparison of culture, single and multiplex real-time PCR for detection of Sabin poliovirus shedding in recently vaccinated Indian children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giri, Sidhartha; Rajan, Anand K; Kumar, Nirmal; Dhanapal, Pavithra; Venkatesan, Jayalakshmi; Iturriza-Gomara, Miren; Taniuchi, Mami; John, Jacob; Abraham, Asha Mary; Kang, Gagandeep

    2017-08-01

    Although, culture is considered the gold standard for poliovirus detection from stool samples, real-time PCR has emerged as a faster and more sensitive alternative. Detection of poliovirus from the stool of recently vaccinated children by culture, single and multiplex real-time PCR was compared. Of the 80 samples tested, 55 (68.75%) were positive by culture compared to 61 (76.25%) and 60 (75%) samples by the single and one step multiplex real-time PCR assays respectively. Real-time PCR (singleplex and multiplex) is more sensitive than culture for poliovirus detection in stool, although the difference was not statistically significant. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  1. Multiplex real-time PCR assay for detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and screening for non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Baoguang; Liu, Huanli; Wang, Weimin

    2017-11-09

    enterica, Shigella strains, or any other pathogenic strains tested. A multiplex real-time PCR assay that can rapidly and simultaneously detect E. coli O157:H7 and screen for non-O157 STEC strains has been developed and assessed for efficacy. The inclusivity and exclusivity tests demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity of the multiplex real-time PCR assay. In addition, this multiplex assay was shown to be effective for the detection of E. coli O157:H7 from two common food matrices, beef and spinach, and may be applied for detection of E. coli O157:H7 and screening for non-O157 STEC strains from other food matrices as well.

  2. A Dual Filtration-Based Multiplex PCR Method for Simultaneous Detection of Viable Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus on Fresh-Cut Cantaloupe.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ke Feng

    Full Text Available Fresh-cut cantaloupe is particularly susceptible to contamination with pathogenic bacteria, such as Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus. Therefore, development of rapid, yet accurate detection techniques is necessary to ensure food safety. In this study, a multiplex PCR system and propidium monoazide (PMA concentration were optimized to detect all viable pathogens in a single tube. A dual filtration system utilized a filtration membrane with different pore sizes to enrich pathogens found on fresh-cut cantaloupe. The results revealed that an optimized multiplex PCR system has the ability to effectively detect three pathogens in the same tube. The viable pathogens were simultaneously detected for PMA concentrations above 10 μg/ml. The combination of a nylon membrane (15 μm and a micro pore filtration membrane (0.22 μm formed the dual filtration system used to enrich pathogens. The achieved sensitivity of PMA-mPCR based on this dual filtration system was 2.6 × 103 cfu/g for L. monocytogenes, 4.3 × 10 cfu/g for E. coli O157:H7, and 3.1 × 102 cfu/g for S. aureus. Fresh-cut cantaloupe was inoculated with the three target pathogens using concentrations of 103, 102, 10, and 1 cfu/g. After 6-h of enrichment culture, assay sensitivity increased to 1 cfu/g for each of these pathogens. Thus, this technique represents an efficient and rapid detection tool for implementation on fresh-cut cantaloupe.

  3. Multiplexed lateral flow biosensors: Technological advances for radically improving point-of-care diagnoses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Jia; Macdonald, Joanne

    2016-09-15

    Lateral flow biosensors are a leading technology in point-of-care diagnostics due to their simplicity, rapidness and low cost. Their primacy in this arena continues through technological breakthroughs such as multiplexing: the detection of more than one biomarker in a single assay. Multiplexing capacity is critical for improving diagnostic efficiency, enhancing the diagnostic precision for specific diseases and reducing diagnostic cost. Here we review, for the first time, the various types and strategies employed for creating multiplexed lateral flow biosensors. These are classified into four main categories in terms of specific application or multiplexing level, namely linear, parameter, spatial and conceptual. We describe the practical applications and implications for each approach and compare their advantages and disadvantages. Importantly, multiplexing is still subject to limitations of the traditional lateral flow biosensor, such as sensitivity and specificity. However, by pushing the limitations of the traditional medium into the multiplex arena, several technological breakthroughs are emerging with novel solutions that further expand the utility of lateral flow biosensing for point-of-care applications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Evaluation of Optical Detection Platforms for Multiplexed Detection of Proteins and the Need for Point-of-Care Biosensors for Clinical Use

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Samantha Spindel

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available This review investigates optical sensor platforms for protein multiplexing, the ability to analyze multiple analytes simultaneously. Multiplexing is becoming increasingly important for clinical needs because disease and therapeutic response often involve the interplay between a variety of complex biological networks encompassing multiple, rather than single, proteins. Multiplexing is generally achieved through one of two routes, either through spatial separation on a surface (different wells or spots or with the use of unique identifiers/labels (such as spectral separation—different colored dyes, or unique beads—size or color. The strengths and weaknesses of conventional platforms such as immunoassays and new platforms involving protein arrays and lab-on-a-chip technology, including commercially-available devices, are discussed. Three major public health concerns are identified whereby detecting medically-relevant markers using Point-of-Care (POC multiplex assays could potentially allow for a more efficient diagnosis and treatment of diseases.

  5. [Combined G-banded karyotyping and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification for the detection of chromosomal abnormalities in fetuses with congenital heart defects].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yang; Xie, Jiansheng; Geng, Qian; Xu, Zhiyong; Wu, Weiqin; Luo, Fuwei; Li, Suli; Wang, Qin; Chen, Wubin; Tan, Hongxi; Zhang, Hu

    2017-02-10

    To assess the value of G-banded karyotyping in combination with multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) as a tool for the detection of chromosomal abnormalities in fetuses with congenital heart defects. The combined method was used to analyze 104 fetuses with heart malformations identified by ultrasonography. Abnormal findings were confirmed with chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA). Nineteen (18%) fetuses were found to harbor chromosomal aberrations by G-banded karyotyping and MLPA. For 93 cases, CMA has detected abnormalities in 14 cases including 10 pathogenic copy number variations (CNVs) and 4 CNVs of uncertain significance (VOUS). MLPA was able to detect all of the pathogenic CNVs and 1 VOUS CNV. Combined use of G-banded karyotyping and MLPA is a rapid, low-cost and effective method to detect chromosomal abnormalities in fetuses with various heart malformations.

  6. Simultaneous detection of viruses and Toxoplasma gondii in cerebrospinal fluid specimens by multiplex polymerase chain reaction-based reverse hybridization assay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Del Prete, Raffaele; Di Taranto, Anna Maria; Lipsi, Maria Rosaria; Natalicchio, Maria Iole; Antonetti, Raffaele; Miragliotta, Giuseppe

    2009-04-01

    The lack of rapidity and the low sensitivity and specificity of traditional laboratory methods limits their usefulness in the laboratory diagnosis of viral central nervous system (CNS) infections. This study describes the use of a commercially available multiplex polymerase chain reaction (mPCR)-based reverse hybridization assay (RHA) for the simultaneous detection of the genomes of 8 viruses and Toxoplasma gondii in cerebrospinal fluids (CSF) from 181 patients suspected of having viral meningitis. Twenty-two/181 (12.15%) CSF samples resulted positive by mPCR. Eighteen/22 were positive for 1 viral pathogen, whereas a dual infection was detected in 4/22 samples. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) was the most commonly detected virus (6/22), followed by herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) (5/22) and -2 (HSV-2) (4/22). Cytomegalovirus (CMV), human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6), and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) were detected in 1 specimen each. Two CSF samples were co-infected by HSV-1/HSV-2, 1 sample by HHV-6/T. gondii, and 1 sample by EBV/EV, respectively. Our data support the usefulness of mPCR as a rapid molecular method for the simultaneous detection of major viral pathogens and T. gondii in aseptic meningitis also to allow the earlier application of specific antiviral therapy.

  7. Rapid aneuploidy diagnosis by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification and array comparative genomic hybridization in pregnancy with major congenital malformations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chih-Ping Chen

    2011-03-01

    Conclusions: Prenatal diagnosis of major congenital malformations should alert one to the possibility of chromosomal abnormalities. Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification and aCGH have the advantage of rapid aneuploidy diagnosis of common aneuploidies in cases with major congenital malformations.

  8. Multiplex reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction combined with on-chip electrophoresis as a rapid screening tool for candidate gene sets

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wittig, Rainer; Salowsky, Rüdiger; Blaich, Stephanie

    2005-01-01

    Combining multiplex reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (mRT-PCR) with microfluidic amplicon analysis, we developed an assay for the rapid and reliable semiquantitative expression screening of 11 candidate genes for drug resistance in human malignant melanoma. The functionality of thi...

  9. Multiplex Real-Time qPCR Assay for Simultaneous and Sensitive Detection of Phytoplasmas in Sesame Plants and Insect Vectors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ikten, Cengiz; Ustun, Rustem; Catal, Mursel; Yol, Engin; Uzun, Bulent

    2016-01-01

    Phyllody, a destructive and economically important disease worldwide caused by phytoplasma infections, is characterized by the abnormal development of floral structures into stunted leafy parts and contributes to serious losses in crop plants, including sesame (Sesamum indicum L.). Accurate identification, differentiation, and quantification of phyllody-causing phytoplasmas are essential for effective management of this plant disease and for selection of resistant sesame varieties. In this study, a diagnostic multiplex qPCR assay was developed using TaqMan® chemistry based on detection of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene of phytoplasmas and the 18S ribosomal gene of sesame. Phytoplasma and sesame specific primers and probes labeled with different fluorescent dyes were used for simultaneous amplification of 16SrII and 16SrIX phytoplasmas in a single tube. The multiplex real-time qPCR assay allowed accurate detection, differentiation, and quantification of 16SrII and 16SrIX groups in 109 sesame plant and 92 insect vector samples tested. The assay was found to have a detection sensitivity of 1.8 x 102 and 1.6 x 102 DNA copies for absolute quantification of 16SrII and 16SrIX group phytoplasmas, respectively. Relative quantification was effective and reliable for determination of phyllody phytoplasma DNA amounts normalized to sesame DNA in infected plant tissues. The development of this qPCR assay provides a method for the rapid measurement of infection loads to identify resistance levels of sesame genotypes against phyllody phytoplasma disease.

  10. A Multiplex RT-PCR Assay for S. aureus, L. monocytogenes, and Salmonella spp. Detection in Raw Milk with Pre-enrichment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tian Ding

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available This study firstly developed a multiplex real-time PCR (RT-PCR technique combined with a pre-enrichment step to simultaneously detect Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus, Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. in raw milk and the dairy farm environment (feces, soil, feed, water in one reaction. Brain heart infusion (BHI broth was selected for the enrichment step to increase the density of the target bacteria by using an incubation of 4 h before multiplex RT-PCR. The results showed that the detection limit of the multiplex real-time assay was approximately 102 CFU/mL for pure cultures and artificially contaminated milk without enrichment, while 12, 14, and 10 CFU/25 mL, respectively, for S. aureus, L. monocytogenes, and Salmonella spp. after pre-enrichment. The newly developed multiplex RT-PCR assay was applied to 46 dairy farm environmental samples and raw milk samples covering a wide variety of sample types. The results demonstrated that the multiplex RT-PCR assay coupled with the BHI enrichment broth was suitable for the simultaneous screening of S. aureus, L. monocytogenes, and Salmonella spp. in the pasture environment and in raw milk. The multiplex RT-PCR assay clearly and successfully shortened the total detection time and reduced labor compared to conventional culture-based methods for testing natural samples.

  11. Detection and Typing of Human Papilloma Viruses by Nested Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay in Cervical Cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jalal Kiani, Seyed; Shatizadeh Malekshahi, Somayeh; Yousefi Ghalejoogh, Zohreh; Ghavvami, Nastaran; Shafiei Jandaghi, Nazanin Zahra; Shahsiah, Reza; Jahanzad, Isa; Yavarian, Jila

    2015-01-01

    Background: Cervical cancer is the leading cause of death from cancer in under-developed countries. Human papilloma virus (HPV) 16 and 18 are the most prevalent types associated with carcinogenesis in the cervix. Conventional Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), type-specific and consensus primer-based PCR followed by sequencing, Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) or hybridization by specific probes are common methods for HPV detection and typing. In addition, some researchers have developed a multiplex PCR for simultaneous detection and typing of different HPVs. Objectives: The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of HPV infection and its types in cervical Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) using the Nested Multiplex PCR (NMPCR) assay. Patients and Methods: Sixty-six samples with histologically confirmed SCC were evaluated. Total DNA was isolated by phenol–chloroform extraction and ethanol precipitation. Nested multiplex PCR was performed with first-round PCR by GP-E6/E7 consensus primers for amplification of the genomic DNA of all known mucosal HPV genotypes and second-round PCR by type-specific multiplex PCR primer cocktails. Results: Human papilloma virus infection was detected in 78.8% of samples, with the highest prevalence of HPV 16 (60.6%) while concurrent infections with two types was detected in 10.6%. Conclusions: The NMPCR assay is more convenient and easy for analysis of results, which is important for fast diagnosis and patient management, in a type-specific manner. PMID:26865940

  12. Rapid Detection of Chlamydia trachomatis and Typing of the Lymphogranuloma venereum associated L-Serovars by TaqMan PCR

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Henrich Birgit

    2008-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Infection due to Chlamydia trachomatis is the most common sexually transmitted bacterial disease of global health significance, and especially the L-serovars causing lymphogranuloma venereum are increasingly being found in Europe in men who have sex with men. Results The design and evaluation of a rapid, multiplex, real-time PCR targeting the major outer membrane protein (omp-1 -gene and a L-serovar-specific region of the polymorphic protein H (pmp-H -gene for the detection of Chlamydia trachomatis is reported here. The PCR takes place as a single reaction with an internal control. For L1-, L2- and L3-serovar differentiation a second set of real-time PCRs was evaluated based on the amplification of serovar-specific omp-1-regions. The detection limit of each real-time PCR, multiplexed or not, was 50 genome copies per reaction with an efficiency ranging from 90,5–95,2%. In a retrospective analysis of 50 ocular, rectal and urogenital specimens formerly tested to be positive for C. trachomatis we identified six L2-serovars in rectal specimens of HIV-positive men, one in a double-infection with L3, and one L2 in a urethral specimen of an HIV-negative male. Conclusion This unique real-time PCR is specific and convenient for the rapid routine-diagnostic detection of lymphogranuloma venereum-associated L-serovars and enables the subsequent differentiation of L1, L2 and L3 for epidemiologic studies.

  13. Rapid Detection of Chlamydia trachomatis and Typing of the Lymphogranuloma venereum associated L-Serovars by TaqMan PCR

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schaeffer, Anke; Henrich, Birgit

    2008-01-01

    Background Infection due to Chlamydia trachomatis is the most common sexually transmitted bacterial disease of global health significance, and especially the L-serovars causing lymphogranuloma venereum are increasingly being found in Europe in men who have sex with men. Results The design and evaluation of a rapid, multiplex, real-time PCR targeting the major outer membrane protein (omp-1) -gene and a L-serovar-specific region of the polymorphic protein H (pmp-H) -gene for the detection of Chlamydia trachomatis is reported here. The PCR takes place as a single reaction with an internal control. For L1-, L2- and L3-serovar differentiation a second set of real-time PCRs was evaluated based on the amplification of serovar-specific omp-1-regions. The detection limit of each real-time PCR, multiplexed or not, was 50 genome copies per reaction with an efficiency ranging from 90,5–95,2%. In a retrospective analysis of 50 ocular, rectal and urogenital specimens formerly tested to be positive for C. trachomatis we identified six L2-serovars in rectal specimens of HIV-positive men, one in a double-infection with L3, and one L2 in a urethral specimen of an HIV-negative male. Conclusion This unique real-time PCR is specific and convenient for the rapid routine-diagnostic detection of lymphogranuloma venereum-associated L-serovars and enables the subsequent differentiation of L1, L2 and L3 for epidemiologic studies. PMID:18447917

  14. Targeted deposition of antibodies on a multiplex CMOS microarray and optimization of a sensitive immunoassay using electrochemical detection.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    John Cooper

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available The CombiMatrix ElectraSense microarray is a highly multiplex, complementary metal oxide semiconductor with 12,544 electrodes that are individually addressable. This platform is commercially available as a custom DNA microarray; and, in this configuration, it has also been used to tether antibodies (Abs specifically on electrodes using complementary DNA sequences conjugated to the Abs.An empirical method is described for developing and optimizing immunoassays on the CombiMatrix ElectraSense microarray based upon targeted deposition of polypyrrole (Ppy and capture Ab. This process was automated using instrumentation that can selectively apply a potential or current to individual electrodes and also measure current generated at the electrodes by an enzyme-enhanced electrochemical (ECD reaction. By designating groups of electrodes on the array for different Ppy deposition conditions, we determined that the sensitivity and specificity of a sandwich immunoassay for staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB is influenced by the application of different voltages or currents and the application time. The sandwich immunoassay used a capture Ab adsorbed to the Ppy and a reporter Ab labeled for fluorescence detection or ECD, and results from these methods of detection were different.Using Ppy deposition conditions for optimum results, the lower limit of detection for SEB using the ECD assay was between 0.003 and 0.01 pg/ml, which represents an order of magnitude improvement over a conventional enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay. In the absence of understanding the variables and complexities that affect assay performance, this highly multiplexed electrode array provided a rapid, high throughput, and empirical approach for developing a sensitive immunoassay.

  15. Detection of Lymnaea columella infection by Fasciola hepatica through Multiplex-PCR

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kelly Grace Magalhães

    2004-06-01

    Full Text Available From complete mitochondrial DNA sequence of Fasciola hepatica available in Genbank, specific primers were designed for a conserved and repetitive region of this trematode. A pair of primers was used for diagnosis of infected Lymnaea columella by F. hepatica during the pre-patent period simultaneously with another pair of primers which amplified the internal transcribed spacer (ITS region of rDNA from L. columella in a single Multiplex-PCR. The amplification generated a ladder band profile specific for F. hepatica. This profile was observed in positive molluscs at different times of infection, including adult worms from the trematode. The Multiplex-PCR technique showed to be a fast and safe tool for fascioliasis diagnosis, enabling the detection of F. hepatica miracidia in L. columella during the pre-patent period and identification of transmission areas.

  16. A multiplex PCR method for detection of Aspergillus spp. and Mycobacterium tuberculosis in BAL specimens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amini, F; Kachuei, R; Noorbakhsh, F; Imani Fooladi, A A

    2015-06-01

    The aim of this study was the detection of Aspergillus species and Mycobacterium tuberculosis together in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) using of multiplex PCR. In this study, from September 2012 until June 2013, 100 bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) specimens were collected from patients suspected of tuberculosis (TB). After the direct and culture test, multiplex PCR were utilized in order to diagnose Aspergillus species and M. tuberculosis. Phenol-chloroform manual method was used in order to extract DNA from these microorganisms. Aspergillus specific primers, M. tuberculosis designed primers and beta actin primers were used for multiplex PCR. In this study, by multiplex PCR method, Aspergillus species were identified in 12 samples (12%), positive samples in direct and culture test were respectively 11% and 10%. Sensitivity and specificity of this method in comparison to direct test were respectively 100% and 98.8%, also sensitivity and specificity of this method in comparison to culture test were respectively 100% and 97.7%. In this assay, M. tuberculosis was identified in 8 samples (8%). Mycobacterium-positive samples in molecular method, direct and culture test were respectively 6%, 5% and 7%. Sensitivity and specificity of PCR method in comparison to direct test were 80% and 97.8% also sensitivity and specificity of this method in comparison to culture test was 71.4% and 98.9%. In the present study, multiplex PCR method had higher sensitivity than direct and culture test in order to identify and detect Aspergillus, also this method had lower sensitivity for identification of M. tuberculosis, suggesting that the method of DNA extraction was not suitable. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  17. A one-step multiplex RT-PCR assay for simultaneous detection of four viruses that infect peach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Y; Zhao, Z; Jiang, D; Wu, Z; Li, S

    2013-10-01

    A multiplex reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (mRT-PCR) assay was developed to enable the simultaneous detection and differentiation of four viruses that infect peach, namely Apple chlorotic leaf spot virus (ACLSV), Cherry green ring mottle virus (CGRMV), Prunus necrotic ringspot virus (PNRSV) and Apricot pseudo-chlorotic leaf spot virus (APCLSV). In this study, four pairs of primers, one specific for each virus, were designed; the corresponding PCR products were 632, 439, 346 and 282 bp in length for ACLSV, CGRMV, PNRSV and APCLSV, respectively, and the fragments could be distinguished clearly by agarose gel electrophoresis. The sensitivity and specificity of the method were tested using individual RT-PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the identity of the RT-PCR amplification products was also confirmed by DNA sequencing. The results of RT-PCR and ELISA, along with batch detection using samples collected from peach orchards, revealed that this rapid and simple technique is an effective way to identify the four viruses simultaneously. The mRT-PCR assay described in this study was developed for the simultaneous detection of four peach viruses from infected peach samples is reliable and sensitive. In contrast to conventional uniplex RT-PCR, mRT-PCR is more efficient, reducing costs, time and handling when testing large numbers of samples. This rapid and simple method is useful for large-scale surveys of viruses that infect peach. © 2013 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

  18. Gold nanoparticle-enhanced multiplexed imaging surface plasmon resonance (iSPR) detection of Fusarium mycotoxins in wheat

    Science.gov (United States)

    A rapid, sensitive and multiplexed imaging surface plasmon resonance (iSPR) biosensor assay was developed and validated for three Fusarium toxins, deoxynivalenol (DON), zearalenone (ZEA) and T-2 toxin. The iSPR assay was based on a competitive inhibition format with secondary antibodies (Ab2) conjug...

  19. Detection of Shiga toxins genes by Multiplex PCR in clinical samples

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available Background: Different methods have been used for detection of shiga toxins; such as,  cell culture, ELISA, and RFPLA. However, all of these methods suffer from high cost, time-consumption and relatively low sensitivity. In this study we used Multiplex PCR method for detection of genes encoding shiga toxins. Material and Methods: In this study, 63 clinical samples were obtained from positive cultures of Shigella and E. coli O157, from Bahman 1391 until Ordibehesht 1392 in Mazandaran province. Initial confirmation of shiga toxins producing bacteria was performed by biochemical and serological methods. After DNA extraction, detection of stx1 and stx2 genes was accomplished by multiplex PCR.  For confirmation of the PCR amplicon, DNA sequencing was used. Antibiotic sensitivity tests were performed by disk diffusion method. Results:  Among the positive strains, 13 strains contained stx2 genes, 4 strains contained Stx/Stx1 genes and 4 strains harbored both Stx/Stx1 and Stx2. The DNA extracted from other Gram-negative bacteria was not protected by the relevant parts of these toxins. Sequencing of the amplified fragments indicated the correct toxin sequences.  The sensitivity for identification of Stx/Stx1 gene was 1.56 pg/ µl and for Stx2 was 1.08 pg/µl. The toxin positive strains were all sensitive to Cefixime, Gentamicin, Amikacin, Ceftriaxone, and Nitrofurantoin. Conclusion: This method is fast and accurate for detection of bacteria producing shiga toxin and can be used to identify different types of shiga toxin.

  20. Multiplex fluorescence melting curve analysis for mutation detection with dual-labeled, self-quenched probes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qiuying Huang

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Probe-based fluorescence melting curve analysis (FMCA is a powerful tool for mutation detection based on melting temperature generated by thermal denaturation of the probe-target hybrid. Nevertheless, the color multiplexing, probe design, and cross-platform compatibility remain to be limited by using existing probe chemistries. We hereby explored two dual-labeled, self-quenched probes, TaqMan and shared-stem molecular beacons, in their ability to conduct FMCA. Both probes could be directly used for FMCA and readily integrated with closed-tube amplicon hybridization under asymmetric PCR conditions. Improved flexibility of FMCA by using these probes was illustrated in three representative applications of FMCA: mutation scanning, mutation identification and mutation genotyping, all of which achieved improved color-multiplexing with easy probe design and versatile probe combination and all were validated with a large number of real clinical samples. The universal cross-platform compatibility of these probes-based FMCA was also demonstrated by a 4-color mutation genotyping assay performed on five different real-time PCR instruments. The dual-labeled, self-quenched probes offered unprecedented combined advantage of enhanced multiplexing, improved flexibility in probe design, and expanded cross-platform compatibility, which would substantially improve FMCA in mutation detection of various applications.

  1. Dual-excitation upconverting nanoparticle and quantum dot aptasensor for multiplexed food pathogen detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurt, Hasan; Yüce, Meral; Hussain, Babar; Budak, Hikmet

    2016-07-15

    In this report, a dual-excitation sensing method was developed using aptamer-functionalized quantum dots and upconverting nanoparticles, exhibiting Stokes and anti-Stokes type excitation profiles, respectively. Conjugation of the aptamer-functionalized luminescent nanoparticles with the magnetic beads, comprising short DNA sequences that were partially complementary to the aptamer sequences, enabled facile separation of the analyte-free conjugates for fluorescent measurement. UV-Visible spectroscopy, Circular Dichroism spectroscopy, Dynamic Light Scattering and Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis techniques were used to characterize the aptamer probes developed. The target-specific luminescent conjugates were applied for multiplex detection of model food pathogens, Salmonella typhimurium, and Staphylococcus aureus, in which the fluorescent emission spectra were obtained under UV excitation at 325nm for quantum dots and NIR excitation at 980nm for upconverting nanoparticles, respectively. The dual-excitation strategy was aimed to minimize cross-talk between the luminescent signals for multiplexed detection, and yielded limit of detection values of 16 and 28cfumL(-1) for Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella typhimurium, respectively. By employing a greater number of quantum dots and upconverting nanoparticles with non-overlapping fluorescent emissions, the proposed methodology might be exploited further to detect several analytes, simultaneously. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Simultaneous differential detection of Chlamydophila abortus, Chlamydophila pecorum and Coxiella burnetii from aborted ruminant's clinical samples using multiplex PCR

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rodolakis Annie

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Chlamydiosis and Q fever, two zoonosis, are important causes of ruminants' abortion around the world. They are caused respectively by strictly intracellular and Gram negative bacterium Chlamydophila abortus (Cp. abortus and Coxiella burnetii (C. burnetii. Chlamydophila pecorum (Cp. pecorum is commonly isolated from the digestive tract of clinically inconspicuous ruminants but the abortive and zoonotic impact of this bacterium is still unknown because Cp. pecorum is rarely suspected in abortion cases of small ruminants. We have developed a multiplex PCR (m-PCR for rapid simultaneous differential detection of Cp. abortus, Cp. pecorum and C. burnetii in clinical samples taken from infected animals. Results Specific PCR primers were designed and a sensitive and specific m-PCR was developed to detect simultaneously, in one tube reaction, three specific fragments of 821, 526 and 687-bp long for Cp. abortus, Cp. pecorum and C. burnetii respectively. This m-PCR assay was performed on 253 clinical samples taken from infected ruminant's flocks that have showed problems of abortion diseases. Thus, 67 samples were infected by either one of the three pathogens: 16 (13 vaginal swabs and 3 placentas were positive for Cp. abortus, 2 were positive for Cp. pecorum (1 vaginal swab and 1 placenta and 49 samples (33 vaginal swabs, 11 raw milks, 4 faeces and 1 placenta were positive for C. burnetii. Two vaginal swabs were m-PCR positive of both Cp. abortus and C. burnetii and none of the tested samples was shown to be infected simultaneously with the three pathogens. Conclusion We have successfully developed a rapid multiplex PCR that can detect and differentiate Cp. abortus, Cp. pecorum and C. burnetii; with a good sensitivity and specificity. The diagnosis of chlamydiosis and Q fever may be greatly simplified and performed at low cost. In addition, the improvement in diagnostic techniques will enhance our knowledge regarding the prevalence and

  3. Molecular detection of β-lactamase and integron genes in clinical strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae by multiplex polymerase chain reaction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mansour Sedighi

    Full Text Available Abstract INTRODUCTION: Infections caused by β-lactamase-producing gram-negative bacteria, such as Klebsiella pneumoniae, are increasing globally with high morbidity and mortality. The aim of the current study was to determine antimicrobial susceptibility patterns and the prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes (β-lactamase and integron genes using multiplex PCR. METHODS One-hundred K. pneumoniae isolates were collected from different clinical samples. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed with thirteen different antibiotics. Multiplex-PCR was used to detect β-lactamase (bla TEM, bla CTX-M, bla SHV , bla VEB, bla PER, bla GES, bla VIM, bla IMP, bla OXA, and bla KPC and integron genes (int I, int II, and int III. RESULTS: The highest and lowest rate of resistance was exhibited against amikacin (93% and imipenem (8%, respectively. The frequency of β-lactamase-positive K. pneumoniae was 37%, and the prevalence of the bla TEM, bla CTX-M, bla SHV , bla VEB, bla PER, bla GES, bla VIM, bla IMP, bla OXA, and bla KPC genes was 38%, 24%, 19%, 12%, 6%, 11%, 33%, 0%, 28%, and 23%, respectively. Of the 100 isolates, eight (8% were positive for class I integrons; however, class II and III integrons were not detected in any of the strains. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate co-carriage of a number of β-lactamase genes and antibiotic resistance integrons on the same plasmids harboring multi-drug resistance genes. It seems that these properties help to decrease treatment complications due to resistant bacterial infections by rapid detection, infection-control programs and prevention of transmission of drug resistance.

  4. Multiplex Real-Time qPCR Assay for Simultaneous and Sensitive Detection of Phytoplasmas in Sesame Plants and Insect Vectors.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cengiz Ikten

    Full Text Available Phyllody, a destructive and economically important disease worldwide caused by phytoplasma infections, is characterized by the abnormal development of floral structures into stunted leafy parts and contributes to serious losses in crop plants, including sesame (Sesamum indicum L.. Accurate identification, differentiation, and quantification of phyllody-causing phytoplasmas are essential for effective management of this plant disease and for selection of resistant sesame varieties. In this study, a diagnostic multiplex qPCR assay was developed using TaqMan® chemistry based on detection of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene of phytoplasmas and the 18S ribosomal gene of sesame. Phytoplasma and sesame specific primers and probes labeled with different fluorescent dyes were used for simultaneous amplification of 16SrII and 16SrIX phytoplasmas in a single tube. The multiplex real-time qPCR assay allowed accurate detection, differentiation, and quantification of 16SrII and 16SrIX groups in 109 sesame plant and 92 insect vector samples tested. The assay was found to have a detection sensitivity of 1.8 x 102 and 1.6 x 102 DNA copies for absolute quantification of 16SrII and 16SrIX group phytoplasmas, respectively. Relative quantification was effective and reliable for determination of phyllody phytoplasma DNA amounts normalized to sesame DNA in infected plant tissues. The development of this qPCR assay provides a method for the rapid measurement of infection loads to identify resistance levels of sesame genotypes against phyllody phytoplasma disease.

  5. Multiplexed detection of DNA sequences using a competitive displacement assay in a microfluidic SERRS-based device.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yazdi, Soroush H; Giles, Kristen L; White, Ian M

    2013-11-05

    We demonstrate sensitive and multiplexed detection of DNA sequences through a surface enhanced resonance Raman spectroscopy (SERRS)-based competitive displacement assay in an integrated microsystem. The use of the competitive displacement scheme, in which the target DNA sequence displaces a Raman-labeled reporter sequence that has lower affinity for the immobilized probe, enables detection of unlabeled target DNA sequences with a simple single-step procedure. In our implementation, the displacement reaction occurs in a microporous packed column of silica beads prefunctionalized with probe-reporter pairs. The use of a functionalized packed-bead column in a microfluidic channel provides two major advantages: (i) immobilization surface chemistry can be performed as a batch process instead of on a chip-by-chip basis, and (ii) the microporous network eliminates the diffusion limitations of a typical biological assay, which increases the sensitivity. Packed silica beads are also leveraged to improve the SERRS detection of the Raman-labeled reporter. Following displacement, the reporter adsorbs onto aggregated silver nanoparticles in a microfluidic mixer; the nanoparticle-reporter conjugates are then trapped and concentrated in the silica bead matrix, which leads to a significant increase in plasmonic nanoparticles and adsorbed Raman reporters within the detection volume as compared to an open microfluidic channel. The experimental results reported here demonstrate detection down to 100 pM of the target DNA sequence, and the experiments are shown to be specific, repeatable, and quantitative. Furthermore, we illustrate the advantage of using SERRS by demonstrating multiplexed detection. The sensitivity of the assay, combined with the advantages of multiplexed detection and single-step operation with unlabeled target sequences makes this method attractive for practical applications. Importantly, while we illustrate DNA sequence detection, the SERRS-based competitive

  6. Multiplex real-time PCR for detection, identification and quantification of 'Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum' in potato plants with zebra chip.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Wenbin; Abad, Jorge A; French-Monar, Ronald D; Rascoe, John; Wen, Aimin; Gudmestad, Neil C; Secor, Gary A; Lee, Ing-Ming; Duan, Yongping; Levy, Laurene

    2009-07-01

    The new Liberibacter species, 'Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum' (Lso) recently associated with potato/tomato psyllid-transmitted diseases in tomato and capsicum in New Zealand, was found to be consistently associated with a newly emerging potato zebra chip (ZC) disease in Texas and other southwestern states in the USA. A species-specific primer LsoF was developed for both quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and conventional PCR (cPCR) to detect and quantify Lso in infected samples. In multiplex qPCR, a plant cytochrome oxidase (COX)-based probe-primer set was used as a positive internal control for host plants, which could be used to reliably access the DNA extraction quality and to normalize qPCR data for accurate quantification of the bacterial populations in environment samples. Neither the qPCR nor the cPCR using the primer and/or probe sets with LsoF reacted with other Liberibacter species infecting citrus or other potato pathogens. The low detection limit of the multiplex qPCR was about 20 copies of the target 16S rDNA templates per reaction for field samples. Lso was readily detected and quantified in various tissues of ZC-affected potato plants collected from fields in Texas. A thorough but uneven colonization of Lso was revealed in various tissues of potato plants. The highest Lso populations were about 3x10(8) genomes/g tissue in the root, which were 3-order higher than those in the above-ground tissues of potato plants. The Lso bacterial populations were normally distributed across the ZC-affected potato plants collected from fields in Texas, with 60% of ZC-affected potato plants harboring an average Lso population from 10(5) to 10(6) genomes/g tissue, 4% of plants hosting above 10(7) Lso genomes/g tissue, and 8% of plants holding below 10(3) Lso genomes/g tissue. The rapid, sensitive, specific and reliable multiplex qPCR showed its potential to become a powerful tool for early detection and quantification of the new Liberibacter species associated

  7. Multiplex enrichment quantitative PCR (ME-qPCR): a high-throughput, highly sensitive detection method for GMO identification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, Wei; Zhu, Pengyu; Wei, Shuang; Zhixin, Du; Wang, Chenguang; Wu, Xiyang; Li, Feiwu; Zhu, Shuifang

    2017-04-01

    Among all of the high-throughput detection methods, PCR-based methodologies are regarded as the most cost-efficient and feasible methodologies compared with the next-generation sequencing or ChIP-based methods. However, the PCR-based methods can only achieve multiplex detection up to 15-plex due to limitations imposed by the multiplex primer interactions. The detection throughput cannot meet the demands of high-throughput detection, such as SNP or gene expression analysis. Therefore, in our study, we have developed a new high-throughput PCR-based detection method, multiplex enrichment quantitative PCR (ME-qPCR), which is a combination of qPCR and nested PCR. The GMO content detection results in our study showed that ME-qPCR could achieve high-throughput detection up to 26-plex. Compared to the original qPCR, the Ct values of ME-qPCR were lower for the same group, which showed that ME-qPCR sensitivity is higher than the original qPCR. The absolute limit of detection for ME-qPCR could achieve levels as low as a single copy of the plant genome. Moreover, the specificity results showed that no cross-amplification occurred for irrelevant GMO events. After evaluation of all of the parameters, a practical evaluation was performed with different foods. The more stable amplification results, compared to qPCR, showed that ME-qPCR was suitable for GMO detection in foods. In conclusion, ME-qPCR achieved sensitive, high-throughput GMO detection in complex substrates, such as crops or food samples. In the future, ME-qPCR-based GMO content identification may positively impact SNP analysis or multiplex gene expression of food or agricultural samples. Graphical abstract For the first-step amplification, four primers (A, B, C, and D) have been added into the reaction volume. In this manner, four kinds of amplicons have been generated. All of these four amplicons could be regarded as the target of second-step PCR. For the second-step amplification, three parallels have been taken for

  8. Rapid deployment intrusion detection system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Graham, R.H.

    1997-01-01

    A rapidly deployable security system is one that provides intrusion detection, assessment, communications, and annunciation capabilities; is easy to install and configure; can be rapidly deployed, and is reusable. A rapidly deployable intrusion detection system (RADIDS) has many potential applications within the DOE Complex: back-up protection for failed zones in a perimeter intrusion detection and assessment system, intrusion detection and assessment capabilities in temporary locations, protection of assets during Complex reconfiguration, and protection in hazardous locations, protection of assets during Complex reconfiguration, and protection in hazardous locations. Many DOE user-need documents have indicated an interest in a rapidly deployable intrusion detection system. The purpose of the RADIDS project is to design, develop, and implement such a system. 2 figs

  9. 78 FR 16513 - Application of Advances in Nucleic Acid and Protein Based Detection Methods to Multiplex...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-03-15

    ... Methods to Multiplex Detection of Transfusion- Transmissible Agents and Blood Cell Antigens in Blood... Transfusion-Transmissible Agents and Blood Cell Antigens in Blood Donations; Public Workshop AGENCY: Food and... technological advances in gene based and protein based pathogen and blood cell antigen detection methods and to...

  10. A novel nested multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR assay for differential detection of Entamoeba histolytica, E. moshkovskii and E. dispar DNA in stool samples

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Parija Subhash C

    2007-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background E. histolytica, a pathogenic amoeba, is indistinguishable in its cyst and trophozoite stages from those of non-pathogenic E. moshkovskii and E. dispar by light microscopy. We have developed a nested multiplex PCR targeting a 16S-like rRNA gene for differential detection of all the three morphologically similar forms of E. histolytica, E. moshkovskii and E. dispar simultaneously in stool samples. Results The species specific product size for E. histolytica, E. moshkovskii and E. dispar was 439, 553 and 174 bp respectively, which was clearly different for all the three Entamoeba species. The nested multiplex PCR showed a sensitivity of 94% and specificity of 100% for the demonstration of E. histolytica, E. moshkovskii and E. dispar DNA in stool samples. The PCR was positive for E. histolytica, E. moshkovskii and E. dispar in a total of 190 out of 202 stool specimens (94% sensitive that were positive for E. histolytica/E. dispar/E. moshkovskii by examination of stool by microscopy and/or culture. All the 35 negative control stool samples that were negative for E. histolytica/E. dispar/E. moshkovskii by microscopy and culture were also found negative by the nested multiplex PCR (100% specific. The result from the study shows that only 34.6% of the patient stool samples that were positive for E. histolytica/E. dispar/E. moshkovskii by examination of stool by microscopy and/or culture, were actually positive for pathogenic E. histolytica and the remaining majority of the stool samples were positive for non-pathogenic E. dispar or E. moshkovskii as demonstrated by the use of nested multiplex PCR. Conclusion The present study reports a new nested multiplex PCR strategy for species specific detection and differentiation of E. histolytica, E. dispar and E. moshkovskii DNA in stool specimens. The test is highly specific, sensitive and also rapid, providing the results within 12 hours of receiving stool specimens.

  11. Quantitative and multiplexed detection for blood typing based on quantum dot-magnetic bead assay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Ting; Zhang, Qiang; Fan, Ya-Han; Li, Ru-Qing; Lu, Hua; Zhao, Shu-Ming; Jiang, Tian-Lun

    2017-01-01

    Accurate and reliable blood grouping is essential for safe blood transfusion. However, conventional methods are qualitative and use only single-antigen detection. We overcame these limitations by developing a simple, quantitative, and multiplexed detection method for blood grouping using quantum dots (QDs) and magnetic beads. In the QD fluorescence assay (QFA), blood group A and B antigens were quantified using QD labeling and magnetic beads, and the blood groups were identified according to the R value (the value was calculated with the fluorescence intensity from dual QD labeling) of A and B antigens. The optimized performance of QFA was established by blood typing 791 clinical samples. Quantitative and multiplexed detection for blood group antigens can be completed within 35 min with more than 10 5 red blood cells. When conditions are optimized, the assay performance is satisfactory for weak samples. The coefficients of variation between and within days were less than 10% and the reproducibility was good. The ABO blood groups of 791 clinical samples were identified by QFA, and the accuracy obtained was 100% compared with the tube test. Receiver-operating characteristic curves revealed that the QFA has high sensitivity and specificity toward clinical samples, and the cutoff points of the R value of A and B antigens were 1.483 and 1.576, respectively. In this study, we reported a novel quantitative and multiplexed method for the identification of ABO blood groups and presented an effective alternative for quantitative blood typing. This method can be used as an effective tool to improve blood typing and further guarantee clinical transfusion safety.

  12. Molecular identification of common Salmonella serovars using multiplex DNA sensor-based suspension array.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aydin, Muhsin; Carter-Conger, Jacqueline; Gao, Ning; Gilmore, David F; Ricke, Steven C; Ahn, Soohyoun

    2018-04-01

    Salmonella is one of major foodborne pathogens and the leading cause of foodborne illness-related hospitalizations and deaths. It is critical to develop a sensitive and rapid detection assay that can identify Salmonella to ensure food safety. In this study, a DNA sensor-based suspension array system of high multiplexing ability was developed to identify eight Salmonella serovars commonly associated with foodborne outbreaks to the serotype level. Each DNA sensor was prepared by activating pre-encoded microspheres with oligonucleotide probes that are targeting virulence genes and serovar-specific regions. The mixture of 12 different types of DNA sensors were loaded into a 96-well microplate and used as a 12-plex DNA sensor array platform. DNA isolated from Salmonella was amplified by multiplex polymerase chain reaction (mPCR), and the presence of Salmonella was determined by reading fluorescent signals from hybridization between probes on DNA sensors and fluorescently labeled target DNA using the Bio-Plex® system. The developed multiplex array was able to detect synthetic DNA at the concentration as low as 100 fM and various Salmonella serovars as low as 100 CFU/mL within 1 h post-PCR. Sensitivity of this assay was further improved to 1 CFU/mL with 6-h enrichment. The array system also correctly and specifically identified serotype of tested Salmonella strains without any cross-reactivity with other common foodborne pathogens. Our results indicate the developed DNA sensor suspension array can be a rapid and reliable high-throughput method for simultaneous detection and molecular identification of common Salmonella serotypes.

  13. Multiplexed microRNA detection using lanthanide-labeled DNA probes and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    de Bang, Thomas Christian; Shah, Pratik; Cho, Seok Keun

    2014-01-01

    coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS). Three miRNAs from Arabidopsis thaliana were analyzed simultaneously with high specificity, and the sensitivity of the method was comparable to radioactive detection (low femtomol range). The perspective of the developed method is highly multiplexed......In the past decade, microRNAs (miRNAs) have drawn increasing attention due to their role in regulation of gene expression. Especially, their potential as biomarkers in disease diagnostics has motivated miRNA research, including the development of simple, accurate, and sensitive detection methods....... The narrow size range of miRNAs (20-24 nucleotides) combined with the chemical properties of conventional reporter tags has hampered the development of multiplexed miRNA assays. In this study, we have used lanthanide-labeled DNA probes for the detection of miRNAs on membranes using laser ablation inductively...

  14. Functionalization of optical nanotip arrays with an electrochemical microcantilever for multiplexed DNA detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Descamps, Emeline; Duroure, Nathalie; Deiss, Frédérique; Leichlé, Thierry; Adam, Catherine; Mailley, Pascal; Aït-Ikhlef, Ali; Livache, Thierry; Nicu, Liviu; Sojic, Neso

    2013-08-07

    Optical nanotip arrays fabricated on etched fiber bundles were functionalized with DNA spots. Such unconventional substrates (3D and non-planar) are difficult to pattern with standard microfabrication techniques but, using an electrochemical cantilever, up to 400 spots were electrodeposited on the nanostructured optical surface in 5 min. This approach allows each spot to be addressed individually and multiplexed fluorescence detection is demonstrated. Finally, remote fluorescence detection was performed by imaging through the optical fiber bundle itself after hybridisation with the complementary sequence.

  15. Simultaneous detection of peanut and hazelnut allergens in food matrices using multiplex PCR method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eva Renčová

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Multiplex PCR analysis for the detection of two targeting segments of genes coding major food protein allergens as peanut (Arachis hypogaea Ara h 1 gene and hazelnut (Corylus avellana Cor a 1 gene was developed. Two sets of primers were designed and tested to their specificity on a broad range of ingredients. The identity of amplicons (Ara h 1- 180 bp, Cor a 1 – 258 bp by sequencing and alignment of sequences with sequences deposited in Genbank was confirmed. When testing the specificity of designed primer pairs on a spectrum of food ingredients, no cross reactions were detected. A potential inhibition of PCR reaction was eliminated using the universal plant primers of chloroplast gene 124 bp for the plant matrices confirmation. The intrinsic detection limit was 10 pg·ml-1 and the practical detection limit was 0.001% w/w (10 mg·kg-1 for both peanuts and hazelnuts. The method was applied to the investigation of 60 commercial food samples. The developed multiplex PCR method is cheap, specific and sensitive enough and can be used as a simple, one day procedure for the checking of undeclared peanut and hazelnut major allergens in food.

  16. Synovial fluid multiplex PCR is superior to culture for detection of low-virulent pathogens causing periprosthetic joint infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morgenstern, Christian; Cabric, Sabrina; Perka, Carsten; Trampuz, Andrej; Renz, Nora

    2018-02-01

    Analysis of joint aspirate is the standard preoperative investigation for diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). We compared the diagnostic performance of culture and multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of synovial fluid for diagnosis of PJI. Patients in whom aspiration of the prosthetic hip or knee joint was performed before revision arthroplasty were prospectively included. The performance of synovial fluid culture and multiplex PCR was compared by McNemar's chi-squared test. A total of 142 patients were included, 82 with knee and 60 with hip prosthesis. PJI was diagnosed in 77 patients (54%) and aseptic failure in 65 patients (46%). The sensitivity of synovial fluid culture and PCR was 52% and 60%, respectively, showing concordant results in 116 patients (82%). In patients with PJI, PCR missed 6 high-virulent pathogens (S. aureus, streptococci, E. faecalis, E. coli) which grew in synovial fluid culture, whereas synovial fluid culture missed 12 pathogens detected by multiplex PCR, predominantly low-virulent pathogens (Cutibacterium acnes and coagulase-negative staphylococci). In patients with aseptic failure, PCR detected 6 low-virulent organisms (predominantly C. acnes). While the overall performance of synovial fluid PCR was comparable to culture, PCR was superior for detection of low-virulent bacteria such as Cutibacterium spp. and coagulase-negative staphylococci. In addition, synovial fluid culture required several days for growth, whereas multiplex PCR provided results within 5hours in an automated manner. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Validation of the performance of a GMO multiplex screening assay based on microarray detection

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Leimanis, S.; Hamels, S.; Naze, F.; Mbongolo, G.; Sneyers, M.; Hochegger, R.; Broll, H.; Roth, L.; Dallmann, K.; Micsinai, A.; Dijk, van J.P.; Kok, E.J.

    2008-01-01

    A new screening method for the detection and identification of GMO, based on the use of multiplex PCR followed by microarray, has been developed and is presented. The technology is based on the identification of quite ubiquitous GMO genetic target elements first amplified by PCR, followed by direct

  18. Multiplex PCR-based assay for detection of Bordetella pertussis in nasopharyngeal swab specimens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wadowsky, R M; Michaels, R H; Libert, T; Kingsley, L A; Ehrlich, G D

    1996-11-01

    A multiplex PCR-based assay was developed for the detection of Bordetella pertussis in nasopharyngeal swab specimens. The assay simultaneously amplified two separate DNA targets (153 and 203 bp) within a B. pertussis repetitive element and a 438-bp target within the beta-actin gene of human DNA (PCR amplification control). PCR products were detected by a sensitive and specific liquid hybridization gel retardation assay. A total of 496 paired nasopharyngeal swab specimens were tested by both the PCR-based assay and culture. Although 30 (6%) of the specimens inhibited the amplification of the beta-actin target, in all 29 specimens studied, the inhibition disappeared on repeat testing or was easily overcome with a 1:8 dilution or less of specimen digest. Of the 495 specimen pairs yielding a final evaluable result by the PCR-based assay, 19.0% were positive by the PCR-based assay, whereas 13.9% were positive by culture (P < 0.0001). After resolving the PCR-positive, culture-negative results by testing an additional aliquot from these specimens by the multiplex PCR-based assay, the PCR-based assay had a sensitivity and specificity of 98.9 and 99.7%, respectively, compared with values of 73.4 and 100%, respectively, for culture. In comparison with patients with culture-confirmed pertussis, those with PCR-positive, culture-negative results were older and more likely to have had prolonged cough, immunization with pertussis vaccine, or treatment with erythromycin. This multiplex PCR-based assay is substantially more sensitive than culture and identifies specimens that contain inhibitors of PCR.

  19. Multiplex real-time PCR for identification of canine parvovirus antigenic types.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaur, Gurpreet; Chandra, Mudit; Dwivedi, P N; Narang, Deepti

    2016-07-01

    Canine parvovirus (CPV) is an important disease causing gastroenteritis and/or haemorrhagic gastroenteritis in dogs. There are four antigenic types of CPV reported worldwide viz. CPV 2, CPV 2a, CPV 2b and CPV 2c. The diagnosis of CPV with the identification of the antigen type responsible remains problematic. In the present study, identification as well as antigenic typing of CPV was done using a de novo multiplex real time PCR to combat the problem of antigenic type identification. From the study it could be concluded that the here developed multiplex real time PCR assay could be used for rapid detection of CPV as well as typing of its three antigenic types. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Massively multiplexed microbial identification using resequencing DNA microarrays for outbreak investigation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leski, T. A.; Ansumana, R.; Jimmy, D. H.; Bangura, U.; Malanoski, A. P.; Lin, B.; Stenger, D. A.

    2011-06-01

    Multiplexed microbial diagnostic assays are a promising method for detection and identification of pathogens causing syndromes characterized by nonspecific symptoms in which traditional differential diagnosis is difficult. Also such assays can play an important role in outbreak investigations and environmental screening for intentional or accidental release of biothreat agents, which requires simultaneous testing for hundreds of potential pathogens. The resequencing pathogen microarray (RPM) is an emerging technological platform, relying on a combination of massively multiplex PCR and high-density DNA microarrays for rapid detection and high-resolution identification of hundreds of infectious agents simultaneously. The RPM diagnostic system was deployed in Sierra Leone, West Africa in collaboration with Njala University and Mercy Hospital Research Laboratory located in Bo. We used the RPM-Flu microarray designed for broad-range detection of human respiratory pathogens, to investigate a suspected outbreak of avian influenza in a number of poultry farms in which significant mortality of chickens was observed. The microarray results were additionally confirmed by influenza specific real-time PCR. The results of the study excluded the possibility that the outbreak was caused by influenza, but implicated Klebsiella pneumoniae as a possible pathogen. The outcome of this feasibility study confirms that application of broad-spectrum detection platforms for outbreak investigation in low-resource locations is possible and allows for rapid discovery of the responsible agents, even in cases when different agents are suspected. This strategy enables quick and cost effective detection of low probability events such as outbreak of a rare disease or intentional release of a biothreat agent.

  1. Metal-doped inorganic nanoparticles for multiplex detection of biomarkers by a sandwich-type ICP-MS immunoassay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ko, Jung Aa; Lim, H B

    2016-09-28

    Metal-doped inorganic nanoparticles were synthesized for the multiplex detection of biomarkers by a sandwich-type inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) immunoassay. The synthesized Cs-doped multicore magnetic nanoparticles (MMNPs) were used not only for magnetic extraction of targets but also for ratiometric measurement in ICP-MS. In addition, three different metal/dye-doped silica nanoparticles (SNPs) were synthesized as probes for multiplex detection: Y/RhBITC (rhodamine B isothiocyanate)-doped SNPs for CRP (cardiovascular disease), Cd/RhBITC-doped SNPs for AFP (tumor), and Au/5(6)-XRITC (X-rhodamine-5-(and-6)-isothiocyanate)-doped SNPs for NSE (heart disease). For quantification, the doped metals of SNPs were measured by ICP-MS and then the signal ratio to Cs of MMNPs was plotted with respect to the concentration of targets by a ratiometry. Limits of detection (LOD) of 0.35 ng/mL to 77 ng mL(-1) and recoveries of 83%-125% were obtained for serum samples spiked with the biomarkers. Since no sample treatment was necessary prior to the extraction, the proposed method provided short analysis time and convenience for the multiplex determination of biomarkers, which will be valuable for clinical application. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. A universal aptameric biosensor: Multiplexed detection of small analytes via aggregated perylene-based broad-spectrum quencher.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Rong; Zhang, Xi; Xu, Qiang; Lu, Dan-Qing; Yang, Yun-Hui; Xu, Quan-Qing; Ruan, Qiong; Mo, Liu-Ting; Zhang, Xiao-Bing

    2017-06-15

    A universal aptameric system based on the taking advantage of double-stranded DNA/perylene diimide (dsDNA/PDI) as the signal probe was developed for multiplexed detection of small molecules. Aptamers are single-stranded DNA or RNA oligonucleotides which are selected in vitro by a process known as systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment. In this work, we synthesized a new kind of PDI and reported this aggregated PDI could quench the double-stranded DNA (dsDNA)-labeled fluorophores with a high quenching efficiency. The quenching efficiencies on the fluorescence of FAM, TAMRA and Cy5 could reach to 98.3%±0.9%, 97.2%±0.6% and 98.1%±1.1%, respectively. This broad-spectrum quencher was then adopted to construct a multicolor biosensor via a label-free approach. A structure-switching-triggered enzymatic recycling amplification was employed for signal amplification. High quenching efficiency combined with autocatalytic target recycling amplification afforded the biosensor with high sensitivity towards small analytes. For other targets, changing the corresponding aptamer can achieve the goal. The quencher did not interfere with the catalytic activity of nuclease. The biosensor could be manipulated with similar sensitivity no matter in pre-addition or post-addition manner. Moreover, simultaneous and multiplexed analysis of several small molecules in homogeneous solution was achieved, demonstrating its potential application in the rapid screening of multiple biotargets. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Establishment and application of a multiplex genetic mutation-detection method of lung cancer based on MassARRAY platform

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tian, Hong-Xia; Zhang, Xu-Chao; Wang, Zhen; Chen, Jian-Guang; Chen, Shi-Liang; Guo, Wei-Bang; Wu, Yi-Long

    2016-01-01

    Objective: This study aims to establish a method for highly parallel multiplexed detection of genetic mutations in Chinese lung cancer samples through Agena iPLEX chemistry and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight analysis on MassARRAY mass spectrometry platform. Methods: We reviewed the related literature and data on lung cancer treatments. We also identified 99 mutation hot spots in 13 target genes closely related to the pathogenesis, drug resistance, and metastasis of lung cancer. A total of 297 primers, composed of 99 paired forward and reverse amplification primers and 99 matched extension primers, were designed using Assay Design software. The detection method was established by analyzing eight cell lines and six lung cancer specimens. The proposed method was then validated through comparisons by using a LungCarta TM kit. The sensitivity and specificity of the proposed method were evaluated by directly sequencing EGFR and KRAS genes in 100 lung cancer cases. Results: The proposed method was able to detect multiplex genetic mutations in lung cancer cell lines. This finding was consistent with the observations on previously reported mutations. The proposed method can also detect such mutations in clinical lung cancer specimens. This result was consistent with the observations with LungCarta TM kit. However, an FGFR2 mutation was detected only through the proposed method. The measured sensitivity and specificity were 100% and 96.3%, respectively. Conclusions: The proposed MassARRAY technology-based multiplex method can detect genetic mutations in Chinese lung cancer patients. Therefore, the proposed method can be applied to detect mutations in other cancer tissues

  4. Multi-beam synchronous measurement based on PSD phase detection using frequency-domain multiplexing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duan, Ying; Qin, Lan; Xue, Lian; Xi, Feng; Mao, Jiubing

    2013-10-01

    According to the principle of centroid measurement, position-sensitive detectors (PSD) are commonly used for micro displacement detection. However, single-beam detection method cannot satisfy such tasks as multi-dimension position measurement, three dimension vision reconstruction, and robot precision positioning, which require synchronous measurement of multiple light beams. Consequently, we designed PSD phase detection method using frequency-domain multiplexing for synchronous detection of multiple modulated light beams. Compared to previous PSD amplitude detection method, the phase detection method using FDM has advantages of simplified measuring system, low cost, high capability of resistance to light interference as well as improved resolution. The feasibility of multi-beam synchronous measurement based on PSD phase detection using FDM was validated by multi-beam measuring experiments. The maximum non-linearity error of the multi-beam synchronous measurement is 6.62%.

  5. Development of a multiplex real-time PCR for the simultaneous detection of herpes simplex and varicella zoster viruses in cerebrospinal fluid and lesion swab specimens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, Anita A; Pabbaraju, Kanti; Wong, Sallene; Tellier, Raymond

    2016-03-01

    Herpes simplex viruses (HSV) and varicella zoster virus (VZV) can have very similar and wide-ranging clinical presentations. Rapid identification is necessary for timely antiviral therapy, especially with infections involving the central nervous system, neonates, and immunocompromised individuals. Detection of HSV-1, HSV-2 and VZV was combined into one real-time PCR reaction utilizing hydrolysis probes. The assay was validated on the LightCycler(®) (Roche) and Applied Biosystems 7500 Real-Time PCR System (Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.) to detect alphaherpesviruses in cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) and lesion swab specimens, respectively. Validation data on blood and tissue samples are also presented. The multiplex assay showed excellent sensitivity, specificity and reproducibility when compared to two singleplex real-time PCR assays for CSF samples and direct fluorescent antigen/culture for lesion swab samples. Implementation of the multiplex assay has facilitated improved sensitivity and accuracy as well as reduced turn-around-times and costs. The results from a large data set of 16,622 prospective samples tested between August 16, 2012 to February 1, 2014 at the Provincial Laboratory for Public Health (Alberta, Canada) are presented here. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Microarray multiplex assay for the simultaneous detection and discrimination of hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and human immunodeficiency type-1 viruses in human blood samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hsia, Chu Chieh; Chizhikov, Vladimir E.; Yang, Amy X.; Selvapandiyan, Angamuthu; Hewlett, Indira; Duncan, Robert; Puri, Raj K.; Nakhasi, Hira L.; Kaplan, Gerardo G.

    2007-01-01

    Hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) are transfusion-transmitted human pathogens that have a major impact on blood safety and public health worldwide. We developed a microarray multiplex assay for the simultaneous detection and discrimination of these three viruses. The microarray consists of 16 oligonucleotide probes, immobilized on a silylated glass slide. Amplicons from multiplex PCR were labeled with Cy-5 and hybridized to the microarray. The assay detected 1 International Unit (IU), 10 IU, 20 IU of HBV, HCV, and HIV-1, respectively, in a single multiplex reaction. The assay also detected and discriminated the presence of two or three of these viruses in a single sample. Our data represent a proof-of-concept for the possible use of highly sensitive multiplex microarray assay to screen and confirm the presence of these viruses in blood donors and patients

  7. SERS-based inverse molecular sentinel (iMS) nanoprobes for multiplexed detection of microRNA cancer biomarkers in biological samples

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crawford, Bridget M.; Wang, Hsin-Neng; Fales, Andrew M.; Bowie, Michelle L.; Seewaldt, Victoria L.; Vo-Dinh, Tuan

    2017-02-01

    The development of sensitive and selective biosensing techniques is of great interest for clinical diagnostics. Here, we describe the development and application of a surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensing technology, referred to as "inverse Molecular Sentinel (iMS)" nanoprobes, for the detection of nucleic acid biomarkers in biological samples. This iMS nanoprobe involves the use of plasmonic-active nanostars as the sensing platform for a homogenous assay for multiplexed detection of nucleic acid biomarkers, including DNA, RNA and microRNA (miRNA). The "OFF-to-ON" signal switch is based on a non-enzymatic strand-displacement process and the conformational change of stem-loop (hairpin) oligonucleotide probes upon target binding. Here, we demonstrate the development of iMS nanoprobes for the detection of DNA sequences as well as a modified design of the nanoprobe for the detection of short (22-nt) microRNA sequences. The application of iMS nanoprobes to detect miRNAs in real biological samples was performed with total small RNA extracted from breast cancer cell lines. The multiplex capability of the iMS technique was demonstrated using a mixture of the two differently labeled nanoprobes to detect miR-21 and miR-34a miRNA biomarkers for breast cancer. The results of this study demonstrate the feasibility of applying the iMS technique for multiplexed detection of nucleic acid biomarkers, including short miRNAs molecules.

  8. Autoantibodies Profile in the Sera of Patients with Sjogren]s Syndrome: The ANA Evaluation—A Homogeneous, Multiplexed System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Boris Gilburd

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Flow-based, multiplex bead arrays (MBA have been developed for a variety of applications including the detection of antibodies to extractable nuclear antigens (ENA. It offers a rapid and sensitive method to assess multiple analyses in a single tube/well.

  9. A simple approach for ultrasensitive detection of bisphenols by multiplexed surface-enhanced Raman scattering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    De Bleye, C., E-mail: cdebleye@ulg.ac.be; Dumont, E.; Hubert, C.; Sacré, P.-Y.; Netchacovitch, L.; Chavez, P.-F.; Hubert, Ph.; Ziemons, E.

    2015-08-12

    Bisphenol A (BPA) is well known for its use in plastic manufacture and thermal paper production despite its risk of health toxicity as an endocrine disruptor in humans. Since the publication of new legislation regarding the use of BPA, manufacturers have begun to replace BPA with other phenolic molecules such as bisphenol F (BPF) and bisphenol B (BPB), but there are no guarantees regarding the health safety of these compounds at this time. In this context, a very simple, cheap and fast surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) method was developed for the sensitive detection of these molecules in spiked tap water solutions. Silver nanoparticles were used as SERS substrates. An original strategy was employed to circumvent the issue of the affinity of bisphenols for metallic surfaces and the silver nanoparticles surface was functionalized using pyridine in order to improve again the sensitivity of the detection. Semi-quantitative detections were performed in tap water solutions at a concentrations range from 0.25 to 20 μg L{sup −1} for BPA and BPB and from 5 to 100 μg L{sup −1} for BPF. Moreover, a feasibility study for performing a multiplex-SERS detection of these molecules was also performed before successfully implementing the developed SERS method on real samples. - Highlights: • Development of a simple, fast and ultrasensitive SERS method to detect bisphenols. • Multiplexed-SERS detection of bisphenol A, bisphenol B and bisphenol F. • Implementation of the SERS developed method on real samples to detect bisphenols.

  10. A simple approach for ultrasensitive detection of bisphenols by multiplexed surface-enhanced Raman scattering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    De Bleye, C.; Dumont, E.; Hubert, C.; Sacré, P.-Y.; Netchacovitch, L.; Chavez, P.-F.; Hubert, Ph.; Ziemons, E.

    2015-01-01

    Bisphenol A (BPA) is well known for its use in plastic manufacture and thermal paper production despite its risk of health toxicity as an endocrine disruptor in humans. Since the publication of new legislation regarding the use of BPA, manufacturers have begun to replace BPA with other phenolic molecules such as bisphenol F (BPF) and bisphenol B (BPB), but there are no guarantees regarding the health safety of these compounds at this time. In this context, a very simple, cheap and fast surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) method was developed for the sensitive detection of these molecules in spiked tap water solutions. Silver nanoparticles were used as SERS substrates. An original strategy was employed to circumvent the issue of the affinity of bisphenols for metallic surfaces and the silver nanoparticles surface was functionalized using pyridine in order to improve again the sensitivity of the detection. Semi-quantitative detections were performed in tap water solutions at a concentrations range from 0.25 to 20 μg L −1 for BPA and BPB and from 5 to 100 μg L −1 for BPF. Moreover, a feasibility study for performing a multiplex-SERS detection of these molecules was also performed before successfully implementing the developed SERS method on real samples. - Highlights: • Development of a simple, fast and ultrasensitive SERS method to detect bisphenols. • Multiplexed-SERS detection of bisphenol A, bisphenol B and bisphenol F. • Implementation of the SERS developed method on real samples to detect bisphenols

  11. Turbulence mitigation scheme based on multiple-user detection in an orbital-angular-momentum multiplexed system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zou, Li; Wang, Le; Zhao, Sheng-Mei; Chen, Han-Wu

    2016-11-01

    Atmospheric turbulence (AT) induced crosstalk can significantly impair the performance of a free-space optical (FSO) communication link using orbital angular momentum (OAM) multiplexing. In this paper, we propose a multiple-user detection (MUD) turbulence mitigation scheme in an OAM-multiplexed FSO communication link. First, we present a MUD equivalent communication model for an OAM-multiplexed FSO communication link under AT. In the equivalent model, each input bit stream represents one user’s information. The deformed OAM spatial modes caused by AT, instead of the pure OAM spatial modes, are used as information carriers, and the overlapping between the deformed OAM spatial modes are computed as the correlation coefficients between the users. Then, we present a turbulence mitigation scheme based on MUD idea to enhance AT tolerance of the OAM-multiplexed FSO communication link. In the proposed scheme, the crosstalk caused by AT is used as a useful component to deduce users’ information. The numerical results show that the performance of the OAM-multiplexed communication link has greatly improved by the proposed scheme. When the turbulence strength is 1 × 10-15 m-2/3, the transmission distance is 1000 m and the channel signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is 26 dB, the bit-error-rate (BER) performance of four spatial multiplexed OAM modes lm = +1,+2,+3,+4 are all close to 10-5, and there is a 2-3 fold increase in the BER performance in comparison with those results without the proposed scheme. In addition, the proposed scheme is more effective for an OAM-multiplexed FSO communication link with a larger OAM mode topological charge interval. The proposed scheme is a promising direction for compensating the interference caused by AT in the OAM-multiplexed FSO communication link. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 61271238 and 61475075), the Open Research Fund of Key Lab of Broadband Wireless Communication and Sensor Network

  12. Real-time multiplex PCR assay for detection of Yersinia pestis and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matero, Pirjo; Pasanen, Tanja; Laukkanen, Riikka; Tissari, Päivi; Tarkka, Eveliina; Vaara, Martti; Skurnik, Mikael

    2009-01-01

    A multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was developed for the detection of Yersinia pestis and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. The assay includes four primer pairs, two of which are specific for Y. pestis, one for Y. pestis and Y. pseudotuberculosis and one for bacteriophage lambda; the latter was used as an internal amplification control. The Y. pestis-specific target genes in the assay were ypo2088, a gene coding for a putative methyltransferase, and the pla gene coding for the plasminogen activator. In addition, the wzz gene was used as a target to specifically identify both Y. pestis and the closely related Y. pseudotuberculosis group. The primer and probe sets described for the different genes can be used either in single or in multiplex PCR assays because the individual probes were designed with different fluorochromes. The assays were found to be both sensitive and specific; the lower limit of the detection was 10-100 fg of extracted Y. pestis or Y. pseudotuberculosis total DNA. The sensitivity of the tetraplex assay was determined to be 1 cfu for the ypo2088 and pla probe labelled with FAM and JOE fluorescent dyes, respectively.

  13. A tissue biopsy-based epigenetic multiplex PCR assay for prostate cancer detection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Van Neste Leander

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background PSA-directed prostate cancer screening leads to a high rate of false positive identifications and an unnecessary biopsy burden. Epigenetic biomarkers have proven useful, exhibiting frequent and abundant inactivation of tumor suppressor genes through such mechanisms. An epigenetic, multiplex PCR test for prostate cancer diagnosis could provide physicians with better tools to help their patients. Biomarkers like GSTP1, APC and RASSF1 have demonstrated involvement with prostate cancer, with the latter two genes playing prominent roles in the field effect. The epigenetic states of these genes can be used to assess the likelihood of cancer presence or absence. Results An initial test cohort of 30 prostate cancer-positive samples and 12 cancer-negative samples was used as basis for the development and optimization of an epigenetic multiplex assay based on the GSTP1, APC and RASSF1 genes, using methylation specific PCR (MSP. The effect of prostate needle core biopsy sample volume and age of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE samples was evaluated on an independent follow-up cohort of 51 cancer-positive patients. Multiplexing affects copy number calculations in a consistent way per assay. Methylation ratios are therefore altered compared to the respective singleplex assays, but the correlation with patient outcome remains equivalent. In addition, tissue-biopsy samples as small as 20 μm can be used to detect methylation in a reliable manner. The age of FFPE-samples does have a negative impact on DNA quality and quantity. Conclusions The developed multiplex assay appears functionally similar to individual singleplex assays, with the benefit of lower tissue requirements, lower cost and decreased signal variation. This assay can be applied to small biopsy specimens, down to 20 microns, widening clinical applicability. Increasing the sample volume can compensate the loss of DNA quality and quantity in older samples.

  14. Development of multiplex loop mediated isothermal amplification (m-LAMP) label-based gold nanoparticles lateral flow dipstick biosensor for detection of pathogenic Leptospira.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nurul Najian, A B; Engku Nur Syafirah, E A R; Ismail, Nabilah; Mohamed, Maizan; Yean, Chan Yean

    2016-01-15

    In recent years extensive numbers of molecular diagnostic methods have been developed to meet the need of point-of-care devices. Efforts have been made towards producing rapid, simple and inexpensive DNA tests, especially in the diagnostics field. We report on the development of a label-based lateral flow dipstick for the rapid and simple detection of multiplex loop-mediated isothermal amplification (m-LAMP) amplicons. A label-based m-LAMP lateral flow dipstick assay was developed for the simultaneous detection of target DNA template and a LAMP internal control. This biosensor operates through a label based system, in which probe-hybridization and the additional incubation step are eliminated. We demonstrated this m-LAMP assay by detecting pathogenic Leptospira, which causes the re-emerging disease Leptospirosis. The lateral flow dipstick was developed to detect of three targets, the LAMP target amplicon, the LAMP internal control amplicon and a chromatography control. Three lines appeared on the dipstick, indicating positive results for all representative pathogenic Leptospira species, whereas two lines appeared, indicating negative results, for other bacterial species. The specificity of this biosensor assay was 100% when it was tested with 13 representative pathogenic Leptospira species, 2 intermediate Leptospira species, 1 non-pathogenic Leptospira species and 28 other bacteria species. This study found that this DNA biosensor was able to detect DNA at concentrations as low as 3.95 × 10(-1) genomic equivalent ml(-1). An integrated m-LAMP and label-based lateral flow dipstick was successfully developed, promising simple and rapid visual detection in clinical diagnostics and serving as a point-of-care device. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. A multiplex reverse transcription PCR and automated electronic microarray assay for detection and differentiation of seven viruses affecting swine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erickson, A; Fisher, M; Furukawa-Stoffer, T; Ambagala, A; Hodko, D; Pasick, J; King, D P; Nfon, C; Ortega Polo, R; Lung, O

    2018-04-01

    Microarray technology can be useful for pathogen detection as it allows simultaneous interrogation of the presence or absence of a large number of genetic signatures. However, most microarray assays are labour-intensive and time-consuming to perform. This study describes the development and initial evaluation of a multiplex reverse transcription (RT)-PCR and novel accompanying automated electronic microarray assay for simultaneous detection and differentiation of seven important viruses that affect swine (foot-and-mouth disease virus [FMDV], swine vesicular disease virus [SVDV], vesicular exanthema of swine virus [VESV], African swine fever virus [ASFV], classical swine fever virus [CSFV], porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome virus [PRRSV] and porcine circovirus type 2 [PCV2]). The novel electronic microarray assay utilizes a single, user-friendly instrument that integrates and automates capture probe printing, hybridization, washing and reporting on a disposable electronic microarray cartridge with 400 features. This assay accurately detected and identified a total of 68 isolates of the seven targeted virus species including 23 samples of FMDV, representing all seven serotypes, and 10 CSFV strains, representing all three genotypes. The assay successfully detected viruses in clinical samples from the field, experimentally infected animals (as early as 1 day post-infection (dpi) for FMDV and SVDV, 4 dpi for ASFV, 5 dpi for CSFV), as well as in biological material that were spiked with target viruses. The limit of detection was 10 copies/μl for ASFV, PCV2 and PRRSV, 100 copies/μl for SVDV, CSFV, VESV and 1,000 copies/μl for FMDV. The electronic microarray component had reduced analytical sensitivity for several of the target viruses when compared with the multiplex RT-PCR. The integration of capture probe printing allows custom onsite array printing as needed, while electrophoretically driven hybridization generates results faster than conventional

  16. A Multiplex PCR for Detection of Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydophila pneumoniae, Legionella pneumophila, and Bordetella pertussis in Clinical Specimens

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    McDonough, E. A; Barrozo, C. P; Russell, K. L; Metzgar, D

    2005-01-01

    A multiplex PCR was developed that is capable of detecting four of the most important bacterial agents of atypical pneumophia, Mycaplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydophia pneumoniae, Legionella pneumophila...

  17. Multiplex Detection and Genotyping of Point Mutations Involved in Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease Using a Hairpin Microarray-Based Assay

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yasser Baaj

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available We previously developed a highly specific method for detecting SNPs with a microarray-based system using stem-loop probes. In this paper we demonstrate that coupling a multiplexing procedure with our microarray method is possible for the simultaneous detection and genotyping of four point mutations, in three different genes, involved in Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. DNA from healthy individuals and patients was amplified, labeled with Cy3 by multiplex PCR; and hybridized to microarrays. Spot signal intensities were 18 to 74 times greater for perfect matches than for mismatched target sequences differing by a single nucleotide (discrimination ratio for “homozygous” DNA from healthy individuals. “Heterozygous” mutant DNA samples gave signal intensity ratios close to 1 at the positions of the mutations as expected. Genotyping by this method was therefore reliable. This system now combines the principle of highly specific genotyping based on stem-loop structure probes with the advantages of multiplex analysis.

  18. Graphite nanocomposites sensor for multiplex detection of antioxidants in food.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ng, Khan Loon; Tan, Guan Huat; Khor, Sook Mei

    2017-12-15

    Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), and tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) are synthetic antioxidants used in the food industry. Herein, we describe the development of a novel graphite nanocomposite-based electrochemical sensor for the multiplex detection and measurement of BHA, BHT, and TBHQ levels in complex food samples using a linear sweep voltammetry technique. Moreover, our newly established analytical method exhibited good sensitivity, limit of detection, limit of quantitation, and selectivity. The accuracy and reliability of analytical results were challenged by method validation and comparison with the results of the liquid chromatography method, where a linear correlation of more than 0.99 was achieved. The addition of sodium dodecyl sulfate as supporting additive further enhanced the LSV response (anodic peak current, I pa ) of BHA and BHT by 2- and 20-times, respectively. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Standardisation and evaluation of a quantitative multiplex real-time PCR assay for the rapid identification of Streptococcus pneumoniae

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Feroze Ahmed Ganaie

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Rapid diagnosis of Streptococcus pneumoniae can play a significant role in decreasing morbidity and mortality of infection. The accurate diagnosis of pneumococcal disease is hampered by the difficulties in growing the isolates from clinical specimens and also by misidentification. Molecular methods have gained popularity as they offer improvement in the detection of causative pathogens with speed and ease. The present study aims at validating and standardising the use of 4 oligonucleotide primer-probe sets (pneumolysin [ply], autolysin [lytA], pneumococcal surface adhesion A [psaA] and Spn9802 [DNA fragment] in a single-reaction mixture for the detection and discrimination of S. pneumoniae. Here, we validate a quantitative multiplex real-time PCR (qmPCR assay with a panel consisting of 43 S. pneumoniae and 29 non-pneumococcal isolates, 20 culture positive, 26 culture negative and 30 spiked serum samples. A standard curve was obtained using S. pneumoniae ATCC 49619 strain and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH gene was used as an endogenous internal control. The experiment showed high sensitivity with lower limit of detection equivalent to 4 genome copies/µl. The efficiency of the reaction was 100% for ply, lytA, Spn9802 and 97% for psaA. The test showed sensitivity and specificity of 100% with culture isolates and serum specimens. This study demonstrates that qmPCR analysis of sera using 4 oligonucleotide primers appears to be an appropriate method for the genotypic identification of S. pneumoniae infection.

  20. Multiplex polymerase chain reaction assay for the detection of minute virus of mice and mouse parvovirus infections in laboratory mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, K W; Chueh, L L; Wang, M H; Huang, Y T; Fang, B H; Chang, C Y; Fang, M C; Chou, J Y; Hsieh, S C; Wan, C H

    2013-04-01

    Mouse parvoviruses are among the most prevalent infectious pathogens in contemporary mouse colonies. To improve the efficiency of routine screening for mouse parvovirus infections, a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay targeting the VP gene was developed. The assay detected minute virus of mice (MVM), mouse parvovirus (MPV) and a mouse housekeeping gene (α-actin) and was able to specifically detect MVM and MPV at levels as low as 50 copies. Co-infection with the two viruses with up to 200-fold differences in viral concentrations can easily be detected. The multiplex PCR assay developed here could be a useful tool for monitoring mouse health and the viral contamination of biological materials.

  1. Development of an integrated microsystem for the multiplexed detection of breast cancer markers in serum using electrochemical immunosensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fragoso, Alex; Laboria, Noemi; Botero, Mary Luz; Bejarano, Diego; Latta, Daniel; Hansen-Hagge, Thomas E.; Kemmner, Wolfgang; Katakis, Ioanis; Gärtner, Claudia; Drese, Klaus; O'Sullivan, Ciara K.

    2010-02-01

    A microsystem integrating electrochemical biosensoric detection for the simultaneous multiplexed detection of protein markers of breast cancer is reported. The immobilization of antibodies against each of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), prostate specific antigen (PSA) and cancer antigen 15-3 (CA15-3) was achieved via crosslinking to a bipodal dithiol chemisorbed on gold electrodes. This bipodal dithiol had the double function of eliminating non-specific binding and optimal spacing of the anchor antibodies for maximum accessibility to the target proteins. Storage conditions were optimized, demonstrating a long-term stability of the reporter conjugates jointly stored within a single reservoir in the microsystem. The final system has been optimized in terms of incubation times, temperatures and simultaneous, multiplexed detection of the protein markers was achieved in less than 10 minutes with less than ng/mL detection limits. The microsystem has been validated using real patient serum samples and excellent correlation with ELISA results obtained.

  2. Multiplex-PCR As a Rapid and Sensitive Method for Identification of Meat Species in Halal-Meat Products.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alikord, Mahsa; Keramat, Javad; Kadivar, Mahdi; Momtaz, Hassan; Eshtiaghi, Mohammad N; Homayouni-Rad, Aziz

    2017-01-01

    Species identification and authentication in meat products are important subjects for ensuring the health of consumers. The multiplex-PCR amplification and species- specific primer set were used for the identification of horse, donkey, pig and other ruminants in raw and processed meat products. Oligonucleotid primers were designed and patented for amplification of species-specific mitochondrial DNA sequences of each species and samples were prepared from binary meat mixtures. The results showed that meat species were accurately determined in all combinations by multiplex-PCR, and the sensitivity of this method was 0.001 ng, rendering this technique open to and suitable for use in industrial meat products. It is concluded that more fraud is seen in lower percentage industrial meat products than in higher percentage ones. There was also more fraud found in processed products than in raw ones. This rapid and useful test is recommended for quality control firms for applying more rigorous controls over industrial meat products, for the benefit of target consumers. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

  3. Thermally multiplexed polymerase chain reaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phaneuf, Christopher R; Pak, Nikita; Saunders, D Curtis; Holst, Gregory L; Birjiniuk, Joav; Nagpal, Nikita; Culpepper, Stephen; Popler, Emily; Shane, Andi L; Jerris, Robert; Forest, Craig R

    2015-07-01

    Amplification of multiple unique genetic targets using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is commonly required in molecular biology laboratories. Such reactions are typically performed either serially or by multiplex PCR. Serial reactions are time consuming, and multiplex PCR, while powerful and widely used, can be prone to amplification bias, PCR drift, and primer-primer interactions. We present a new thermocycling method, termed thermal multiplexing, in which a single heat source is uniformly distributed and selectively modulated for independent temperature control of an array of PCR reactions. Thermal multiplexing allows amplification of multiple targets simultaneously-each reaction segregated and performed at optimal conditions. We demonstrate the method using a microfluidic system consisting of an infrared laser thermocycler, a polymer microchip featuring 1 μl, oil-encapsulated reactions, and closed-loop pulse-width modulation control. Heat transfer modeling is used to characterize thermal performance limitations of the system. We validate the model and perform two reactions simultaneously with widely varying annealing temperatures (48 °C and 68 °C), demonstrating excellent amplification. In addition, to demonstrate microfluidic infrared PCR using clinical specimens, we successfully amplified and detected both influenza A and B from human nasopharyngeal swabs. Thermal multiplexing is scalable and applicable to challenges such as pathogen detection where patients presenting non-specific symptoms need to be efficiently screened across a viral or bacterial panel.

  4. Frequency multiplexing for readout of spin qubits

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hornibrook, J. M.; Colless, J. I.; Mahoney, A. C.; Croot, X. G.; Blanvillain, S.; Reilly, D. J., E-mail: david.reilly@sydney.edu.au [ARC Centre of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems, School of Physics, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006 (Australia); Lu, H.; Gossard, A. C. [Materials Department, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106 (United States)

    2014-03-10

    We demonstrate a low loss, chip-level frequency multiplexing scheme for readout of scaled-up spin qubit devices. By integrating separate bias tees and resonator circuits on-chip for each readout channel, we realise dispersive gate-sensing in combination with charge detection based on two radio frequency quantum point contacts. We apply this approach to perform multiplexed readout of a double quantum dot in the few-electron regime and further demonstrate operation of a 10-channel multiplexing device. Limitations for scaling spin qubit readout to large numbers of multiplexed channels are discussed.

  5. One-step multiplex real-time RT-PCR assay for detecting and genotyping wild-type group A rotavirus strains and vaccine strains (Rotarix® and RotaTeq®) in stool samples

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mijatovic-Rustempasic, Slavica; Esona, Mathew D.; Tam, Ka Ian; Quaye, Osbourne; Bowen, Michael D.

    2016-01-01

    Background. Group A rotavirus (RVA) infection is the major cause of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in young children worldwide. Introduction of two live-attenuated rotavirus vaccines, RotaTeq® and Rotarix®, has dramatically reduced RVA associated AGE and mortality in developed as well as in many developing countries. High-throughput methods are needed to genotype rotavirus wild-type strains and to identify vaccine strains in stool samples. Quantitative RT-PCR assays (qRT-PCR) offer several advantages including increased sensitivity, higher throughput, and faster turnaround time. Methods. In this study, a one-step multiplex qRT-PCR assay was developed to detect and genotype wild-type strains and vaccine (Rotarix® and RotaTeq®) rotavirus strains along with an internal processing control (Xeno or MS2 RNA). Real-time RT-PCR assays were designed for VP7 (G1, G2, G3, G4, G9, G12) and VP4 (P[4], P[6] and P[8]) genotypes. The multiplex qRT-PCR assay also included previously published NSP3 qRT-PCR for rotavirus detection and Rotarix® NSP2 and RotaTeq® VP6 qRT-PCRs for detection of Rotarix® and RotaTeq® vaccine strains respectively. The multiplex qRT-PCR assay was validated using 853 sequence confirmed stool samples and 24 lab cultured strains of different rotavirus genotypes. By using thermostable rTth polymerase enzyme, dsRNA denaturation, reverse transcription (RT) and amplification (PCR) steps were performed in single tube by uninterrupted thermocycling profile to reduce chances of sample cross contamination and for rapid generation of results. For quantification, standard curves were generated using dsRNA transcripts derived from RVA gene segments. Results. The VP7 qRT-PCRs exhibited 98.8–100% sensitivity, 99.7–100% specificity, 85–95% efficiency and a limit of detection of 4–60 copies per singleplex reaction. The VP7 qRT-PCRs exhibited 81–92% efficiency and limit of detection of 150–600 copies in multiplex reactions. The VP4 qRT-PCRs exhibited 98.8

  6. Comparison of three human papillomavirus DNA detection methods: Next generation sequencing, multiplex-PCR and nested-PCR followed by Sanger based sequencing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    da Fonseca, Allex Jardim; Galvão, Renata Silva; Miranda, Angelica Espinosa; Ferreira, Luiz Carlos de Lima; Chen, Zigui

    2016-05-01

    To compare the diagnostic performance for HPV infection using three laboratorial techniques. Ninty-five cervicovaginal samples were randomly selected; each was tested for HPV DNA and genotypes using 3 methods in parallel: Multiplex-PCR, the Nested PCR followed by Sanger sequencing, and the Next_Gen Sequencing (NGS) with two assays (NGS-A1, NGS-A2). The study was approved by the Brazilian National IRB (CONEP protocol 16,800). The prevalence of HPV by the NGS assays was higher than that using the Multiplex-PCR (64.2% vs. 45.2%, respectively; P = 0.001) and the Nested-PCR (64.2% vs. 49.5%, respectively; P = 0.003). NGS also showed better performance in detecting high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) and HPV16. There was a weak interobservers agreement between the results of Multiplex-PCR and Nested-PCR in relation to NGS for the diagnosis of HPV infection, and a moderate correlation for HR-HPV detection. Both NGS assays showed a strong correlation for detection of HPVs (k = 0.86), HR-HPVs (k = 0.91), HPV16 (k = 0.92) and HPV18 (k = 0.91). NGS is more sensitive than the traditional Sanger sequencing and the Multiplex PCR to genotype HPVs, with promising ability to detect multiple infections, and may have the potential to establish an alternative method for the diagnosis and genotyping of HPV. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  7. Diagnostic multiplex polymerase chain reaction assay for the identification of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from the skin biopsy specimens in burn wound infections and detection of antibiotic susceptibility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mashouf, Rasoul Y.; Farahani, Hadi S.; Zamani, A.

    2008-01-01

    Objective was to identify Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) from the skin biopsy specimens in burn wound infections by multiplex polymerase chain reaction (M-PCR) and detection of antimicrobial susceptibility of isolates from culture. We conducted the cross-sectional study in 140 patients with wound infections who admitted to referral burn center of Motahari, Tehran, Iran, during a 12-month period from 2005-2006. Skin biopsy specimens were aseptically taken from each patient, one for PCR and one for bacterial culture. A M-PCR test based on simultaneous amplification of 2 lipoprotein genes: oprI and oprL, was used to directly detect fluorescent pseudomonades and P. aeruginosa in skin biopsy specimens. The susceptibility of P. aeruginosa isolates to 16 antibiotics was determined using the disc diffusion method. Out of 140 biopsy specimens, M-PCR detected 66 (47.2%) isolates, while culture detected 57 (40.7%) isolates as P. aeruginosa. Positive results for both genes which observed only for P. aeruginosa, while only one gene, oprI, was amplified from other fluorescent pseudomonades (n=12) and all other bacterial tested (n=62) were negative by the amplification test. The most effective antibiotics against isolate of P. aeruginosa were cefepime (79%), azetreonam (76%), ticarcillin-clavulanic acid (68%), tobramycin (62%) and amikacin (61%). Multiplex PCR assay appears promising for the rapid and sensitive detection of P. aeruginosa from the burned skin biopsy specimens. Simultaneous amplification of 2 lipoprotein genes: oprI and oprL could detect P. aeruginosa and oprI gene only for other fluorescent pseudomonades. (author)

  8. Design of a Modular DNA Triangular-Prism Sensor Enabling Ratiometric and Multiplexed Biomolecule Detection on a Single Microbead.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yu; Chen, Qiaoshu; Liu, Jianbo; Yang, Xiaohai; Guo, Qiuping; Li, Li; Liu, Wei; Wang, Kemin

    2017-03-21

    DNA nanostructures have emerged as powerful and versatile building blocks for the construction of programmable nanoscale structures and functional sensors for biomarker detection, disease diagnostics, and therapy. Here we integrated multiple sensing modules into a single DNA three-dimensional (3D) nanoarchitecture with a triangular-prism (TP) structure for ratiometric and multiplexed biomolecule detection on a single microbead. In our design, the complementary hybridization of three clip sequences formed TP nanoassemblies in which the six single-strand regions in the top and bottom faces act as binding sites for different sensing modules, including an anchor module, reference sequence module, and capture sequence module. The multifunctional modular TP nanostructures were thus exploited for ratiometric and multiplexed biomolecule detection on microbeads. Microbead imaging demonstrated that, after ratiometric self-calibration analysis, the imaging deviations resulting from uneven fluorescence intensity distribution and differing probe concentrations were greatly reduced. The rigid nanostructure also conferred the TP as a framework for geometric positioning of different capture sequences. The inclusion of multiple targets led to the formation of sandwich hybridization structures that gave a readily detectable optical response at different fluorescence channels and distinct fingerprint-like pattern arrays. This approach allowed us to discriminate multiplexed biomolecule targets in a simple and efficient fashion. In this module-designed strategy, the diversity of the controlled DNA assembly coupled with the geometrically well-defined rigid nanostructures of the TP assembly provides a flexible and reliable biosensing approach that shows great promise for biomedical applications.

  9. A novel IPTV program multiplex access system to EPON

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Xian; Liu, Deming; He, Wei; Lu, Xi

    2007-11-01

    With the rapid development of high speed networks, such as Ethernet Passive Optical Network (EPON), traffic patterns in access networks have evolved from traditional text-oriented service to the mixed text-, voice- and video- based services, leading to so called "Triple Play". For supporting IPTV service in EPON access network infrastructure, in this article we propose a novel IPTV program multiplex access system to EPON, which enables multiple IPTV program source servers to seamlessly access to IPTV service access port of optical line terminal (OLT) in EPON. There are two multiplex schemes, namely static multiplex scheme and dynamic multiplex scheme, in implementing the program multiplexing. Static multiplex scheme is to multiplex all the IPTV programs and forward them to the OLT, regardless of the need of end-users. While dynamic multiplex scheme can dynamically multiplex and forward IPTV programs according to what the end-users actually demand and those watched by no end-user would not be multiplexed. By comparing these two schemes, a reduced traffic of EPON can be achieved by using dynamic multiplex scheme, especially when most end-users are watching the same few IPTV programs. Both schemes are implemented in our system, with their hardware and software designs described.

  10. Rapid spectro-polarimetry to probe molecular symmetry in multiplex coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Würthwein, Thomas; Brinkmann, Maximilian; Hellwig, Tim; Fallnich, Carsten

    2017-11-21

    We present the simultaneous detection of the spectrum and the complete polarization state of a multiplex coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering signal with a fast division-of-amplitude spectro-polarimeter. The spectro-polarimeter is based on a commercial imaging spectrograph, a birefringent wedge prism, and a segmented polarizer. Compared to the standard rotating-retarder fixed-analyzer spectro-polarimeter, only a single measurement is required and an up to 21-fold reduced acquisition time is shown. The measured Stokes parameters allow us to differentiate between vibrational symmetries and to determine the depolarization ratio ρ by data post-processing.

  11. Simultaneous aptasensor for multiplex pathogenic bacteria detection based on multicolor upconversion nanoparticles labels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Shijia; Duan, Nuo; Shi, Zhao; Fang, Congcong; Wang, Zhouping

    2014-03-18

    A highly sensitive and specific multiplex method for the simultaneous detection of three pathogenic bacteria was fabricated using multicolor upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) as luminescence labels coupled with aptamers as the molecular recognition elements. Multicolor UCNPs were synthesized via doping with various rare-earth ions to obtain well-separated emission peaks. The aptamer sequences were selected using the systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) strategy for Staphylococcus aureus, Vibrio parahemolyticus, and Salmonella typhimurium. When applied in this method, aptamers can be used for the specific recognition of the bacteria from complex mixtures, including those found in real food matrixes. Aptamers and multicolor UCNPs were employed to selectively capture and simultaneously quantify the three target bacteria on the basis of the independent peaks. Under optimal conditions, the correlation between the concentration of three bacteria and the luminescence signal was found to be linear from 50-10(6) cfu mL(-1). Improved by the magnetic separation and concentration effect of Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles, the limits of detection of the developed method were found to be 25, 10, and 15 cfu mL(-1) for S. aureus, V. parahemolyticus, and S. typhimurium, respectively. The capability of the bioassay in real food samples was also investigated, and the results were consistent with experimental results obtained from plate-counting methods. This proposed method for the detection of various pathogenic bacteria based on multicolor UCNPs has great potential in the application of food safety and multiplex nanosensors.

  12. Development of a One-Step Multiplex PCR Assay for Differential Detection of Major Mycobacterium Species.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chae, Hansong; Han, Seung Jung; Kim, Su-Young; Ki, Chang-Seok; Huh, Hee Jae; Yong, Dongeun; Koh, Won-Jung; Shin, Sung Jae

    2017-09-01

    The prevalence of tuberculosis continues to be high, and nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) infection has also emerged worldwide. Moreover, differential and accurate identification of mycobacteria to the species or subspecies level is an unmet clinical need. Here, we developed a one-step multiplex PCR assay using whole-genome analysis and bioinformatics to identify novel molecular targets. The aims of this assay were to (i) discriminate between the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) and NTM using rv0577 or RD750, (ii) differentiate M. tuberculosis ( M. tuberculosis ) from MTBC using RD9, (iii) selectively identify the widespread M. tuberculosis Beijing genotype by targeting mtbk_20680 , and (iv) simultaneously detect five clinically important NTM ( M. avium , M. intracellulare , M. abscessus , M. massiliense , and M. kansasii ) by targeting IS 1311 , DT1, mass_3210 , and mkan_rs12360 An initial evaluation of the multiplex PCR assay using reference strains demonstrated 100% specificity for the targeted Mycobacterium species. Analytical sensitivity ranged from 1 to 10 pg for extracted DNA and was 10 3 and 10 4 CFU for pure cultures and nonhomogenized artificial sputum cultures, respectively, of the targeted species. The accuracy of the multiplex PCR assay was further evaluated using 55 reference strains and 94 mycobacterial clinical isolates. Spoligotyping, multilocus sequence analysis, and a commercial real-time PCR assay were employed as standard assays to evaluate the multiplex PCR assay with clinical M. tuberculosis and NTM isolates. The PCR assay displayed 100% identification agreement with the standard assays. Our multiplex PCR assay is a simple, convenient, and reliable technique for differential identification of MTBC, M. tuberculosis , M. tuberculosis Beijing genotype, and major NTM species. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

  13. Development of a multiplex polymerase chain reaction assay for simultaneous identification of human enterovirus 71 and coxsackievirus A16

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thao, Nguyen Thi Thanh; Ngoc, Nguyen Thi Kim; Tú, Phan Văn; Thúy, Trần Thi; Cardosa, Mary Jane; McMinn, Peter Charles; Phuektes, Patchara

    2010-01-01

    Human enterovirus 71 (HEV71) and coxsackievirus A16 (CVA16) are two major aetiological agents of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) in children. Recently there have been several large outbreaks of HFMD in Vietnam and the Asia-Pacific region. In this study, a multiplex RT-PCR assay was developed in order to detect simultaneously HEV71, CVA16 and other human enteroviruses. Enterovirus detection was performed with a mixture of three pairs of oligonucleotide primers: one pair of published primers for amplifying all known enterovirus genomes and two new primer pairs specific for detection of the VP1 genes of HEV71 and CVA16. Enterovirus isolates, CVA16 and HEV71 strains identified previously from patients with HFMD were examined to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the multiplex RT-PCR assay. The assay was then applied to the direct detection of these viruses in clinical specimens obtained from HFMD cases identified at Children's Hospital Number 2, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The multiplex RT-PCR assay showed 100% specificity in screening for enteroviruses and in identifying HEV71 and CVA16. Similar results were obtained when using the multiplex RT-PCR assay to screen for enteroviruses and to identify HEV71 and CVA16 in clinical specimens obtained from HFMD cases identified at the hospital. This multiplex RT-PCR assay is a rapid, sensitive and specific assay for the diagnosis of HEV71 or CVA16 infection in cases of HFMD and is also potentially useful for molecular epidemiological investigations. PMID:20863857

  14. Nucleic acid detection system and method for detecting influenza

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cai, Hong; Song, Jian

    2015-03-17

    The invention provides a rapid, sensitive and specific nucleic acid detection system which utilizes isothermal nucleic acid amplification in combination with a lateral flow chromatographic device, or DNA dipstick, for DNA-hybridization detection. The system of the invention requires no complex instrumentation or electronic hardware, and provides a low cost nucleic acid detection system suitable for highly sensitive pathogen detection. Hybridization to single-stranded DNA amplification products using the system of the invention provides a sensitive and specific means by which assays can be multiplexed for the detection of multiple target sequences.

  15. A rapid two-step algorithm detects and identifies clinical macrolide and beta-lactam antibiotic resistance in clinical bacterial isolates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Xuedong; Nie, Shuping; Xia, Chengjing; Huang, Lie; He, Ying; Wu, Runxiang; Zhang, Li

    2014-07-01

    Aiming to identify macrolide and beta-lactam resistance in clinical bacterial isolates rapidly and accurately, a two-step algorithm was developed based on detection of eight antibiotic resistance genes. Targeting at genes linked to bacterial macrolide (msrA, ermA, ermB, and ermC) and beta-lactam (blaTEM, blaSHV, blaCTX-M-1, blaCTX-M-9) antibiotic resistances, this method includes a multiplex real-time PCR, a melting temperature profile analysis as well as a liquid bead microarray assay. Liquid bead microarray assay is applied only when indistinguishable Tm profile is observed. The clinical validity of this method was assessed on clinical bacterial isolates. Among the total 580 isolates that were determined by our diagnostic method, 75% of them were identified by the multiplex real-time PCR with melting temperature analysis alone, while the remaining 25% required both multiplex real-time PCR with melting temperature analysis and liquid bead microarray assay for identification. Compared with the traditional phenotypic antibiotic susceptibility test, an overall agreement of 81.2% (kappa=0.614, 95% CI=0.550-0.679) was observed, with a sensitivity and specificity of 87.7% and 73% respectively. Besides, the average test turnaround time is 3.9h, which is much shorter in comparison with more than 24h for the traditional phenotypic tests. Having the advantages of the shorter operating time and comparable high sensitivity and specificity with the traditional phenotypic test, our two-step algorithm provides an efficient tool for rapid determination of macrolide and beta-lactam antibiotic resistances in clinical bacterial isolates. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Detection of intestinal protozoa in paediatric patients with gastrointestinal symptoms by multiplex real-time PCR.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maas, L; Dorigo-Zetsma, J W; de Groot, C J; Bouter, S; Plötz, F B; van Ewijk, B E

    2014-06-01

    The performance of a multiplex real-time PCR for the detection of Blastocystis, Dientamoeba fragilis, Giardia lamblia, Cryptosporidium species and Entamoeba species in faecal samples was evaluated in an observational prospective study. Paediatric patients (0-18 years) presenting with gastrointestinal symptoms and suspected of having enteroparasitic disease were included. A questionnaire on gastrointestinal symptoms and the chosen treatment was completed at the start of the study and after 6 weeks. Of 163 paediatric patients (mean age, 7.8 years), 114 (70%) had a PCR-positive faecal sample. D. fragilis was detected most frequently, in 101 patients, followed by Blastocystis in 49. In faecal samples of 47 patients, more than one protozoan was detected, mainly the combination of D. fragilis and Blastocystis. Reported gastrointestinal symptoms were abdominal pain (78%), nausea (30%), and altered bowel habits (28%). Eighty-nine of the PCR-positive patients were treated with antibiotics. A significant reduction in abdominal pain was observed both in treated and in untreated patients. This study demonstrated that multiplex real-time PCR detects a high percentage of intestinal protozoa in paediatric patients with gastrointestinal symptoms. However, interpretation and determination of the clinical relevance of a positive PCR result in this population are still difficult. © 2013 The Authors Clinical Microbiology and Infection © 2013 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.

  17. Multiplex polymerase chain reaction for the detection of high-risk-human papillomavirus types in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded cervical tissues

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mini P Singh

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Detecting high-risk-human papillomavirus (HPV types has become an integral part of the cervical cancer screening programmes. This study aimed to develop a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR for identification of HPV types 16 and 18 along with the beta globin gene in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded cervical biopsy specimens. A total of 59 samples from patients with cervical abnormalities were tested. HPV 16 positivity was 50% in cervical cancers and 52.9% in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. Our multiplex PCR protocol can be used as a simple and cost-effective tool for high-risk-HPV detection in cervical cancer screening programmes.

  18. High throughput, multiplexed pathogen detection authenticates plague waves in medieval Venice, Italy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tran, Thi-Nguyen-Ny; Signoli, Michel; Fozzati, Luigi; Aboudharam, Gérard; Raoult, Didier; Drancourt, Michel

    2011-03-10

    Historical records suggest that multiple burial sites from the 14th-16th centuries in Venice, Italy, were used during the Black Death and subsequent plague epidemics. High throughput, multiplexed real-time PCR detected DNA of seven highly transmissible pathogens in 173 dental pulp specimens collected from 46 graves. Bartonella quintana DNA was identified in five (2.9%) samples, including three from the 16th century and two from the 15th century, and Yersinia pestis DNA was detected in three (1.7%) samples, including two from the 14th century and one from the 16th century. Partial glpD gene sequencing indicated that the detected Y. pestis was the Orientalis biotype. These data document for the first time successive plague epidemics in the medieval European city where quarantine was first instituted in the 14th century.

  19. Multipurpose assessment for the quantification of Vibrio spp. and total bacteria in fish and seawater using multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Ji Yeun; Lee, Jung-Lim

    2014-01-01

    Background This study describes the first multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction assay developed, as a multipurpose assessment, for the simultaneous quantification of total bacteria and three Vibrio spp. (V. parahaemolyticus, V. vulnificus and V. anguillarum) in fish and seawater. The consumption of raw finfish as sushi or sashimi has been increasing the chance of Vibrio outbreaks in consumers. Freshness and quality of fishery products also depend on the total bacterial populations present. Results The detection sensitivity of the specific targets for the multiplex assay was 1 CFU mL−1 in pure culture and seawater, and 10 CFU g−1 in fish. While total bacterial counts by the multiplex assay were similar to those obtained by cultural methods, the levels of Vibrio detected by the multiplex assay were generally higher than by cultural methods of the same populations. Among the natural samples without Vibrio spp. inoculation, eight out of 10 seawater and three out of 20 fish samples were determined to contain Vibrio spp. Conclusion Our data demonstrate that this multiplex assay could be useful for the rapid detection and quantification of Vibrio spp. and total bacteria as a multipurpose tool for surveillance of fish and water quality as well as diagnostic method. © 2014 The Authors. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by JohnWiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry. PMID:24752974

  20. Droplet-based microscale colorimetric biosensor for multiplexed DNA analysis via a graphene nanoprobe

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xiang Xia; Luo Ming; Shi Liyang; Ji Xinghu; He Zhike

    2012-01-01

    Graphical abstract: With a microvalve manipulate technique combined with droplet platform, a microscale fluorescence-based colorimetric sensor for multiplexed DNA analysis is developed via a graphene nanoprobe. Highlights: ► A quantitative detection for multiplexed DNA is first realized on droplet platform. ► The DNA detection is relied on a simple fluorescence-based colorimetric method. ► GO is served as a quencher for two different DNA fluorescent probes. ► This present work provides a rapid, sensitive, visual and convenient detection tool for droplet biosensor. - Abstract: The development of simple and inexpensive DNA detection strategy is very significant for droplet-based microfluidic system. Here, a droplet-based biosensor for multiplexed DNA analysis is developed with a common imaging device by using fluorescence-based colorimetric method and a graphene nanoprobe. With the aid of droplet manipulation technique, droplet size adjustment, droplet fusion and droplet trap are realized accurately and precisely. Due to the high quenching efficiency of graphene oxide (GO), in the absence of target DNAs, the droplet containing two single-stranded DNA probes and GO shows dark color, in which the DNA probes are labeled carboxy fluorescein (FAM) and 6-carboxy-X-rhodamine (ROX), respectively. The droplet changes from dark to bright color when the DNA probes form double helix with the specific target DNAs leading to the dyes far away from GO. This colorimetric droplet biosensor exhibits a quantitative capability for simultaneous detection of two different target DNAs with the detection limits of 9.46 and 9.67 × 10 −8 M, respectively. It is also demonstrated that this biosensor platform can become a promising detection tool in high throughput applications with low consumption of reagents. Moreover, the incorporation of graphene nanoprobe and droplet technique can drive the biosensor field one more step to some extent.

  1. Rapid methods for detection of bacteria

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Corfitzen, Charlotte B.; Andersen, B.Ø.; Miller, M.

    2006-01-01

    Traditional methods for detection of bacteria in drinking water e.g. Heterotrophic Plate Counts (HPC) or Most Probable Number (MNP) take 48-72 hours to give the result. New rapid methods for detection of bacteria are needed to protect the consumers against contaminations. Two rapid methods...

  2. Multiplex Cathepsin Zymography to Detect Amounts of Active Cathepsins K, L, S, and V.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Platt, Manu O

    2017-01-01

    Cysteine cathepsins are powerful proteases that can degrade other proteins, among which are the extracellular matrix proteins collagen and elastin. Multiplex cathepsin zymography is an assay that can quantify the amount of active cathepsins in a cell or tissue preparation. This method works for measuring the amounts of active cathepsins K, L, S, and V in a cell or tissue preparation without requiring the use of antibodies for specific identification which tremendously reduces cost. This chapter will demonstrate the utility and interpretation of this method with mammalian cells and tissue to quantify amounts of active cathepsins K, L, S, and V without complicating signals of the procathepsin. Multiplex cathepsin zymography has many advantages: (1) it separates cathepsins K, L, S, and V by electrophoretic migration distance, (2) allows visual confirmation of cathepsin identity, (3) does not detect procathepsins, and (4) can be quantified with densitometry.

  3. A real-time multi-gases detection and concentration measurements based-on time-division multiplexed-lasers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yazdandoust, Fatemeh; Tatenguem Fankem, Hervé; Milde, Tobias; Jimenez, Alvaro; Sacher, Joachim

    2018-02-01

    We report the development of a platform, based-on a Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) and suitable for Time-Division-Multiplexed DFB lasers. The designed platform is subsequently combined with a spectroscopy setup, for detection and quantification of species in a gas mixture. The experimental results show a detection limit of 460 ppm, an uncertainty of 0.1% and a computation time of less than 1000 clock cycles. The proposed system offers a high level of flexibility and is applicable to arbitrary types of gas-mixtures.

  4. Comparative study of colloidal gold and quantum dots as labels for multiplex screening tests for multi-mycotoxin detection

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Foubert, Astrid, E-mail: astrid.foubert@hotmail.com; Beloglazova, Natalia V.; De Saeger, Sarah

    2017-02-22

    Quantum dots (QDs) and colloidal gold nanoparticles (CG) were evaluated as labels for multiplex lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) for determination of mycotoxins deoxynivalenol (DON), zearalenone (ZEN) and T2/HT2-toxin (T2/HT2) in cereal matrices. Both developed assays were based on the same immunoreagents (except for the labels), therefore their analytical characteristics could be objectively compared. For both LFIAs antigens (DON-ovalbumin (OVA), ZEN-OVA and T2-OVA) and rabbit anti-mouse immunoglobulin were immobilized on a nitrocellulose membrane as three test lines and one control line, respectively. Depending on the LFIA, monoclonal antibodies (mAb) against DON, ZEN and T2 were conjugated with CdSeS/ZnS QDs or CG. T2 and HT2 were detected by one test line (T2-OVA) with an anti-T2 mAb which showed 110% cross-reactivity with HT2. Both tests were developed in accordance with the legal limits and were developed in such a way that they had the same cut-off limits of 1000 μg kg{sup −1}, 80 μg kg{sup −1} and 80 μg kg{sup −1} for DON, ZEN and T2/HT2, respectively in order to allow a correct comparison. Applicability of these assays was demonstrated by analysis of naturally contaminated wheat samples. The results demonstrate that both the LFIAs can be used as rapid, cost-effective and convenient qualitative tool for on-site screening for simultaneous detection of DON, ZEN and HT2/T2 in wheat without special instrumentation. However, the QD-based LFIA consumed less immunoreagents and was more sensitive and economically beneficial. In addition, the results were easier to interpret, resulting in a lower false negative rate (<5%) which was in good agreement with Commission Decision 2002/657/EC regarding the performance of analytical methods intended for screening purposes. - Highlights: • Development of colloidal gold- and quantum dot-based multiplex lateral flow immunoassay. • Lateral flow immunoassays allow simultaneous detection of four mycotoxins.

  5. The Role of Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction in Detecting Etiological Causes of Bacterial Prostatitis Associated Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bramastha Rosadi

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH has been correlated with chronic prostatitis according recent study. Chronic pelvic pain is the chief complain of BPH followed by prostatitis. The gold standard of the etiological diagnosis is urine culture, but the negativity rate is still high. Multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR as a diagnostic tool in search of etiological causes could identify microorganism on DNA level. This research aims to find out the role of multiplex polymerase chain reaction as diagnostic tools on prostatitis patients. Material and Method: A total of 12 samples collected during the TURP procedure in Sanglah General Hospital Denpasar – Bali from February until May 2015. All of the samples has been diagnosed prostatitis clinically and perform urine culture test. The prostate specimen taken was sent to the Pathological anatomy for histopathology diagnostic and underwent multiplex PCR for etiologic diagnostic. Result: 12 samples have been declared as prostatitis based on histopathology examination, and then were analyzed using multiplex PCR. 10 samples were positive (6 were E. coli, 2 were C. trachomatis, the rest were N. gonorrhea and P. aeruginosa. The urine culture revealed 9 positive, within the result 6 were E. coli, and the others were P. aeruginosa, M. morganii and A. haemolyticus. Conclusion: In prostatitis patient, the etiological diagnostic was important. Multiplex PCR as diagnostic tools could detect the microorganism on a negative urine culture. The combination of the urine culture test and multiplex PCR revealed a better result on etiologic diagnosis which leads to a better management of the disease. 

  6. High Throughput, Multiplexed Pathogen Detection Authenticates Plague Waves in Medieval Venice, Italy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tran, Thi-Nguyen-Ny; Signoli, Michel; Fozzati, Luigi; Aboudharam, Gérard; Raoult, Didier; Drancourt, Michel

    2011-01-01

    Background Historical records suggest that multiple burial sites from the 14th–16th centuries in Venice, Italy, were used during the Black Death and subsequent plague epidemics. Methodology/Principal Findings High throughput, multiplexed real-time PCR detected DNA of seven highly transmissible pathogens in 173 dental pulp specimens collected from 46 graves. Bartonella quintana DNA was identified in five (2.9%) samples, including three from the 16th century and two from the 15th century, and Yersinia pestis DNA was detected in three (1.7%) samples, including two from the 14th century and one from the 16th century. Partial glpD gene sequencing indicated that the detected Y. pestis was the Orientalis biotype. Conclusions These data document for the first time successive plague epidemics in the medieval European city where quarantine was first instituted in the 14th century. PMID:21423736

  7. SiDIVS: Simple Detection of Inductive Vehicle Signatures with a Multiplex Resonant Sensor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José J. Lamas-Seco

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available This work provides a system capable of obtaining simultaneous inductive signatures of vehicles traveling on a roadway with minimal cost. Based on Time-Division Multiplexing (TDM with multiple oscillators, one for each inductive loop, the proposed system detects the presence of vehicles by means of a shift in the oscillation period of the selected loop and registers the signature of the detected vehicles by measuring the duration of a fixed number of oscillator pulses. In order to test the system in an actual environment, we implement a prototype that we denote as SiDIVS (Simple Detection of Inductive Vehicle Signatures and acquire different vehicle inductive signatures under real scenarios. We also test the robustness of the detector by simulating the effect of noise on the signature acquisition.

  8. Universal detection of phytoplasmas and Xylella spp. by TaqMan singleplex and multiplex real-time PCR with dual priming oligonucleotides.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Takao Ito

    Full Text Available Phytoplasmas and Xylella spp. are bacteria that cause many economically important plant diseases worldwide. TaqMan probe-based quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR assays have been utilized to universally detect phytoplasmas or Xylella fastidiosa. To develop a superior universal qPCR method, we used a dual priming oligonucleotide (DPO with two annealing sites as a reverse primer to target the well-conserved bacterial 16S rDNA. The new qPCR assays universally detected various species of phytoplasmas and subspecies of X. fastidiosa as well as Xylella taiwanensis, and generally showed superior threshold cycle values when amplifying specific or non-specific products compared to current universal qPCR assays. The proposed qPCR assays were integrated to develop a multiplex qPCR assay that simultaneously detected phytoplasmas, Xylella spp., and an internal plant DNA positive control within 1 hour. This assay could detect a minimum of ten bacterial cells and was compatible with crude extractions used in the rapid screening of various plants. The amplicons were of sufficient lengths to be directly sequenced for preliminary identification, and the primers could be used in universal conventional PCR assays. Additionally, reverse DPO primers can be utilized to improve other probe-based qPCR assays.

  9. Detection and characterization of recombinant DNA expressing vip3A-type insecticidal gene in GMOs--standard single, multiplex and construct-specific PCR assays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Chandra K; Ojha, Abhishek; Bhatanagar, Raj K; Kachru, Devendra N

    2008-01-01

    Vegetative insecticidal protein (Vip), a unique class of insecticidal protein, is now part of transgenic plants for conferring resistance against lepidopteron pests. In order to address the imminent regulatory need for detection and labeling of vip3A carrying genetically modified (GM) products, we have developed a standard single PCR and a multiplex PCR assay. As far as we are aware, this is the first report on PCR-based detection of a vip3A-type gene (vip-s) in transgenic cotton and tobacco. Our assay involves amplification of a 284-bp region of the vip-s gene. This assay can possibly detect as many as 20 natural wild-type isolates bearing a vip3A-like gene and two synthetic genes of vip3A in transgenic plants. The limit of detection as established by our assay for GM trait (vip-s) is 0.1%. Spiking with nontarget DNA originating from diverse plant sources had no inhibitory effect on vip-s detection. Since autoclaving of vip-s bearing GM leaf samples showed no deterioration/interference in detection efficacy, the assay seems to be suitable for processed food products as well. The vip-s amplicon identity was reconfirmed by restriction endonuclease assay. The primer set for vip-s was equally effective in a multiplex PCR assay format (duplex, triplex and quadruplex), used in conjunction with the primer sets for the npt-II selectable marker gene, Cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter and nopaline synthetase terminator, enabling concurrent detection of the transgene, regulatory sequences and marker gene. Further, the entire transgene construct was amplified using the forward primer of the promoter and the reverse primer of the terminator. The resultant amplicon served as a template for nested PCR to confirm the construct integrity. The method is suitable for screening any vip3A-carrying GM plant and food. The availability of a reliable PCR assay method prior to commercial release of vip3A-based transgenic crops and food would facilitate rapid and efficient regulatory

  10. DNA Differential Diagnosis of Taeniasis and Cysticercosis by Multiplex PCR

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamasaki, Hiroshi; Allan, James C.; Sato, Marcello Otake; Nakao, Minoru; Sako, Yasuhito; Nakaya, Kazuhiro; Qiu, Dongchuan; Mamuti, Wulamu; Craig, Philip S.; Ito, Akira

    2004-01-01

    Multiplex PCR was established for differential diagnosis of taeniasis and cysticercosis, including their causative agents. For identification of the parasites, multiplex PCR with cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene yielded evident differential products unique for Taenia saginata and Taenia asiatica and for American/African and Asian genotypes of Taenia solium with molecular sizes of 827, 269, 720, and 984 bp, respectively. In the PCR-based detection of tapeworm carriers using fecal samples, the diagnostic markers were detected from 7 of 14 and 4 of 9 T. solium carriers from Guatemala and Indonesia, respectively. Test sensitivity may have been reduced by the length of time (up to 12 years) that samples were stored and/or small sample volumes (ca. 30 to 50 mg). However, the diagnostic markers were detected by nested PCR in five worm carriers from Guatemalan cases that were found to be negative by multiplex PCR. It was noteworthy that a 720 bp-diagnostic marker was detected from a T. solium carrier who was egg-free, implying that it is possible to detect worm carriers and treat before mature gravid proglottids are discharged. In contrast to T. solium carriers, 827-bp markers were detected by multiplex PCR in all T. saginata carriers. The application of the multiplex PCR would be useful not only for surveillance of taeniasis and cysticercosis control but also for the molecular epidemiological survey of these cestode infections. PMID:14766815

  11. Detection and Identification of Probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum Strains by Multiplex PCR Using RAPD-Derived Primers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Galanis, Alex; Kourkoutas, Yiannis; Tassou, Chrysoula C; Chorianopoulos, Nikos

    2015-10-22

    Lactobacillus plantarum 2035 and Lactobacillus plantarum ACA-DC 2640 are two lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains that have been isolated from Feta cheese. Both display significant potential for the production of novel probiotic food products. The aim of the present study was the development of an accurate and efficient method for the molecular detection and identification of the above strains in a single reaction. A multiplex PCR assay was designed for each strain, based on specific primers derived from Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) Sequenced Characterized Amplified Region (SCAR) analysis. The specificity of the assay was tested with a total of 23 different LAB strains, for L. plantarum 2035 and L. plantarum ACA-DC 2640. The multiplex PCR assay was also successfully applied for the detection of the above cultures in yogurt samples prepared in our lab. The proposed methodology may be applied for monitoring the presence of these strains in food products, thus evaluating their probiotic character. Moreover, our strategy may be adapted for other novel LAB strains with probiotic potential, thus providing a powerful tool for molecular discrimination that could be invaluable to the food industry.

  12. Detection and Identification of Probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum Strains by Multiplex PCR Using RAPD-Derived Primers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alex Galanis

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Lactobacillus plantarum 2035 and Lactobacillus plantarum ACA-DC 2640 are two lactic acid bacteria (LAB strains that have been isolated from Feta cheese. Both display significant potential for the production of novel probiotic food products. The aim of the present study was the development of an accurate and efficient method for the molecular detection and identification of the above strains in a single reaction. A multiplex PCR assay was designed for each strain, based on specific primers derived from Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD Sequenced Characterized Amplified Region (SCAR analysis. The specificity of the assay was tested with a total of 23 different LAB strains, for L. plantarum 2035 and L. plantarum ACA-DC 2640. The multiplex PCR assay was also successfully applied for the detection of the above cultures in yogurt samples prepared in our lab. The proposed methodology may be applied for monitoring the presence of these strains in food products, thus evaluating their probiotic character. Moreover, our strategy may be adapted for other novel LAB strains with probiotic potential, thus providing a powerful tool for molecular discrimination that could be invaluable to the food industry.

  13. Multiplex real-time PCR SYBR Green for detection and typing of group III Clostridium botulinum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anniballi, Fabrizio; Auricchio, Bruna; Delibato, Elisabetta; Antonacci, Monia; De Medici, Dario; Fenicia, Lucia

    2012-01-27

    Clostridium botulinum type C and type D belonging to the group III organisms, are mainly responsible for animal botulism outbreaks. Clinical signs alone are often insufficient to make a diagnosis of botulism and a laboratory confirmation is required. Laboratory confirmation can be performed by demonstrating the presence of botulinum neurotoxins in serum, gastrointestinal contents, liver, wound of sick or dead animals, or by demonstrating the presence of C. botulinum in gastrointestinal contents, liver, and wound. Demonstration of spores in gastrointestinal contents or tissue of animals with clinical signs indicative of botulism reinforces the clinical diagnosis. With the aim of detecting and typing C. botulinum group III organisms, a multiplex real-time PCR SYBR Green was developed and in-house validated. Selectivity, limit of detection, relative accuracy, relative specificity, relative sensitivity, and repeatability of the method were investigated. The multiplex real-time PCR SYBR green used showed a 100% selectivity, 100% relative accuracy, 100% relative specificity, 100% relative sensitivity and a limit of detection of 277 and 580 DNA copies for C. botulinum type C and C. botulinum type D, respectively. The method reported here represents a suitable tool for laboratory diagnosis of type C and D botulism and for testing a large number of samples collected during the animal botulism surveillance and prevention activities. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Simultaneous detection of the three ilarviruses affecting stone fruit trees by nonisotopic molecular hybridization and multiplex reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saade, M; Aparicio, F; Sánchez-Navarro, J A; Herranz, M C; Myrta, A; Di Terlizzi, B; Pallás, V

    2000-12-01

    ABSTRACT The three most economically damaging ilarviruses affecting stone fruit trees on a worldwide scale are the related Prunus necrotic ringspot virus (PNRSV), Prune dwarf virus (PDV), and Apple mosaic virus (ApMV). Nonisotopic molecular hybridization and multiplex reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) methodologies were developed that could detect all these viruses simultaneously. The latter technique was advantageous because it was discriminatory. For RT-PCR, a degenerate antisense primer was designed which was used in conjunction with three virus-specific sense primers. The amplification efficiencies for the detection of the three viruses in the multiplex RT-PCR reaction were identical to those obtained in the single RT-PCR reactions for individual viruses. This cocktail of primers was able to amplify sequences from all of the PNRSV, ApMV, and PDV isolates tested in five Prunus spp. hosts (almond, apricot, cherry, peach, and plum) occurring naturally in single or multiple infections. For ApMV isolates, differences in the electrophoretic mobilities of the PCR products were observed. The nucleotide sequence of the amplified products of two representative ApMV isolates was determined, and comparative analysis revealed the existence of a 28-nucleotide deletion in the sequence of isolates showing the faster electrophoretic mobility. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the simultaneous detection of three plant viruses by multiplex RT-PCR in woody hosts. This multiplex RT-PCR could be a useful time and cost saving method for indexing these three ilarviruses, which damage stone fruit tree yields, and for the analysis of mother plants in certification programs.

  15. Long-term desorption of trichloroethylene from flint clay using multiplexed optical detection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stager, M.P.; Perram, G.P.

    1999-01-01

    The long-term desorption of trichloroethylene (TCE) from powdered flint clay was examined using a multiplexed, phase sensitive infrared technique which provided a gas phase detection limit of 0.0045 torr for continuous monitoring of the desorption process for at least 3 days. The vapor phase TCE concentrations as a function of desorption time exhibit a significant deviation from Langmuir kinetics. The desorption process is adequately described by bonding sites with a gamma distribution for the desorption rate coefficients. The mean desorption rate for powdered flint clay at 25°C is k d = 0.50 ± 0.02 h −1 . (author)

  16. Analysis of hybrid subcarrier multiplexing of OCDMA based on single photodiode detection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ahmad N. A. A

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper analyzes the performance of subcarrier multiplexing (SCM of spectral amplitude coding optical code multiple access (SAC-OCDMA by applying Recursive Combinatorial (RC code based on single photodiode detection (SPD. SPD is used in the receiver part to reduce the effect of multiple access interference (MAI which contributes as a dominant noise in incoherent SAC-OCDMA systems. Results indicate that the SCM OCDMA network performance could be improved by using lower data rates and higher number of weight. Total number of users can also be enhanced by adding lower data rates and higher number of subcarriers.

  17. Analysis of hybrid subcarrier multiplexing of OCDMA based on single photodiode detection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmad, N. A. A.; Junita, M. N.; Aljunid, S. A.; Rashidi, C. B. M.; Endut, R.

    2017-11-01

    This paper analyzes the performance of subcarrier multiplexing (SCM) of spectral amplitude coding optical code multiple access (SAC-OCDMA) by applying Recursive Combinatorial (RC) code based on single photodiode detection (SPD). SPD is used in the receiver part to reduce the effect of multiple access interference (MAI) which contributes as a dominant noise in incoherent SAC-OCDMA systems. Results indicate that the SCM OCDMA network performance could be improved by using lower data rates and higher number of weight. Total number of users can also be enhanced by adding lower data rates and higher number of subcarriers.

  18. Development of a multiplex assay for genus- and species-specific detection of Phytophthora based on differences in mitochondrial gene order

    Science.gov (United States)

    G. J. Bilodeau; F. N. Martin; M. D. Coffey; C. L. Blomquist

    2014-01-01

    A molecular diagnostic assay for Phytophthora spp. that is specific, sensitive, has both genus- and species-specific detection capabilities multiplexed, and can be used to systematically develop markers for detection of a wide range of species would facilitate research and regulatory efforts. To address this need, a marker system was developed...

  19. A multiplexed reverse transcriptase PCR assay for identification of viral respiratory pathogens at point-of-care

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Letant, S E; .Ortiz, J I; Tammero, L; Birch, J M; Derlet, R W; Cohen, S; Manning, D; McBride, M T

    2007-04-11

    We have developed a nucleic acid-based assay that is rapid, sensitive, specific, and can be used for the simultaneous detection of 5 common human respiratory pathogens including influenza A, influenza B, parainfluenza type 1 and 3, respiratory syncytial virus, and adenovirus group B, C, and E. Typically, diagnosis on an un-extracted clinical sample can be provided in less than 3 hours, including sample collection, preparation, and processing, as well as data analysis. Such a multiplexed panel would enable rapid broad-spectrum pathogen testing on nasal swabs, and therefore allow implementation of infection control measures, and timely administration of antiviral therapies. This article presents a summary of the assay performance in terms of sensitivity and specificity. Limits of detection are provided for each targeted respiratory pathogen, and result comparisons are performed on clinical samples, our goal being to compare the sensitivity and specificity of the multiplexed assay to the combination of immunofluorescence and shell vial culture currently implemented at the UCDMC hospital. Overall, the use of the multiplexed RT-PCR assay reduced the rate of false negatives by 4% and reduced the rate of false positives by up to 10%. The assay correctly identified 99.3% of the clinical negatives, 97% of adenovirus, 95% of RSV, 92% of influenza B, and 77% of influenza A without any extraction performed on the clinical samples. The data also showed that extraction will be needed for parainfluenza virus, which was only identified correctly 24% of the time on un-extracted samples.

  20. Highly multiplexed simultaneous detection of RNAs and proteins in single cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frei, Andreas P; Bava, Felice-Alessio; Zunder, Eli R; Hsieh, Elena W Y; Chen, Shih-Yu; Nolan, Garry P; Gherardini, Pier Federico

    2016-03-01

    To enable the detection of expression signatures specific to individual cells, we developed PLAYR (proximity ligation assay for RNA), a method for highly multiplexed transcript quantification by flow and mass cytometry that is compatible with standard antibody staining. When used with mass cytometry, PLAYR allowed for the simultaneous quantification of more than 40 different mRNAs and proteins. In primary cells, we quantified multiple transcripts, with the identity and functional state of each analyzed cell defined on the basis of the expression of a separate set of transcripts or proteins. By expanding high-throughput deep phenotyping of cells beyond protein epitopes to include RNA expression, PLAYR opens a new avenue for the characterization of cellular metabolism.

  1. Multiplex dipstick immunoassay for semi-quantitative determination of Fusarium mycotoxins in cereals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lattanzio, Veronica M.T.; Nivarlet, Noan; Lippolis, Vincenzo; Gatta, Stefania Della; Huet, Anne-Catherine; Delahaut, Philippe; Granier, Benoit; Visconti, Angelo

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► We developed a rapid method based on a multiplex dipstick immunoassay. ► The assay allowed the determination of major Fusarium toxins in wheat, oats, maize. ► We obtained cut off levels close to EU regulatory levels. - Abstract: A multiplex dipstick immunoassay based method for the simultaneous determination of major Fusarium toxins, namely zearalenone, T-2 and HT-2 toxins, deoxynivalenol and fumonisins in wheat, oats and maize has been developed. The dipstick format was based on an indirect competitive approach. Four test lines (mycotoxin–BSA conjugates) and one control line were located on the strip membrane. Labelled antibodies were freeze-dried within the microwell. Two matrix-related sample preparation protocols have been developed for wheat/oats (not containing fumonisins) and maize (containing fumonisins) respectively. The use of a methanol/water mixture for sample preparation allowed recoveries in the range 73–109% for all mycotoxins in all tested cereals, with relative standard deviation less than 10%. The optimized immunoassay was able to detect target mycotoxins at cut off levels equal to 80% of EU maximum permitted levels, i.e. 280, 400, 1400 and 3200 μg kg −1 , respectively, for zearalenone, T-2/HT-2 toxins, deoxynivalenol and fumonisins in maize, and 80, 400 and 1400 μg kg −1 , respectively, for zearalenone, T-2/HT-2 toxins and deoxynivalenol in wheat and oats. Analysis of naturally contaminated samples resulted in a good agreement between multiplex dipstick and validated confirmatory LC–MS/MS. The percentage of false positive results was less than or equal to 13%, whereas no false negative results were obtained. Data on the presence/absence of 6 mycotoxins at levels close to EU regulatory levels were obtained within 30 min. The proposed immunoassay protocol is rapid, inexpensive, easy-to-use and fit for purpose of rapid screening of mycotoxins in cereals.

  2. Development of a multiplex real-time PCR assay for phylogenetic analysis of Uropathogenic Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hasanpour, Mojtaba; Najafi, Akram

    2017-06-01

    Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is among major pathogens causing 80-90% of all episodes of urinary tract infections (UTIs). Recently, E. coli strains are divided into eight main phylogenetic groups including A, B1, B2, C, D, E, F, and clade I. This study was aimed to develop a rapid, sensitive, and specific multiplex real time PCR method capable of detecting phylogenetic groups of E. coli strains. This study was carried out on E. coli strains (isolated from the patient with UTI) in which the presence of all seven target genes had been confirmed in our previous phylogenetic study. An EvaGreen-based singleplex and multiplex real-time PCR with melting curve analysis was designed for simultaneous detection and differentiation of these genes. The primers were selected mainly based on the production of amplicons with melting temperatures (T m ) ranging from 82°C to 93°C and temperature difference of more than 1.5°C between each peak.The multiplex real-time PCR assays that have been developed in the present study were successful in detecting the eight main phylogenetic groups. Seven distinct melting peaks were discriminated, with Tm value of 93±0.8 for arpA, 89.2±0.1for chuA, 86.5±0.1 for yjaA, 82.3±0.2 for TspE4C2, 87.8±0.1for trpAgpC, 85.4±0.6 for arpAgpE genes, and 91±0.5 for the internal control. To our knowledge, this study is the first melting curve-based real-time PCR assay developed for simultaneous and discrete detection of these seven target genes. Our findings showed that this assay has the potential to be a rapid, reliable and cost-effective alternative for routine phylotyping of E. coli strains. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Rapid identification of 11 human intestinal Lactobacillus species by multiplex PCR assays using group- and species-specific primers derived from the 16S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer region and its flanking 23S rRNA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Y; Kato, N; Liu, C; Matsumiya, Y; Kato, H; Watanabe, K

    2000-06-15

    Rapid and reliable two-step multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays were established to identify human intestinal lactobacilli; a multiplex PCR was used for grouping of lactobacilli with a mixture of group-specific primers followed by four multiplex PCR assays with four sorts of species-specific primer mixtures for identification at the species level. Primers used were designed from nucleotide sequences of the 16S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer region and its flanking 23S rRNA gene of members of the genus Lactobacillus which are commonly isolated from human stool specimens: Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus crispatus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii (ssp. bulgaricus and ssp. lactis), Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus gasseri, Lactobacillus jensenii, Lactobacillus paracasei (ssp. paracasei and ssp. tolerans), Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus reuteri, Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Lactobacillus salivarius (ssp. salicinius and ssp. salivarius). The established two-step multiplex PCR assays were applied to the identification of 84 Lactobacillus strains isolated from human stool specimens and the PCR results were consistent with the results from the DNA-DNA hybridization assay. These results suggest that the multiplex PCR system established in this study is a simple, rapid and reliable method for the identification of common Lactobacillus isolates from human stool samples.

  4. Rapid and inexpensive body fluid identification by RNA profiling-based multiplex High Resolution Melt (HRM) analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hanson, Erin K; Ballantyne, Jack

    2013-01-01

    Positive identification of the nature of biological material present on evidentiary items can be crucial for understanding the circumstances surrounding a crime. However, traditional protein-based methods do not permit the identification of all body fluids and tissues, and thus molecular based strategies for the conclusive identification of all forensically relevant biological fluids and tissues need to be developed. Messenger RNA (mRNA) profiling is an example of such a molecular-based approach. Current mRNA body fluid identification assays involve capillary electrophoresis (CE) or quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) platforms, each with its own limitations. Both platforms require the use of expensive fluorescently labeled primers or probes. CE-based assays require separate amplification and detection steps thus increasing the analysis time. For qRT-PCR assays, only 3-4 markers can be included in a single reaction since each requires a different fluorescent dye. To simplify mRNA profiling assays, and reduce the time and cost of analysis, we have developed single- and multiplex body fluid High Resolution Melt (HRM) assays for the identification of common forensically relevant biological fluids and tissues. The incorporated biomarkers include IL19 (vaginal secretions), IL1F7 (skin), ALAS2 (blood), MMP10 (menstrual blood), HTN3 (saliva) and TGM4 (semen).  The HRM assays require only unlabeled PCR primers and a single saturating intercalating fluorescent dye (Eva Green). Each body-fluid-specific marker can easily be identified by the presence of a distinct melt peak. Usually, HRM assays are used to detect variants or isoforms for a single gene target. However, we have uniquely developed duplex and triplex HRM assays to permit the simultaneous detection of multiple targets per reaction. Here we describe the development and initial performance evaluation of the developed HRM assays. The results demonstrate the potential use of HRM assays for rapid, and relatively inexpensive

  5. Non-Linear Detection for Joint Space-Frequency Block Coding and Spatial Multiplexing in OFDM-MIMO Systems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rahman, Imadur Mohamed; Marchetti, Nicola; Fitzek, Frank

    2005-01-01

    (SIC) receiver where the detection is done on subcarrier by sub-carrier basis based on both Zero Forcing (ZF) and Minimum Mean Square Error (MMSE) nulling criterion for the system. In terms of Frame Error Rate (FER), MMSE based SIC receiver performs better than all other receivers compared......In this work, we have analyzed a joint spatial diversity and multiplexing transmission structure for MIMO-OFDM system, where Orthogonal Space-Frequency Block Coding (OSFBC) is used across all spatial multiplexing branches. We have derived a BLAST-like non-linear Successive Interference Cancellation...... in this paper. We have found that a linear two-stage receiver for the proposed system [1] performs very close to the non-linear receiver studied in this work. Finally, we compared the system performance in spatially correlated scenario. It is found that higher amount of spatial correlation at the transmitter...

  6. Multiplex flow cytometry barcoding and antibody arrays identify surface antigen profiles of primary and metastatic colon cancer cell lines.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kumar Sukhdeo

    Full Text Available Colon cancer is a deadly disease affecting millions of people worldwide. Current treatment challenges include management of disease burden as well as improvements in detection and targeting of tumor cells. To identify disease state-specific surface antigen signatures, we combined fluorescent cell barcoding with high-throughput flow cytometric profiling of primary and metastatic colon cancer lines (SW480, SW620, and HCT116. Our multiplexed technique offers improvements over conventional methods by permitting the simultaneous and rapid screening of cancer cells with reduced effort and cost. The method uses a protein-level analysis with commercially available antibodies on live cells with intact epitopes to detect potential tumor-specific targets that can be further investigated for their clinical utility. Multiplexed antibody arrays can easily be applied to other tumor types or pathologies for discovery-based approaches to target identification.

  7. Multiplex Real-Time PCR for Detection of Staphylococcus aureus, mecA and Panton-Valentine Leukocidin (PVL) Genes from Selective Enrichments from Animals and Retail Meat

    Science.gov (United States)

    Velasco, Valeria; Sherwood, Julie S.; Rojas-García, Pedro P.; Logue, Catherine M.

    2014-01-01

    The aim of this study was to compare a real-time PCR assay, with a conventional culture/PCR method, to detect S. aureus, mecA and Panton-Valentine Leukocidin (PVL) genes in animals and retail meat, using a two-step selective enrichment protocol. A total of 234 samples were examined (77 animal nasal swabs, 112 retail raw meat, and 45 deli meat). The multiplex real-time PCR targeted the genes: nuc (identification of S. aureus), mecA (associated with methicillin resistance) and PVL (virulence factor), and the primary and secondary enrichment samples were assessed. The conventional culture/PCR method included the two-step selective enrichment, selective plating, biochemical testing, and multiplex PCR for confirmation. The conventional culture/PCR method recovered 95/234 positive S. aureus samples. Application of real-time PCR on samples following primary and secondary enrichment detected S. aureus in 111/234 and 120/234 samples respectively. For detection of S. aureus, the kappa statistic was 0.68–0.88 (from substantial to almost perfect agreement) and 0.29–0.77 (from fair to substantial agreement) for primary and secondary enrichments, using real-time PCR. For detection of mecA gene, the kappa statistic was 0–0.49 (from no agreement beyond that expected by chance to moderate agreement) for primary and secondary enrichment samples. Two pork samples were mecA gene positive by all methods. The real-time PCR assay detected the mecA gene in samples that were negative for S. aureus, but positive for Staphylococcus spp. The PVL gene was not detected in any sample by the conventional culture/PCR method or the real-time PCR assay. Among S. aureus isolated by conventional culture/PCR method, the sequence type ST398, and multi-drug resistant strains were found in animals and raw meat samples. The real-time PCR assay may be recommended as a rapid method for detection of S. aureus and the mecA gene, with further confirmation of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) using

  8. Multiplex real-time PCR for detection of Staphylococcus aureus, mecA and Panton-Valentine Leukocidin (PVL genes from selective enrichments from animals and retail meat.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Valeria Velasco

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to compare a real-time PCR assay, with a conventional culture/PCR method, to detect S. aureus, mecA and Panton-Valentine Leukocidin (PVL genes in animals and retail meat, using a two-step selective enrichment protocol. A total of 234 samples were examined (77 animal nasal swabs, 112 retail raw meat, and 45 deli meat. The multiplex real-time PCR targeted the genes: nuc (identification of S. aureus, mecA (associated with methicillin resistance and PVL (virulence factor, and the primary and secondary enrichment samples were assessed. The conventional culture/PCR method included the two-step selective enrichment, selective plating, biochemical testing, and multiplex PCR for confirmation. The conventional culture/PCR method recovered 95/234 positive S. aureus samples. Application of real-time PCR on samples following primary and secondary enrichment detected S. aureus in 111/234 and 120/234 samples respectively. For detection of S. aureus, the kappa statistic was 0.68-0.88 (from substantial to almost perfect agreement and 0.29-0.77 (from fair to substantial agreement for primary and secondary enrichments, using real-time PCR. For detection of mecA gene, the kappa statistic was 0-0.49 (from no agreement beyond that expected by chance to moderate agreement for primary and secondary enrichment samples. Two pork samples were mecA gene positive by all methods. The real-time PCR assay detected the mecA gene in samples that were negative for S. aureus, but positive for Staphylococcus spp. The PVL gene was not detected in any sample by the conventional culture/PCR method or the real-time PCR assay. Among S. aureus isolated by conventional culture/PCR method, the sequence type ST398, and multi-drug resistant strains were found in animals and raw meat samples. The real-time PCR assay may be recommended as a rapid method for detection of S. aureus and the mecA gene, with further confirmation of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA

  9. Comparison between Conventional OCDMA and Subcarrier Multiplexing SAC OCDMA System Based on Single Photodiode Detection

    OpenAIRE

    Ahmad N. A. A; Junita M. N; Aljunid Syed Alwi; Che Beson Mohd Rashidi; Endut Rosdisham

    2017-01-01

    This paper demonstrates the comparison between conventional OCDMA system and subcarrier multiplexing (SCM) SAC-OCDMA system by applying Recursive Combinatorial (RC) code based on single photodiode detection (SPD). SPD is used in the receiver part to reduce the effect of multiple access interference (MAI) which contributes as a dominant noise in incoherent SAC-OCDMA systems. From this analysis, the performance of SCM OCDMA network could be improved by using lower data rates and higher received...

  10. Multiplexing of spatial modes in the mid-IR region

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gailele, Lucas; Maweza, Loyiso; Dudley, Angela; Ndagano, Bienvenu; Rosales-Guzman, Carmelo; Forbes, Andrew

    2017-02-01

    Traditional optical communication systems optimize multiplexing in polarization and wavelength both trans- mitted in fiber and free-space to attain high bandwidth data communication. Yet despite these technologies, we are expected to reach a bandwidth ceiling in the near future. Communications using orbital angular momentum (OAM) carrying modes offers infinite dimensional states, providing means to increase link capacity by multiplexing spatially overlapping modes in both the azimuthal and radial degrees of freedom. OAM modes are multiplexed and de-multiplexed by the use of spatial light modulators (SLM). Implementation of complex amplitude modulation is employed on laser beams phase and amplitude to generate Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) modes. Modal decomposition is employed to detect these modes due to their orthogonality as they propagate in space. We demonstrate data transfer by sending images as a proof-of concept in a lab-based scheme. We demonstrate the creation and detection of OAM modes in the mid-IR region as a precursor to a mid-IR free-space communication link.

  11. Identification of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains isolated from burn patients by multiplex PCR.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montazeri, Effat Abbasi; Khosravi, Azar Dokht; Jolodar, Abbas; Ghaderpanah, Mozhgan; Azarpira, Samireh

    2015-05-01

    Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci (MRCoNS) as important human pathogens are causes of nosocomial infections worldwide. Burn patients are at a higher risk of local and systemic infections with these microorganisms. A screening method for MRSA by using a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA), mecA, and nuc genes was developed. The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential of this PCR assay for the detection of MRSA strains in samples from burn patients. During an 11-month period, 230 isolates (53.11%) of Staphylococcus spp. were collected from burn patients. The isolates were identified as S. aureus by using standard culture and biochemical tests. DNA was extracted from bacterial colonies and multiplex PCR was used to detect MRSA and MRCoNS strains. Of the staphylococci isolates, 149 (64.9%) were identified as S. aureus and 81 (35.21%) were described as CoNS. Among the latter, 51 (62.97%) were reported to be MRCoNS. From the total S. aureus isolates, 132 (88.6%) were detected as MRSA and 17 (11.4%) were methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA). The presence of the mecA gene in all isolates was confirmed by using multiplex PCR as a gold standard method. This study presented a high MRSA rate in the region under investigation. The 16S rRNA-mecA-nuc multiplex PCR is a good tool for the rapid characterization of MRSA strains. This paper emphasizes the need for preventive measures and choosing effective antimicrobials against MRSA and MRCoNS infections in the burn units. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

  12. Fluorescence-Raman Dual Modal Endoscopic System for Multiplexed Molecular Diagnostics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeong, Sinyoung; Kim, Yong-Il; Kang, Homan; Kim, Gunsung; Cha, Myeong Geun; Chang, Hyejin; Jung, Kyung Oh; Kim, Young-Hwa; Jun, Bong-Hyun; Hwang, Do Won; Lee, Yun-Sang; Youn, Hyewon; Lee, Yoon-Sik; Kang, Keon Wook; Lee, Dong Soo; Jeong, Dae Hong

    2015-03-01

    Optical endoscopic imaging, which was recently equipped with bioluminescence, fluorescence, and Raman scattering, allows minimally invasive real-time detection of pathologies on the surface of hollow organs. To characterize pathologic lesions in a multiplexed way, we developed a dual modal fluorescence-Raman endomicroscopic system (FRES), which used fluorescence and surface-enhanced Raman scattering nanoprobes (F-SERS dots). Real-time, in vivo, and multiple target detection of a specific cancer was successful, based on the fast imaging capability of fluorescence signals and the multiplex capability of simultaneously detected SERS signals using an optical fiber bundle for intraoperative endoscopic system. Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) on the breast cancer xenografts in a mouse orthotopic model were successfully detected in a multiplexed way, illustrating the potential of FRES as a molecular diagnostic instrument that enables real-time tumor characterization of receptors during routine endoscopic procedures.

  13. Development of melting temperature-based SYBR Green I polymerase chain reaction methods for multiplex genetically modified organism detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hernández, Marta; Rodríguez-Lázaro, David; Esteve, Teresa; Prat, Salomé; Pla, Maria

    2003-12-15

    Commercialization of several genetically modified crops has been approved worldwide to date. Uniplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based methods to identify these different insertion events have been developed, but their use in the analysis of all commercially available genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is becoming progressively insufficient. These methods require a large number of assays to detect all possible GMOs present in the sample and thereby the development of multiplex PCR systems using combined probes and primers targeted to sequences specific to various GMOs is needed for detection of this increasing number of GMOs. Here we report on the development of a multiplex real-time PCR suitable for multiple GMO identification, based on the intercalating dye SYBR Green I and the analysis of the melting curves of the amplified products. Using this method, different amplification products specific for Maximizer 176, Bt11, MON810, and GA21 maize and for GTS 40-3-2 soybean were obtained and identified by their specific Tm. We have combined amplification of these products in a number of multiplex reactions and show the suitability of the methods for identification of GMOs with a sensitivity of 0.1% in duplex reactions. The described methods offer an economic and simple alternative to real-time PCR systems based on sequence-specific probes (i.e., TaqMan chemistry). These methods can be used as selection tests and further optimized for uniplex GMO quantification.

  14. Diagnosis of common bacterial causes of urethritis in men by Gram stain, culture and multiplex PCR.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jahan, F; Shamsuzzaman, S M; Akter, S

    2014-12-01

    Urethritis is one of the most important causes of morbidity and mortality in developing countries. The aim of this study was to detect common bacterial causes of urethritis in men by Gram stain, culture and multiplex PCR.185 male patients who presented at the Skin and venereal clinic of the Dhaka Medical College, Bangladesh with clinical symptoms suggestive of urethritis were enrolled in this study. Urethral discharges were tested for detection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae by Gram stain, culture and PCR. Multiplex PCR assay was done to detect DNA of Chlamydia trachomatis, Ureaplasma urealyticum and Mycoplasma genitalium. Out of 185 participants, 30.27% and 14.6% were infected by Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis respectively. None of the individuals was found positive for either Ureaplasma urealyticum or Mycoplasma genitalium. Among the Neisseria gonorrhoeae positive patients 27.57% were positive from Gram stain, 26.49% were culture positive, 30.27% were positive by PCR (p<0.001). 32.65% of the Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates were penicillinase producers and 83.67% were susceptible to ceftriaxone. Considering culture as the gold standard, the sensitivity and specificity of PCR for the detection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae was 100%, and 94.85% respectively with an accuracy of 96.22%. 3.73% of the 134 smear negative and 5.15% of the 136 culture negative samples were positive by PCR. PCR was the most sensitive and rapid method for the diagnosis of urethritis. Multiplex PCR may be a useful approach to laboratory diagnosis of urethritis in men for its high sensitivity and specificity.

  15. Multiplex pyrosequencing assay using AdvISER-MH-PYRO algorithm: a case for rapid and cost-effective genotyping analysis of prostate cancer risk-associated SNPs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ambroise, Jérôme; Butoescu, Valentina; Robert, Annie; Tombal, Bertrand; Gala, Jean-Luc

    2015-06-25

    Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) identified in Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS) have generally moderate association with related complex diseases. Accordingly, Multilocus Genetic Risk Scores (MGRSs) have been computed in previous studies in order to assess the cumulative association of multiple SNPs. When several SNPs have to be genotyped for each patient, using successive uniplex pyrosequencing reactions increases analytical reagent expenses and Turnaround Time (TAT). While a set of several pyrosequencing primers could theoretically be used to analyze multiplex amplicons, this would generate overlapping primer-specific pyro-signals that are visually uninterpretable. In the current study, two multiplex assays were developed consisting of a quadruplex (n=4) and a quintuplex (n=5) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) each followed by multiplex pyrosequencing analysis. The aim was to reliably but rapidly genotype a set of prostate cancer-related SNPs (n=9). The nucleotide dispensation order was selected using SENATOR software. Multiplex pyro-signals were analyzed using the new AdvISER-MH-PYRO software based on a sparse representation of the signal. Using uniplex assays as gold standard, the concordance between multiplex and uniplex assays was assessed on DNA extracted from patient blood samples (n = 10). All genotypes (n=90) generated with the quadruplex and the quintuplex pyroquencing assays were perfectly (100 %) concordant with uniplex pyrosequencing. Using multiplex genotyping approach for analyzing a set of 90 patients allowed reducing TAT by approximately 75 % (i.e., from 2025 to 470 min) while reducing reagent consumption and cost by approximately 70 % (i.e., from ~229 US$ /patient to ~64 US$ /patient). This combination of quadruplex and quintuplex pyrosequencing and PCR assays enabled to reduce the amount of DNA required for multi-SNP analysis, and to lower the global TAT and costs of SNP genotyping while providing results as reliable as uniplex

  16. Minimal methylation classifier (MIMIC): A novel method for derivation and rapid diagnostic detection of disease-associated DNA methylation signatures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwalbe, E C; Hicks, D; Rafiee, G; Bashton, M; Gohlke, H; Enshaei, A; Potluri, S; Matthiesen, J; Mather, M; Taleongpong, P; Chaston, R; Silmon, A; Curtis, A; Lindsey, J C; Crosier, S; Smith, A J; Goschzik, T; Doz, F; Rutkowski, S; Lannering, B; Pietsch, T; Bailey, S; Williamson, D; Clifford, S C

    2017-10-18

    Rapid and reliable detection of disease-associated DNA methylation patterns has major potential to advance molecular diagnostics and underpin research investigations. We describe the development and validation of minimal methylation classifier (MIMIC), combining CpG signature design from genome-wide datasets, multiplex-PCR and detection by single-base extension and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, in a novel method to assess multi-locus DNA methylation profiles within routine clinically-applicable assays. We illustrate the application of MIMIC to successfully identify the methylation-dependent diagnostic molecular subgroups of medulloblastoma (the most common malignant childhood brain tumour), using scant/low-quality samples remaining from the most recently completed pan-European medulloblastoma clinical trial, refractory to analysis by conventional genome-wide DNA methylation analysis. Using this approach, we identify critical DNA methylation patterns from previously inaccessible cohorts, and reveal novel survival differences between the medulloblastoma disease subgroups with significant potential for clinical exploitation.

  17. Rapid identification of probiotic Lactobacillus species by multiplex PCR using species-specific primers based on the region extending from 16S rRNA through 23S rRNA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwon, Hyuk-Sang; Yang, Eun-Hee; Yeon, Seung-Woo; Kang, Byoung-Hwa; Kim, Tae-Yong

    2004-10-15

    This study aimed to develop a novel multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primer set for the identification of seven probiotic Lactobacillus species such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus gasseri, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus reuteri and Lactobacillus rhamnosus. The primer set, comprising of seven specific and two conserved primers, was derived from the integrated sequences of 16S and 23S rRNA genes and their rRNA intergenic spacer region of each species. It was able to identify the seven target species with 93.6% accuracy, which exceeds that of the general biochemical methods. The phylogenetic analyses, using 16S rDNA sequences of the probiotic isolates, also provided further support that the results from the multiplex PCR assay were trustworthy. Taken together, we suggest that the multiplex primer set is an efficient tool for simple, rapid and reliable identification of seven Lactobacillus species.

  18. Multiplexed capillary microfluidic immunoassay with smartphone data acquisition for parallel mycotoxin detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Machado, Jessica M D; Soares, Ruben R G; Chu, Virginia; Conde, João P

    2018-01-15

    The field of microfluidics holds great promise for the development of simple and portable lab-on-a-chip systems. The use of capillarity as a means of fluidic manipulation in lab-on-a-chip systems can potentially reduce the complexity of the instrumentation and allow the development of user-friendly devices for point-of-need analyses. In this work, a PDMS microchannel-based, colorimetric, autonomous capillary chip provides a multiplexed and semi-quantitative immunodetection assay. Results are acquired using a standard smartphone camera and analyzed with a simple gray scale quantification procedure. The performance of this device was tested for the simultaneous detection of the mycotoxins ochratoxin A (OTA), aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and deoxynivalenol (DON) which are strictly regulated food contaminants with severe detrimental effects on human and animal health. The multiplexed assay was performed approximately within 10min and the achieved sensitivities of<40, 0.1-0.2 and<10ng/mL for OTA, AFB1 and DON, respectively, fall within the majority of currently enforced regulatory and/or recommended limits. Furthermore, to assess the potential of the device to analyze real samples, the immunoassay was successfully validated for these 3 mycotoxins in a corn-based feed sample after a simple sample preparation procedure. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Detection of pneumonia associated pathogens using a prototype multiplexed pneumonia test in hospitalized patients with severe pneumonia.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Berit Schulte

    Full Text Available Severe pneumonia remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR has been shown to be more sensitive than current standard microbiological methods--particularly in patients with prior antibiotic treatment--and therefore, may improve the accuracy of microbiological diagnosis for hospitalized patients with pneumonia. Conventional detection techniques and multiplex PCR for 14 typical bacterial pneumonia-associated pathogens were performed on respiratory samples collected from adult hospitalized patients enrolled in a prospective multi-center study. Patients were enrolled from March until September 2012. A total of 739 fresh, native samples were eligible for analysis, of which 75 were sputa, 421 aspirates, and 234 bronchial lavages. 276 pathogens were detected by microbiology for which a valid PCR result was generated (positive or negative detection result by Curetis prototype system. Among these, 120 were identified by the prototype assay, 50 pathogens were not detected. Overall performance of the prototype for pathogen identification was 70.6% sensitivity (95% confidence interval (CI lower bound: 63.3%, upper bound: 76.9% and 95.2% specificity (95% CI lower bound: 94.6%, upper bound: 95.7%. Based on the study results, device cut-off settings were adjusted for future series production. The overall performance with the settings of the CE series production devices was 78.7% sensitivity (95% CI lower bound: 72.1% and 96.6% specificity (95% CI lower bound: 96.1%. Time to result was 5.2 hours (median for the prototype test and 43.5 h for standard-of-care. The Pneumonia Application provides a rapid and moderately sensitive assay for the detection of pneumonia-causing pathogens with minimal hands-on time.Deutsches Register Klinischer Studien (DRKS DRKS00005684.

  20. Simultaneous detection of four garlic viruses by multiplex reverse transcription PCR and their distribution in Indian garlic accessions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Majumder, S; Baranwal, V K

    2014-06-01

    Indian garlic is infected with Onion yellow dwarf virus (OYDV), Shallot latent virus (SLV), Garlic common latent virus (GarCLV) and allexiviruses. Identity and distribution of garlic viruses in various garlic accessions from different geographical regions of India were investigated. OYDV and allexiviruses were observed in all the garlic accessions, while SLV and GarCLV were observed only in a few accessions. A multiplex reverse transcription (RT)-PCR method was developed for the simultaneous detection and identification of OYDV, SLV, GarCLV and Allexivirus infecting garlic accessions in India. This multiplex protocol standardized in this study will be useful in indexing of garlic viruses and production of virus free seed material. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Comparison between culture and a multiplex quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction assay detecting Ureaplasma urealyticum and U. parvum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frølund, Maria; Björnelius, Eva; Lidbrink, Peter; Ahrens, Peter; Jensen, Jørgen Skov

    2014-01-01

    A novel multiplex quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) for simultaneous detection of U. urealyticum and U. parvum was developed and compared with quantitative culture in Shepard's 10 C medium for ureaplasmas in urethral swabs from 129 men and 66 women, and cervical swabs from 61 women. Using culture as the gold standard, the sensitivity of the qPCR was 96% and 95% for female urethral and cervical swabs, respectively. In male urethral swabs the sensitivity was 89%. The corresponding specificities were 100%, 87% and 99%. The qPCR showed a linear increasing DNA copy number with increasing colour-changing units. Although slightly less sensitive than culture, this multiplex qPCR assay detecting U. urealyticum and U. parvum constitutes a simple and fast alternative to the traditional methods for identification of ureaplasmas and allows simultaneous species differentiation and quantitation in clinical samples. Furthermore, specimens overgrown by other bacteria using the culture method can be evaluated in the qPCR.

  2. Comparison between culture and a multiplex quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction assay detecting Ureaplasma urealyticum and U. parvum.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Frølund

    Full Text Available A novel multiplex quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR for simultaneous detection of U. urealyticum and U. parvum was developed and compared with quantitative culture in Shepard's 10 C medium for ureaplasmas in urethral swabs from 129 men and 66 women, and cervical swabs from 61 women. Using culture as the gold standard, the sensitivity of the qPCR was 96% and 95% for female urethral and cervical swabs, respectively. In male urethral swabs the sensitivity was 89%. The corresponding specificities were 100%, 87% and 99%. The qPCR showed a linear increasing DNA copy number with increasing colour-changing units. Although slightly less sensitive than culture, this multiplex qPCR assay detecting U. urealyticum and U. parvum constitutes a simple and fast alternative to the traditional methods for identification of ureaplasmas and allows simultaneous species differentiation and quantitation in clinical samples. Furthermore, specimens overgrown by other bacteria using the culture method can be evaluated in the qPCR.

  3. Simultaneous detection of IgG antibodies associated with viral hemorrhagic fever by a multiplexed Luminex-based immunoassay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Wei; Zhang, Shuo; Qu, Jing; Zhang, Quanfu; Li, Chuan; Li, Jiandong; Jin, Cong; Liang, Mifang; Li, Dexin

    2014-07-17

    Viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) are worldwide diseases caused by several kinds of viruses. With the emergence of new viruses, advanced diagnostic methods are urgently needed for identification of VHFs. Based on Luminex xMAP technology, a rapid, sensitive, multi-pathogen and high-throughput method which could simultaneously detect hemorrhagic fever viruses (HFVs) specific IgG antibodies was developed. Recombinant antigens of nine HFVs including Hantaan virus (HTNV), Seoul virus (SEOV), Puumala virus (PUUV), Andes virus (ANDV), Sin Nombre virus (SNV), Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV), Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV), Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome bunyavirus (SFTSV) and dengue virus (DENV) were produced and purified from a prokaryotic expression system and the influence of the coupling amount was investigated. Cross-reactions among antigens and their rabbit immune sera were evaluated. Serum samples collected from 51 laboratory confirmed hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) patients, 43 confirmed SFTS patients and 88 healthy donors were analyzed. Results showed that recombinant nucleocapsid protein of the five viruses belonging to the genus Hantavirus, had serological cross-reactivity with their corresponding rabbit immune sera, but not apparent with immune sera of other four viruses. Evaluation of this new method with clinical serum samples showed 98.04% diagnostic sensitivity for HFRS, 90.70% for SFTS detection and the specificity was ranging from 66.67% to 100.00%. The multiplexed Luminex-based immunoassay has firstly been established in our study, which provides a potentially reliable diagnostic tool for IgG antibody detection of VHFs. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Development of Rapid Isothermal Amplification Assays for Detection of Phytophthora spp. in Plant Tissue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miles, Timothy D; Martin, Frank N; Coffey, Michael D

    2015-02-01

    Several isothermal amplification techniques recently have been developed that are tolerant of inhibitors present in many plant extracts, which can reduce the need for obtaining purified DNA for running diagnostic assays. One such commercially available technique that has similarities with real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for designing primers and a labeled probe is recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA). This technology was used to develop two simple and rapid approaches for detection of Phytophthora spp.: one genus-specific assay multiplexed with a plant internal control and the other species-specific assays for Phytophthora ramorum and P. kernoviae. All assays were tested for sensitivity (ranging from 3 ng to 1 fg of DNA) and specificity using DNA extracted from more than 136 Phytophthora taxa, 21 Pythium spp., 1 Phytopythium sp., and a wide range of plant species. The lower limit of linear detection using purified DNA was 200 to 300 fg of DNA in all pathogen RPA assays. Six different extraction buffers were tested for use during plant tissue maceration and the assays were validated in the field by collecting 222 symptomatic plant samples from over 50 different hosts. Only 56 samples were culture positive for Phytophthora spp. whereas 91 were positive using the Phytophthora genus-specific RPA test and a TaqMan real-time PCR assay. A technique for the generation of sequencing templates from positive RPA amplifications to confirm species identification was also developed. These RPA assays have added benefits over traditional technologies because they are rapid (results can be obtained in as little as 15 min), do not require DNA extraction or extensive training to complete, use less expensive portable equipment than PCR-based assays, and are significantly more specific than current immunologically based methods. This should provide a rapid, field-deployable capability for pathogen detection that will facilitate point-of-sample collection processing

  5. Multiplex and high-throughput DNA detection using surface plasmon mediated fluorescence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mei, Zhong

    The overall objective of this research project was to develop a user-friendly and sensitive biosensor for nucleic acid aptamers with multiplexing and high-throughput capability. The sensing was based on the fluorescence signals emitted by the fluorophores coupling with plamonic nanoparticle (gold nanorod) deposited on a patterned substrate. Gold nanorods (GNRs) were synthesized using a binary mixture of hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and sodium oleate (NaOL) in seed mediated growth method. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) printed glass slides were selectively coated with a gold thin-film to define hydrophilic areas for GNR deposition. Due to the wettablity contrast, GNR solution dropped on the slide was induced to assemble exclusively in the hydrophilic spots. By controlling temperature and humidity of the evaporation process, vertically-standing GNR arrays were achieved on the pattered slide. Fluorescence was conjugated to GNR surface via DNA double strand with tunable length. Theoretical simulation predicted a flat layer ( 30 nm thick) of uniform "hot spots" presented on the GNR tips, which could modify the nearby fluorescence. Experimentally, the vertical GNR arrays yielded metallic enhanced fluorescence (MEF) effect, which was dependent on the spectrum overlap and GNR-fluorophore distance. Specifically, the maximum enhancement of Quasar 670 and Alexa 750 was observed when it was coupled with GNR664 (plasmonic wavelength 664 nm) and GNR778 respectively at a distance of 16 nm, while the carboxyfluorescein (FAM) was at maximal intensity when attached to gold nanosphere520. This offers an opportunity for multiplexed DNA sensing. Based on this, we developed a novel GNR mediated fluorescence biosensor for DNA detection. Fluorescence labeled haipin-DNA probes were introduced to designated spots of GNR array with the matching LSPR wavelengths on the substrate. The fluorescence was quenched originally because of Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) effect

  6. Simultaneous Detection of Brown Rot- and Soft Rot-Causing Bacterial Pathogens from Potato Tubers Through Multiplex PCR.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ranjan, R K; Singh, Dinesh; Baranwal, V K

    2016-11-01

    Ralstonia solanacearum (Smith) Yabuuchi et al. and Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora (Jones) Bergey et al. (Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum) are the two major bacterial pathogens of potato causing brown rot (wilt) and soft rot diseases, respectively, in the field and during storage. Reliable and early detection of these pathogens are keys to avoid occurrence of these diseases in potato crops and reduce yield loss. In the present study, multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) protocol was developed for simultaneous detection of R. solanacearum and E. carotovora subsp. carotovora from potato tubers. A set of oligos targeting the pectatelyase (pel) gene of E. carotovora subsp. carotovora and the universal primers based on 16S r RNA gene of R. solanacearum were used. The standardized multiplex PCR protocol could detect R. solanacearum and E. carotovora subsp. carotovora up to 0.01 and 1.0 ng of genomic DNA, respectively. The protocol was further validated on 96 stored potato tuber samples, collected from different potato-growing states of India, viz. Uttarakhand, Odisha, Meghalaya and Delhi. 53.1 % tuber samples were positive for R. solanacearum, and 15.1 % of samples were positive for E. carotovora subsp. carotovora, and both the pathogens were positive in 26.0 % samples when BIO-PCR was used. This method offers sensitive, specific, reliable and fast detection of two major bacterial pathogens from potato tubers simultaneously, particularly pathogen-free seed certification in large scale.

  7. Rapid Detection and Identification of Human Hookworm Infections through High Resolution Melting (HRM) Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ngui, Romano; Lim, Yvonne A. L.; Chua, Kek Heng

    2012-01-01

    Background Hookworm infections are still endemic in low and middle income tropical countries with greater impact on the socioeconomic and public health of the bottom billion of the world's poorest people. In this study, a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) coupled with high resolution melting-curve (HRM) analysis was evaluated for an accurate, rapid and sensitive tool for species identification focusing on the five human hookworm species. Methods Real-time PCR coupled with HRM analysis targeting the second internal transcribed spacer (ITS-2) of nuclear ribosomal DNA as the genetic marker was used to identify and distinguish hookworm species in human samples. Unique and distinct characteristics of HRM patterns were produced for each of the five hookworm species. The melting curves were characterized by peaks of 79.24±0.05°C and 83.00±0.04°C for Necator americanus, 79.12±0.10°C for Ancylostoma duodenale, 79.40±0.10°C for Ancylostoma ceylanicum, 79.63±0.05°C for Ancylostoma caninum and 79.70±0.14°C for Ancylostoma braziliense. An evaluation of the method's sensitivity and specificity revealed that this assay was able to detect as low as 0.01 ng/µl hookworm DNA and amplification was only recorded for hookworm positive samples. Conclusion The HRM assay developed in this study is a rapid and straightforward method for the diagnosis, identification and discrimination of five human hookworms. This assay is simple compared to other probe-based genotyping methods as it does not require multiplexing, DNA sequencing or post-PCR processing. Therefore, this method offers a new alternative for rapid detection of human hookworm species. PMID:22844538

  8. Rapid detection and identification of human hookworm infections through high resolution melting (HRM analysis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Romano Ngui

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Hookworm infections are still endemic in low and middle income tropical countries with greater impact on the socioeconomic and public health of the bottom billion of the world's poorest people. In this study, a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR coupled with high resolution melting-curve (HRM analysis was evaluated for an accurate, rapid and sensitive tool for species identification focusing on the five human hookworm species. METHODS: Real-time PCR coupled with HRM analysis targeting the second internal transcribed spacer (ITS-2 of nuclear ribosomal DNA as the genetic marker was used to identify and distinguish hookworm species in human samples. Unique and distinct characteristics of HRM patterns were produced for each of the five hookworm species. The melting curves were characterized by peaks of 79.24±0.05°C and 83.00±0.04°C for Necator americanus, 79.12±0.10°C for Ancylostoma duodenale, 79.40±0.10°C for Ancylostoma ceylanicum, 79.63±0.05°C for Ancylostoma caninum and 79.70±0.14°C for Ancylostoma braziliense. An evaluation of the method's sensitivity and specificity revealed that this assay was able to detect as low as 0.01 ng/µl hookworm DNA and amplification was only recorded for hookworm positive samples. CONCLUSION: The HRM assay developed in this study is a rapid and straightforward method for the diagnosis, identification and discrimination of five human hookworms. This assay is simple compared to other probe-based genotyping methods as it does not require multiplexing, DNA sequencing or post-PCR processing. Therefore, this method offers a new alternative for rapid detection of human hookworm species.

  9. Prevalence, and virulence determination of Listeria monocytogenes strains isolated from clinical and non-clinical samples by multiplex polymerase chain reaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pournajaf, Abazar; Rajabnia, Ramazan; Sedighi, Mansour; Kassani, Aziz; Moqarabzadeh, Vahid; Lotfollahi, Lida; Ardebilli, Abdollah; Emadi, Behzad; Irajian, Gholamreza

    2016-01-01

    This study aimed to determine the prevalence, and virulence factors of Listeria monocytogenes isolated from various samples by multiplex polymerase chain reaction (MPCR). A total of 617 isolates were obtained and MPCR was employed for detection of the inlA, inlC, and inlJ genes. L. monocytogenes was detected in 46 (7.45%) of the 617 specimens. inlA, inlC, and inlJ were detected in 100%, 76.26%, and 71% isolates, respectively. This study validated MPCR in the analysis and rapid detection of L. monocytogenes. The role of the genes in pathogenesis of the strains can also be affirmed.

  10. Detection of Mycobacterium chelonae, Mycobacterium abscessus Group, and Mycobacterium fortuitum Complex by a Multiplex Real-Time PCR Directly from Clinical Samples Using the BD MAX System.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rocchetti, Talita T; Silbert, Suzane; Gostnell, Alicia; Kubasek, Carly; Campos Pignatari, Antonio C; Widen, Raymond

    2017-03-01

    A new multiplex PCR test was designed to detect Mycobacterium chelonae, Mycobacterium abscessus group, and Mycobacterium fortuitum complex on the BD MAX System. A total of 197 clinical samples previously submitted for mycobacterial culture were tested using the new protocol. Samples were first treated with proteinase K, and then each sample was inoculated into the BD MAX Sample Buffer Tube. Extraction and multiplex PCR were performed by the BD MAX System, using the BD MAX ExK TNA-3 extraction kit and BD TNA Master Mix, along with specific in-house designed primers and probes for each target. The limit of detection of each target, as well as specificity, was evaluated. Of 197 clinical samples included in this study, 133 were positive and 60 were negative for mycobacteria by culture, and another 4 negative samples were spiked with M. chelonae ATCC 35752. The new multiplex PCR on the BD MAX had 97% concordant results with culture for M. abscessus group detection, 99% for M. chelonae, and 100% for M. fortuitum complex. The new multiplex PCR test performed on the BD MAX System proved to be a sensitive and specific test to detect M. chelonae, M. abscessus group, and M. fortuitum complex by real-time PCR on an automated sample-in results-out platform. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Investigative Pathology and the Association for Molecular Pathology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Nanoscale Test Strips for Multiplexed Blood Analysis, Phase I

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The goal of our nanoscale test strips, or nanostrips, is to provide rapid, low-cost, powerful multiplexed analyses in a diminutive form so that whole body health...

  12. Multiplex autoantibody detection for autoimmune liver diseases and autoimmune gastritis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vanderlocht, Joris; van der Cruys, Mart; Stals, Frans; Bakker-Jonges, Liesbeth; Damoiseaux, Jan

    2017-09-01

    Autoantibody detection for autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and autoimmune gastritis (AIG) is traditionally performed by IIF on a combination of tissues. Multiplex line/dot blots (LIA/DIA) offer multiple advantages, i.e. automation, objective reading, no interfering reactivities, no coincidental findings. In the current study we evaluated automated DIA (D-Tek) for detecting autoantibodies related to autoimmune diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. We tested samples of the Dutch EQC program and compared the results with the consensus of the participating labs. For the autoimmune liver diseases and AIG, respectively, 64 and 36 samples were tested. For anti-mitochondrial and anti-smooth muscle antibodies a concordance rate of 97% and 88% was observed, respectively. The concordance rate for anti-parietal cell antibodies was 92% when samples without EQC consensus (n=15) were excluded. For antibodies against intrinsic factor a concordance of 96% was observed. For all these antibodies discrepancies were identified that relate to the different test characteristics and the preponderance of IIF utilizing labs in the EQC program. In conclusion, we observed good agreement of the tested DIA blots with the consensus results of the Dutch EQC program. Taken together with the logistic advantages these blots are a good alternative for autoantibody detection in the respective diseases. A large prospective multicenter study is warranted to position these novel tests further in the whole spectrum of assays for the detection of these antibodies in a routine autoimmune laboratory. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. A multiplex PCR-based method for the detection and early identification of wood rotting fungi in standing trees.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guglielmo, F; Bergemann, S E; Gonthier, P; Nicolotti, G; Garbelotto, M

    2007-11-01

    The goal of this research was the development of a PCR-based assay to identify important decay fungi from wood of hardwood tree species in northern temperate regions. Eleven taxon-specific primers were designed for PCR amplification of either nuclear or mitochondrial ribosomal DNA regions of Armillaria spp., Ganoderma spp., Hericium spp., Hypoxylon thouarsianum var. thouarsianum, Inonotus/Phellinus-group, Laetiporus spp., Perenniporia fraxinea, Pleurotus spp., Schizophyllum spp., Stereum spp. and Trametes spp. Multiplex PCR reactions were developed and optimized to detect fungal DNA and identify each taxon with a sensitivity of at least 1 pg of target DNA in the template. This assay correctly identified the agents of decay in 82% of tested wood samples. The development and optimization of multiplex PCRs allowed for reliable identification of wood rotting fungi directly from wood. Early detection of wood decay fungi is crucial for assessment of tree stability in urban landscapes. Furthermore, this method may prove useful for prediction of the severity and the evolution of decay in standing trees.

  14. Comparison of multiplex reverse transcription-PCR-enzyme ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Comparison of multiplex reverse transcription-PCR-enzyme hybridization assay with immunofluorescence techniques for the detection of four viral respiratory pathogens in pediatric community acquired pneumonia.

  15. Comparison of PCR with Standard Method (MPN for detection of bacterial contamination in drinking water

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fatemeh Dehghan

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Background: Detection of bacterial contamination in drinking water by culture method is a time and cost consuming method and spends a few days depending on contamination degree. However, the people use the tap water during that time. Molecular methods are rapid and sensitive. In this study a rapid Multiplex PCR method was used for rapid analysis both coliform bacteria and E.coli, and probable detection of VBNC bacteria in drinking water, the experiments were performed in bacteriological lab of water and Wastewater Corporation in Markazi province. Material and Methods:Amplification of a fragment from each of lacZ and uidA genes in a Multiplex PCR was used for detection of coliforms. Eight samples was taken from Arak drinking water system including 36 samples of wells, 41 samples of water distribution network and 3 samples from water storages were examined by amplification of lacZ and uidA genes in a Multiplex PCR. Equivalently, the MPN test was applied as a standard method for all samples for comparison of results. Standard bacteria, pure bacteria isolated from positive MPN and CRM were examined by PCR and MPN method. Results: The result of most samples water network, water storages, and water well were same in both MPN and PCR method .The results of standard bacteria and pure cultures of bacteria isolated from positive MPN and CRM confirmed the PCR method. Five samples were positive in PCR but negative in MPN method. Duration time of PCR was decreased about 105 min by changing the PCR program and electrophoreses factors. Conclusion: The Multiplex PCR can detect coliform bacteria and E.coli synchronous in drinking water.

  16. Group-specific multiplex PCR detection systems for the identification of flying insect prey.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniela Sint

    Full Text Available The applicability of species-specific primers to study feeding interactions is restricted to those ecosystems where the targeted prey species occur. Therefore, group-specific primer pairs, targeting higher taxonomic levels, are often desired to investigate interactions in a range of habitats that do not share the same species but the same groups of prey. Such primers are also valuable to study the diet of generalist predators when next generation sequencing approaches cannot be applied beneficially. Moreover, due to the large range of prey consumed by generalists, it is impossible to investigate the breadth of their diet with species-specific primers, even if multiplexing them. However, only few group-specific primers are available to date and important groups of prey such as flying insects have rarely been targeted. Our aim was to fill this gap and develop group-specific primers suitable to detect and identify the DNA of common taxa of flying insects. The primers were combined in two multiplex PCR systems, which allow a time- and cost-effective screening of samples for DNA of the dipteran subsection Calyptratae (including Anthomyiidae, Calliphoridae, Muscidae, other common dipteran families (Phoridae, Syrphidae, Bibionidae, Chironomidae, Sciaridae, Tipulidae, three orders of flying insects (Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, Plecoptera and coniferous aphids within the genus Cinara. The two PCR assays were highly specific and sensitive and their suitability to detect prey was confirmed by testing field-collected dietary samples from arthropods and vertebrates. The PCR assays presented here allow targeting prey at higher taxonomic levels such as family or order and therefore improve our ability to assess (trophic interactions with flying insects in terrestrial and aquatic habitats.

  17. Multiplex PCR detection of Cryptosporidium sp, Giardia lamblia and Entamoeba histolytica directly from dried stool samples from Guinea-Bissauan children with diarrhoea

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mero, Sointu; Kirveskari, Juha; Antikainen, Jenni

    2017-01-01

    and specificity, while new molecular methods may provide more accurate diagnostics. In poor regions with sample storage hampered by uncertain electricity supply, research would benefit from a method capable of analysing dried stools. Methods: A real-time multiplex PCR method with internal inhibition control...... microscopy revealed a parasite in 15%, while PCR detected 62% positive for at least one parasite: 44% of the dried samples had Giardia, 23% Cryptosporidium and 0% E. histolytica. Conclusions: Our new multiplex real-time PCR for protozoa presents a sensitive method applicable to dried samples. As proof...

  18. Simplified Real-Time Multiplex Detection of Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Using Novel Mediator Displacement Probes with Universal Reporters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Becherer, Lisa; Bakheit, Mohammed; Frischmann, Sieghard; Stinco, Silvina; Borst, Nadine; Zengerle, Roland; von Stetten, Felix

    2018-04-03

    A variety of real-time detection techniques for loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) based on the change in fluorescence intensity during DNA amplification enable simultaneous detection of multiple targets. However, these techniques depend on fluorogenic probes containing target-specific sequences. That complicates the adaption to different targets leading to time-consuming assay optimization. Here, we present the first universal real-time detection technique for multiplex LAMP. The novel approach allows simple assay design and is easy to implement for various targets. The innovation features a mediator displacement probe and a universal reporter. During amplification of target DNA the mediator is displaced from the mediator displacement probe. Then it hybridizes to the reporter generating a fluorescence signal. The novel mediator displacement (MD) detection was validated against state-of-the-art molecular beacon (MB) detection by means of a HIV-1 RT-LAMP: MD surpassed MB detection by accelerated probe design (MD: 10 min, MB: 3-4 h), shorter times to positive (MD 4.1 ± 0.1 min shorter than MB, n = 36), improved signal-to-noise fluorescence ratio (MD: 5.9 ± 0.4, MB: 2.7 ± 0.4; n = 15), and showed equally good or better analytical performance parameters. The usability of one universal mediator-reporter set in different multiplex assays was successfully demonstrated for a biplex RT-LAMP of HIV-1 and HTLV-1 and a biplex LAMP of Haemophilus ducreyi and Treponema pallidum, both showing good correlation between target concentration and time to positive. Due to its simple implementation it is suggested to extend the use of the universal mediator-reporter sets to the detection of various other diagnostic panels.

  19. Multiplex dipstick immunoassay for semi-quantitative determination of Fusarium mycotoxins in cereals

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lattanzio, Veronica M.T., E-mail: veronica.lattanzio@ispa.cnr.it [National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Sciences of Food Production (ISPA-CNR), Via Amendola 122/O, 70126 Bari (Italy); Nivarlet, Noan [UNISENSOR S.A., Zoning industriel du Dossay, Rue du Dossay no 3, B-4020 Liege (Belgium); Lippolis, Vincenzo; Gatta, Stefania Della [National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Sciences of Food Production (ISPA-CNR), Via Amendola 122/O, 70126 Bari (Italy); Huet, Anne-Catherine; Delahaut, Philippe [Centre d' Economie Rurale (CER Groupe), Rue du Point du Jour no 8, B-6900 Marloie (Belgium); Granier, Benoit [UNISENSOR S.A., Zoning industriel du Dossay, Rue du Dossay no 3, B-4020 Liege (Belgium); Visconti, Angelo [National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Sciences of Food Production (ISPA-CNR), Via Amendola 122/O, 70126 Bari (Italy)

    2012-03-09

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We developed a rapid method based on a multiplex dipstick immunoassay. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The assay allowed the determination of major Fusarium toxins in wheat, oats, maize. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We obtained cut off levels close to EU regulatory levels. - Abstract: A multiplex dipstick immunoassay based method for the simultaneous determination of major Fusarium toxins, namely zearalenone, T-2 and HT-2 toxins, deoxynivalenol and fumonisins in wheat, oats and maize has been developed. The dipstick format was based on an indirect competitive approach. Four test lines (mycotoxin-BSA conjugates) and one control line were located on the strip membrane. Labelled antibodies were freeze-dried within the microwell. Two matrix-related sample preparation protocols have been developed for wheat/oats (not containing fumonisins) and maize (containing fumonisins) respectively. The use of a methanol/water mixture for sample preparation allowed recoveries in the range 73-109% for all mycotoxins in all tested cereals, with relative standard deviation less than 10%. The optimized immunoassay was able to detect target mycotoxins at cut off levels equal to 80% of EU maximum permitted levels, i.e. 280, 400, 1400 and 3200 {mu}g kg{sup -1}, respectively, for zearalenone, T-2/HT-2 toxins, deoxynivalenol and fumonisins in maize, and 80, 400 and 1400 {mu}g kg{sup -1}, respectively, for zearalenone, T-2/HT-2 toxins and deoxynivalenol in wheat and oats. Analysis of naturally contaminated samples resulted in a good agreement between multiplex dipstick and validated confirmatory LC-MS/MS. The percentage of false positive results was less than or equal to 13%, whereas no false negative results were obtained. Data on the presence/absence of 6 mycotoxins at levels close to EU regulatory levels were obtained within 30 min. The proposed immunoassay protocol is rapid, inexpensive, easy-to-use and fit for purpose of rapid screening of mycotoxins

  20. Establishment of reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification for rapid detection and differentiation of canine distemper virus infected and vaccinated animals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Da-Fei; Liu, Chun-Guo; Tian, Jin; Jiang, Yi-Tong; Zhang, Xiao-Zhan; Chai, Hong-Liang; Yang, Tian-Kuo; Yin, Xiu-Chen; Zhang, Hong-Ying; Liu, Ming; Hua, Yu-Ping; Qu, Lian-Dong

    2015-06-01

    Although widespread vaccination against canine distemper virus (CDV) has been conducted for many decades, several canine distemper outbreaks in vaccinated animals have been reported frequently. In order to detect and differentiate the wild-type and vaccine strains of the CDV from the vaccinated animals, a novel reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) method was developed. A set of four primers-two internal and two external-were designed to target the H gene for the specific detection of wild-type CDV variants. The CDV-H RT-LAMP assay rapidly amplified the target gene, within 60 min, using a water bath held at a constant temperature of 65°C. The assay was 100-fold more sensitive than conventional RT-PCR, with a detection limit of 10(-1)TCID50ml(-1). The system showed a preference for wild-type CDV, and exhibited less sensitivity to canine parvovirus, canine adenovirus type 1 and type 2, canine coronavirus, and canine parainfluenza virus. The assay was validated using 102 clinical samples obtained from vaccinated dog farms, and the results were comparable to a multiplex nested RT-PCR assay. The specific CDV-H RT-LAMP assay provides a simple, rapid, and sensitive tool for the detection of canines infected with wild-type CDV from canines vaccinated with attenuated vaccine. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Detection of influenza viruses by coupling multiplex reverse-transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification with cascade invasive reaction using nanoparticles as a sensor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ge Y

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Yiyue Ge,1 Qiang Zhou,2 Kangchen Zhao,1 Ying Chi,1 Bin Liu,3 Xiaoyan Min,4 Zhiyang Shi,1 Bingjie Zou,2 Lunbiao Cui1 1Institute of Pathogenic Microbiology, Key Laboratories of Enteric Pathogenic Microbiology (Ministry of Health, Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2Department of Pharmacology, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, 3Department of Biomedical Engineering, Nanjing Medical University, 4Department of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China Abstract: Influenza virus infections represent a worldwide public health and economic problem due to the significant morbidity and mortality caused by seasonal epidemics and pandemics. Sensitive and convenient methodologies for detection of influenza viruses are essential for further disease control. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP is the most commonly used method of nucleic acid isothermal amplification. However, with regard to multiplex LAMP, differentiating the ladder-like LAMP products derived from multiple targets is still challenging today. The requirement of specialized instruments has further hindered the on-site application of multiplex LAMP. We have developed an integrated assay coupling multiplex reverse transcription LAMP with cascade invasive reaction using nanoparticles (mRT-LAMP-CIRN as a sensor for the detection of three subtypes of influenza viruses: A/H1N1pdm09, A/H3 and influenza B. The analytic sensitivities of the mRT-LAMP-CIRN assay were 101 copies of RNA for both A/H1N1pdm09 and A/H3, and 102 copies of RNA for influenza B. This assay demonstrated highly specific detection of target viruses and could differentiate them from other genetically or clinically related viruses. Clinical specimen analysis showed the mRT-LAMP-CIRN assay had an overall sensitivity and specificity of 98.3% and 100%, respectively. In summary, the mRT-LAMP-CIRN assay is

  2. Multiplex PCR assay for the detection of five meat species forbidden in Islamic foods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ali, Md Eaqub; Razzak, Md Abdur; Hamid, Sharifah Bee Abd; Rahman, Md Mahfujur; Amin, Md Al; Rashid, Nur Raifana Abd; Asing

    2015-06-15

    Food falsification has direct impact on public health, religious faith, fair-trades and wildlife. For the first time, here we described a multiplex polymerase chain reaction assay for the accurate identification of five meat species forbidden in Islamic foods in a single assay platform. Five pairs of species-specific primers were designed targeting mitochondrial ND5, ATPase 6, and cytochrome b genes to amplify 172, 163, 141, 129 and 108 bp DNA fragments from cat, dog, pig, monkey and rat meats, respectively. All PCR products were identified in gel-images and electrochromatograms obtained from Experion Bioanalyzer. Species-specificity checking against 15 important meat and fish and 5 plant species detected no cross-species amplification. Screening of target species in model and commercial meatballs reflected its application to detect target species in process foods. The assay was tested to detect 0.01-0.02 ng DNA under raw states and 1% suspected meats in meatball formulation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Nanomaterial-enabled Rapid Detection of Water Contaminants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mao, Shun; Chang, Jingbo; Zhou, Guihua; Chen, Junhong

    2015-10-28

    Water contaminants, e.g., inorganic chemicals and microorganisms, are critical metrics for water quality monitoring and have significant impacts on human health and plants/organisms living in water. The scope and focus of this review is nanomaterial-based optical, electronic, and electrochemical sensors for rapid detection of water contaminants, e.g., heavy metals, anions, and bacteria. These contaminants are commonly found in different water systems. The importance of water quality monitoring and control demands significant advancement in the detection of contaminants in water because current sensing technologies for water contaminants have limitations. The advantages of nanomaterial-based sensing technologies are highlighted and recent progress on nanomaterial-based sensors for rapid water contaminant detection is discussed. An outlook for future research into this rapidly growing field is also provided. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  4. Prevalence, and virulence determination of Listeria monocytogenes strains isolated from clinical and non-clinical samples by multiplex polymerase chain reaction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abazar Pournajaf

    Full Text Available Abstract INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to determine the prevalence, and virulence factors of Listeria monocytogenes isolated from various samples by multiplex polymerase chain reaction (MPCR. METHODS: A total of 617 isolates were obtained and MPCR was employed for detection of the inlA, inlC, and inlJ genes. RESULTS: L. monocytogenes was detected in 46 (7.45% of the 617 specimens. inlA, inlC, and inlJ were detected in 100%, 76.26%, and 71% isolates, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study validated MPCR in the analysis and rapid detection of L. monocytogenes. The role of the genes in pathogenesis of the strains can also be affirmed.

  5. A multiplex PCR for detection of knockdown resistance mutations, V1016G and F1534C, in pyrethroid-resistant Aedes aegypti.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saingamsook, Jassada; Saeung, Atiporn; Yanola, Jintana; Lumjuan, Nongkran; Walton, Catherine; Somboon, Pradya

    2017-10-10

    Mutation of the voltage-gated sodium channel (VGSC) gene, or knockdown resistance (kdr) gene, is an important resistance mechanism of the dengue vector Aedes aegypti mosquitoes against pyrethroids. In many countries in Asia, a valine to glycine substitution (V1016G) and a phenylalanine to cysteine substitution (F1534C) are common in Ae. aegypti populations. The G1016 and C1534 allele frequencies have been increasing in recent years, and hence there is a need to have a simple and inexpensive tool to monitor the alleles in large scale. A multiplex PCR to detect V1016G and F1534C mutations has been developed in the current study. This study utilized primers from previous studies for detecting the mutation at position 1016 and newly designed primers to detect variants at position 1534. The PCR conditions were validated and compared with DNA sequencing using known kdr mutant laboratory strains and field collected mosquitoes. The efficacy of this method was also compared with allele-specific PCR (AS-PCR). The results of our multiplex PCR were in complete agreement with sequencing data and better than the AS-PCR. In addition, the efficiency of two non-toxic DNA staining dyes, Ultrapower™ and RedSafe™, were evaluated by comparing with ethidium bromide (EtBr) and the results were satisfactory. Our multiplex PCR method is highly reliable and useful for implementing vector surveillance in locations where the two alleles co-occur.

  6. Development of a multiplex PCR assay for the detection and differentiation of Burkholderia pseudomallei, Burkholderia mallei, Burkholderia thailandensis, and Burkholderia cepacia complex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zakharova, Irina; Teteryatnikova, Natalya; Toporkov, Andrey; Viktorov, Dmitry

    2017-10-01

    Two species of Burkholderia pseudomallei complex (Bpc), B. pseudomallei and B. mallei, can cause severe life-threatening infections. Rapidly discerning individual species within the group and separating them from other opportunistic pathogens of the Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc) is essential to establish a correct diagnosis and for epidemiological surveillance. In this study, a multiplex PCR assay based on the detection of an individual set of chromosomal beta-lactamase genes for single-step identification and differentiation of B. pseudomallei, B. mallei, B. thailandensis, and Bcc was developed. Two pairs of primers specific to a distinct class of B metallo-beta-lactamase genes and a pair of primers specific to the oxacillin-hydrolyzing class D beta-lactamase gene were demonstrated to successfully discriminate species within Bpc and from Bcc. The assay sensitivity was 9561 genomic equivalents (GE) for B. pseudomallei, 7827 GE for B. mallei, 8749 GE for B. thailandensis and 6023 GE for B. cepacia. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Comparison of nested-multiplex, Taqman & SYBR Green real-time PCR in diagnosis of amoebic liver abscess in a tertiary health care institute in India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dinoop, K P; Parija, Subhash Chandra; Mandal, Jharna; Swaminathan, R P; Narayanan, P

    2016-01-01

    Amoebiasis is a common parasitic infection caused by Entamoeba histolytica and amoebic liver abscess (ALA) is the most common extraintestinal manifestation of amoebiasis. The aim of this study was to standardise real-time PCR assays (Taqman and SYBR Green) to detect E. histolytica from liver abscess pus and stool samples and compare its results with nested-multiplex PCR. Liver abscess pus specimens were subjected to DNA extraction. The extracted DNA samples were subjected to amplification by nested-multiplex PCR, Taqman (18S rRNA) and SYBR Green real-time PCR (16S-like rRNA assays to detect E. histolytica/E. dispar/E. moshkovskii). The amplification products were further confirmed by DNA sequence analysis. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was done for nested-multiplex and SYBR Green real-time PCR and the area under the curve was calculated for evaluating the accuracy of the tests to dignose ALA. In all, 17, 19 and 25 liver abscess samples were positive for E. histolytica by nested-multiplex PCR, SYBR Green and Taqman real-time PCR assays, respectively. Significant differences in detection of E. histolytica were noted in the real-time PCR assays evaluated ( Pnested-multiplex PCR, SYBR Green real-time PCR and Taqman real-time PCR evaluated showed a positivity rate of 34, 38 and 50 per cent, respectively. Based on ROC curve analysis (considering Taqman real-time PCR as the gold standard), it was observed that SYBR Green real-time PCR was better than conventional nested-multiplex PCR for the diagnosis of ALA. Taqman real-time PCR targeting the 18S rRNA had the highest positivity rate evaluated in this study. Both nested multiplex and SYBR Green real-time PCR assays utilized were evaluated to give accurate results. Real-time PCR assays can be used as the gold standard in rapid and reliable diagnosis, and appropriate management of amoebiasis, replacing the conventional molecular methods.

  8. Detection of HPV and co-infecting pathogens in healthy Italian women by multiplex real-time PCR.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Camporiondo, Maria Pia; Farchi, Francesca; Ciccozzi, Massimo; Denaro, Aurelia; Gallone, Domenica; Maracchioni, Fabio; Favalli, Cartesio; Ciotti, Marco

    2016-01-01

    Several pathogens can be transmitted sexually and are an important cause of morbidity among sexually active women. The aim of the study was to detect the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV), Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), Trichomonas vaginalis (TV), Mycoplasma hominis (MH), Mycoplasma genitalium (MG), Ureaplasma urealyticum (UU), and Ureaplasma parvum (UP) in a group of 309 healthy women enrolled at the San Camillo - Forlanini hospital of Rome by using two multiplex real-time PCR assays based on TOCE® technology. The women's ages ranged from 34 to 60 years, median 49 [IQR 45-54]. Of the 309 women tested, HPV DNA was detected in 77/309 (24.9%) patients. Of these, 44 (14.2%) harboured a single infection while 33 (10.7%) were infected by multiple genotypes. Prevalence of HPV infection was highest among females aged 40-50 years (15.2%). Of the other pathogens sought, CT, MG and NG were not detected while positive results were found for MH (12/309, 3.9%), TV (4/309, 1.3%), UP (89/309, 28.8%) and UU (14/309, 4.5%). Co-infections were as follows: 5 MH/HPV, 4 TV/HPV, 34 UP/HPV and 9 UU/HPV. In HPV-positive women, the probability of being infected by UP and UU was 2.5 (p=0.00045) and 6 fold higher (p=0.0016) than in HPV-negative women. The study supports the use of multiplex real-time PCR assays in a routine diagnostic setting. The high sensitivity and specificity of these assays along with the simultaneous detection of the most common sexually transmitted pathogens confers an advantage with respect to more obsolete methods reducing costs and time to diagnosis.

  9. All Inkjet-Printed Amperometric Multiplexed Biosensors Based on Nanostructured Conductive Hydrogel Electrodes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Lanlan; Pan, Lijia; Ma, Zhong; Yan, Ke; Cheng, Wen; Shi, Yi; Yu, Guihua

    2018-02-12

    Multiplexing, one of the main trends in biosensors, aims to detect several analytes simultaneously by integrating miniature sensors on a chip. However, precisely depositing electrode materials and selective enzymes on distinct microelectrode arrays remains an obstacle to massively produced multiplexed sensors. Here, we report on a "drop-on-demand" inkjet printing process to fabricate multiplexed biosensors based on nanostructured conductive hydrogels in which the electrode material and several kinds of enzymes were printed on the electrode arrays one by one by employing a multinozzle inkjet system. The whole inkjet printing process can be finished within three rounds of printing and only one round of alignment. For a page of sensor arrays containing 96 working electrodes, the printing process took merely ∼5 min. The multiplexed assays can detect glucose, lactate, and triglycerides in real time with good selectivity and high sensitivity, and the results in phosphate buffer solutions and calibration serum samples are comparable. The inkjet printing process exhibited advantages of high efficiency and accuracy, which opens substantial possibilities for massive fabrication of integrated multiplexed biosensors for human health monitoring.

  10. Multiplex real-time PCR assays for detection of eight Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in food samples by melting curve analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Prashant; Mustapha, Azlin

    2015-12-23

    Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are pathogenic strains of E. coli that can cause bloody diarrhea and kidney failure. Seven STEC serogroups, O157, O26, O45, O103, O111, O121 and O145 are responsible for more than 71% of the total infections caused by this group of pathogens. All seven serogroups are currently considered as adulterants in non-intact beef products in the U.S. In this study, two multiplex melt curve real-time PCR assays with internal amplification controls (IACs) were standardized for the detection of eight STEC serogroups. The first multiplex assay targeted E. coli serogroups O145, O121, O104, and O157; while the second set detected E. coli serogroups O26, O45, O103 and O111. The applicability of the assays was tested using 11 different meat and produce samples. For food samples spiked with a cocktail of four STEC serogroups with a combined count of 10 CFU/25 g food, all targets of the multiplex assays were detected after an enrichment period of 6h. The assays also worked efficiently when 325 g of food samples were spiked with 10 CFU of STECs. The assays are not dependent on fluorescent-labeled probes or immunomagnetic beads, and can be used for the detection of eight STEC serogroups in less than 11h. Routine preliminary screening of STECs in food samples is performed by testing for the presence of STEC virulence genes. The assays developed in this study can be useful as a first- or second-tier test for the identification of the eight O serogroup-specific genes in suspected food samples. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  11. Survivable architectures for time and wavelength division multiplexed passive optical networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, Elaine

    2014-08-01

    The increased network reach and customer base of next-generation time and wavelength division multiplexed PON (TWDM-PONs) have necessitated rapid fault detection and subsequent restoration of services to its users. However, direct application of existing solutions for conventional PONs to TWDM-PONs is unsuitable as these schemes rely on the loss of signal (LOS) of upstream transmissions to trigger protection switching. As TWDM-PONs are required to potentially use sleep/doze mode optical network units (ONU), the loss of upstream transmission from a sleeping or dozing ONU could erroneously trigger protection switching. Further, TWDM-PONs require its monitoring modules for fiber/device fault detection to be more sensitive than those typically deployed in conventional PONs. To address the above issues, three survivable architectures that are compliant with TWDM-PON specifications are presented in this work. These architectures combine rapid detection and protection switching against multipoint failure, and most importantly do not rely on upstream transmissions for LOS activation. Survivability analyses as well as evaluations of the additional costs incurred to achieve survivability are performed and compared to the unprotected TWDM-PON. Network parameters that impact the maximum achievable network reach, maximum split ratio, connection availability, fault impact, and the incremental reliability costs for each proposed survivable architecture are highlighted.

  12. Multiplex real-time PCR for the detection and quantification of latent and persistent viral genomes in cellular or plasma blood fractions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Compston, Lara Isobel; Sarkobie, Francis; Li, Chengyao; Candotti, Daniel; Opare-Sem, Ohene; Allain, Jean-Pierre

    2008-07-01

    In common with latent viruses such as herpesviruses, parvovirus B19, HBV and GBV-C are contained successfully by the immune response and persist in the host. When immune control breaks down, reactivation of both latent and persistent viruses occurs. Two multiplex assays were developed (B19, HBV, HHV-8), (EBV, CMV, VZV) for blood screening, and tested on blood donor samples from Ghana to determine baseline prevalence of viraemia in immunocompetent persons. Single-virus real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) assays were optimised for viral load determination of positive initial screening. The qPCR method utilised was absolute quantification with external standards. Multiplex and single-virus qPCR assays had similar sensitivity, except for the B19 assay in which sensitivity was 100-fold lower. Assays were optimised for reproducibility and repeatability, with R(2) of 0.9 being obtained for most assays. With the exception of B19 and CMV, assays had 100% detection limit ranging between 10(1) and 10(2) copies, IU or arbitrary units under single-virus and multiplex assay conditions. The prevalence of viraemia was 1.6% HBV (0.8% DNA+/HBsAg-, 0.8% DNA+/HBsAg+), 0.8% parvovirus B19, and 3.3% GBV-C viraemia in the plasma fraction. The prevalence of four herpesviruses was 1.0% HHV-8, 0.85% CMV, and 8.3% EBV, and no detectable VZV viraemia.

  13. A multiplex PCR assay for simultaneous detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Bacillus cereus, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus in Korean ready-to-eat food.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Nari; Kwon, Kyung Yoon; Oh, Su Kyung; Chang, Hyun-Joo; Chun, Hyang Sook; Choi, Sung-Wook

    2014-07-01

    A multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was developed for simultaneous detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Bacillus cereus, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus in various Korean ready-to-eat foods. The six specific primer pairs for multiplex PCR were selected based on the O157 antigen (rfbE) gene of E. coli O157:H7, the DNA gyrase subunit B (gyrB) gene of B. cereus, the toxin regulatory protein (toxR) gene of V. parahaemolyticus, the invasion protein A (invA) gene of Salmonella spp., the hemolysin (hly) gene of L. monocytogenes, and the thermonuclease (nuc) gene of S. aureus. The 16S rRNA gene was targeted as an internal control gene in the presence of bacterial DNA. The specificity and sensitivity assays for multiplex primer pairs were investigated by testing different strains. When this multiplex PCR assay was applied to evaluate the validity of detecting six foodborne pathogens in artificially inoculated several ready-to-eat food samples, the assay was able to specifically simultaneously detect as few as 1 colony-forming unit/mL of each pathogen after enrichment for 12 h. Their presence in naturally contaminated samples also indicates that the developed multiplex PCR assay is an effective and informative supplement for practical use.

  14. Real-time RT-PCR high-resolution melting curve analysis and multiplex RT-PCR to detect and differentiate grapevine leafroll-associated associated virus 3 variant groups I, II, III and VI

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bester Rachelle

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Grapevine leafroll-associated virus 3 (GLRaV-3 is the main contributing agent of leafroll disease worldwide. Four of the six GLRaV-3 variant groups known have been found in South Africa, but their individual contribution to leafroll disease is unknown. In order to study the pathogenesis of leafroll disease, a sensitive and accurate diagnostic assay is required that can detect different variant groups of GLRaV-3. Methods In this study, a one-step real-time RT-PCR, followed by high-resolution melting (HRM curve analysis for the simultaneous detection and identification of GLRaV-3 variants of groups I, II, III and VI, was developed. A melting point confidence interval for each variant group was calculated to include at least 90% of all melting points observed. A multiplex RT-PCR protocol was developed to these four variant groups in order to assess the efficacy of the real-time RT-PCR HRM assay. Results A universal primer set for GLRaV-3 targeting the heat shock protein 70 homologue (Hsp70h gene of GLRaV-3 was designed that is able to detect GLRaV-3 variant groups I, II, III and VI and differentiate between them with high-resolution melting curve analysis. The real-time RT-PCR HRM and the multiplex RT-PCR were optimized using 121 GLRaV-3 positive samples. Due to a considerable variation in melting profile observed within each GLRaV-3 group, a confidence interval of above 90% was calculated for each variant group, based on the range and distribution of melting points. The intervals of groups I and II could not be distinguished and a 95% joint confidence interval was calculated for simultaneous detection of group I and II variants. An additional primer pair targeting GLRaV-3 ORF1a was developed that can be used in a subsequent real-time RT-PCR HRM to differentiate between variants of groups I and II. Additionally, the multiplex RT-PCR successfully validated 94.64% of the infections detected with the real-time RT-PCR HRM

  15. Fluorescence-intensity multiplexing: simultaneous seven-marker, two-color immunophenotyping using flow cytometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bradford, Jolene A; Buller, Gayle; Suter, Michael; Ignatius, Michael; Beechem, Joseph M

    2004-10-01

    Conventional immuno-based multiparameter flow cytometric analysis has been limited by the requirement of a dedicated detection channel for each antibody-fluorophore set. To address the need to resolve multiple biological targets simultaneously, flow cytometers with as many as 10-15 detection channels have been developed. In this study, a new Zenon immunolabeling technology is developed that allows for multiple antigen detection per detection channel using a single fluorophore, through a unique method of fluorescence-intensity multiplexing. By varying the Zenon labeling reagent-to-antibody molar ratio, the fluorescence intensity of the antibody-labeled cellular targets can be used as a unique identifier. Although demonstrated in the present study with lymphocyte immunophenotyping, this approach is broadly applicable for any immuno-based multiplexed flow cytomety assay. Lymphocyte immunophenotyping of 38 clinical blood specimens using CD3, CD4, CD8, CD16, CD56, CD19, and CD20 antibodies was performed using conventional flow cytometric analysis and fluorescence-intensity multiplexing analysis. Conventional analysis measures a single antibody-fluorophore per photomultiplier tube (PMT). Fluorescence-intensity multiplex analysis simultaneously measures seven markers with two PMTs, using Zenon labeling reagent-antibody complexes in a single tube: CD19, CD4, CD8, and CD16 antibodies labeled with Zenon Alexa Fluor 488 Mouse IgG(1) labeling reagent and CD56, CD3, and CD20 antibodies labeled with Zenon R-Phycoerythrin (R-PE) Mouse IgG(1) or IgG(2b) labeling reagents. The lymphocyte immunophenotyping results from fluorescence-intensity multiplexing using Zenon labeling reagents in a single tube were comparable to results from conventional flow cytometric analysis. Simultaneous evaluation of multiple antigens using a single fluorophore can be performed using antibodies labeled with varying ratios of a Zenon labeling reagent. Labeling two sets of antibodies with different Zenon

  16. A fully sealed plastic chip for multiplex PCR and its application in bacteria identification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Youchun; Yan, He; Zhang, Yan; Jiang, Kewei; Lu, Ying; Ren, Yonghong; Wang, Hui; Wang, Shan; Xing, Wanli

    2015-07-07

    Multiplex PCR is an effective tool for simultaneous multiple target detection but is limited by the intrinsic interference and competition among primer pairs when it is performed in one reaction tube. Dividing a multiplex PCR into many single PCRs is a simple strategy to overcome this issue. Here, we constructed a plastic, easy-to-use, fully sealed multiplex PCR chip based on reversible centrifugation for the simultaneous detection of 63 target DNA sequences. The structure of the chip is quite simple, which contains sine-shaped infusing channels and a number of reaction chambers connecting to one side of these channels. Primer pairs for multiplex PCR were sequentially preloaded in the different reaction chambers, and the chip was enclosed with PCR-compatible adhesive tape. For usage, the PCR master mix containing a DNA template is pipetted into the infusing channels and centrifuged into the reaction chambers, leaving the infusing channels filled with air to avoid cross-contamination of the different chambers. Then, the chip is sealed and placed on a flat thermal cycler for PCR. Finally, amplification products can be detected in situ using a fluorescence scanner or recovered by reverse centrifugation for further analyses. Therefore, our chip possesses two functions: 1) it can be used for multi-target detection based on end-point in situ fluorescence detection; and 2) it can work as a sample preparation unit for analyses that need multiplex PCR such as hybridization and target sequencing. The performance of this chip was carefully examined and further illustrated in the identification of 8 pathogenic bacterial genomic DNA samples and 13 drug-resistance genes. Due to simplicity of its structure and operation, accuracy and generality, high-throughput capacity, and versatile functions (i.e., for in situ detection and sample preparation), our multiplex PCR chip has great potential in clinical diagnostics and nucleic acid-based point-of-care testing.

  17. Multiplex reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction to study the expression of virulence and stress response genes in Staphylococcus aureus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shrihari, Rohinishree Yadahalli; Singh, Negi Pradeep

    2012-02-01

    Staphylococcus aureus survives well in different stress conditions. The ability of this organism to adapt to various stresses is the result of a complex regulatory response, which is attributed to regulation of multiple genes. The aims of the present study were (1) to develop a multiplex PCR for the detection of genes which are involved in stress adaptation (asp23, dnaK, and groEL); alternative sigma factor (sigB) and virulence determination (entB and spa) and (2) to study the expression of these genes during stress conditions for S. aureus culture collection strains (FRI 722 and ATCC 6538) and S. aureus food isolates at mRNA level using multiplex reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). During heat shock treatment groEL, dnaK, asp23, sodA, entB, spa, and sigB genes were up regulated up to 2.58, 2.07, 2.76, 2.55, 3.55, 2.71, and 2.62- folds, respectively, whereas in acid shock treatment, sodA and groEL were up regulated; dnaK was downregulated; and entB and sigB genes were not expressed in food isolates. Multiplex PCR assay standardized in this study offers an inexpensive alternative to uniplex PCR for detection of various virulence and stress response genes. This study is relevant to rapid and accurate detection of potential pathogenic S. aureus in foods. © 2012 Institute of Food Technologists®

  18. Development and validation of a multiplex real-time PCR method to simultaneously detect 47 targets for the identification of genetically modified organisms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cottenet, Geoffrey; Blancpain, Carine; Sonnard, Véronique; Chuah, Poh Fong

    2013-08-01

    Considering the increase of the total cultivated land area dedicated to genetically modified organisms (GMO), the consumers' perception toward GMO and the need to comply with various local GMO legislations, efficient and accurate analytical methods are needed for their detection and identification. Considered as the gold standard for GMO analysis, the real-time polymerase chain reaction (RTi-PCR) technology was optimised to produce a high-throughput GMO screening method. Based on simultaneous 24 multiplex RTi-PCR running on a ready-to-use 384-well plate, this new procedure allows the detection and identification of 47 targets on seven samples in duplicate. To comply with GMO analytical quality requirements, a negative and a positive control were analysed in parallel. In addition, an internal positive control was also included in each reaction well for the detection of potential PCR inhibition. Tested on non-GM materials, on different GM events and on proficiency test samples, the method offered high specificity and sensitivity with an absolute limit of detection between 1 and 16 copies depending on the target. Easy to use, fast and cost efficient, this multiplex approach fits the purpose of GMO testing laboratories.

  19. A multiplex PCR method for the identification of commercially important salmon and trout species (Oncorhynchus and Salmo) in North America.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rasmussen Hellberg, Rosalee S; Morrissey, Michael T; Hanner, Robert H

    2010-09-01

    The purpose of this study was to develop a species-specific multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method that allows for the detection of salmon species substitution on the commercial market. Species-specific primers and TaqMan® probes were developed based on a comprehensive collection of mitochondrial 5' cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) "barcode" sequences. Primers and probes were combined into multiplex assays and tested for specificity against 112 reference samples representing 25 species. Sensitivity and linearity tests were conducted using 10-fold serial dilutions of target DNA (single-species samples) and DNA admixtures containing the target species at levels of 10%, 1.0%, and 0.1% mixed with a secondary species. The specificity tests showed positive signals for the target DNA in both real-time and conventional PCR systems. Nonspecific amplification in both systems was minimal; however, false positives were detected at low levels (1.2% to 8.3%) in conventional PCR. Detection levels were similar for admixtures and single-species samples based on a 30 PCR cycle cut-off, with limits of 0.25 to 2.5 ng (1% to 10%) in conventional PCR and 0.05 to 5.0 ng (0.1% to 10%) in real-time PCR. A small-scale test with food samples showed promising results, with species identification possible even in heavily processed food items. Overall, this study presents a rapid, specific, and sensitive method for salmon species identification that can be applied to mixed-species and heavily processed samples in either conventional or real-time PCR formats. This study provides a newly developed method for salmon and trout species identification that will assist both industry and regulatory agencies in the detection and prevention of species substitution. This multiplex PCR method allows for rapid, high-throughput species identification even in heavily processed and mixed-species samples. An inter-laboratory study is currently being carried out to

  20. Time-varying multiplex network: Intralayer and interlayer synchronization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rakshit, Sarbendu; Majhi, Soumen; Bera, Bidesh K.; Sinha, Sudeshna; Ghosh, Dibakar

    2017-12-01

    A large class of engineered and natural systems, ranging from transportation networks to neuronal networks, are best represented by multiplex network architectures, namely a network composed of two or more different layers where the mutual interaction in each layer may differ from other layers. Here we consider a multiplex network where the intralayer coupling interactions are switched stochastically with a characteristic frequency. We explore the intralayer and interlayer synchronization of such a time-varying multiplex network. We find that the analytically derived necessary condition for intralayer and interlayer synchronization, obtained by the master stability function approach, is in excellent agreement with our numerical results. Interestingly, we clearly find that the higher frequency of switching links in the layers enhances both intralayer and interlayer synchrony, yielding larger windows of synchronization. Further, we quantify the resilience of synchronous states against random perturbations, using a global stability measure based on the concept of basin stability, and this reveals that intralayer coupling strength is most crucial for determining both intralayer and interlayer synchrony. Lastly, we investigate the robustness of interlayer synchronization against a progressive demultiplexing of the multiplex structure, and we find that for rapid switching of intralayer links, the interlayer synchronization persists even when a large number of interlayer nodes are disconnected.

  1. Multiplex serology of paraneoplastic antineuronal antibodies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maat, Peter; Brouwer, Eric; Hulsenboom, Esther; VanDuijn, Martijn; Schreurs, Marco W J; Hooijkaas, Herbert; Smitt, Peter A E Sillevis

    2013-05-31

    Paraneoplastic neurological syndromes (PNS) are devastating neurological disorders secondary to cancer, associated with onconeural autoantibodies. Such antibodies are directed against neuronal antigens aberrantly expressed by the tumor. The detection of onconeural antibodies in a patient is extremely important in diagnosing a neurological syndrome as paraneoplastic (70% is not yet known to have cancer) and in directing the search for the underlying neoplasm. At present six onconeural antibodies are considered 'well characterized' and recognize the antigens HuD, CDR62 (Yo), amphiphysin, CRMP-5 (CV2), NOVA-1 (Ri), and Ma2. The gold standard of detection is the characteristic immunohistochemical staining pattern on brain tissue sections combined with confirmation by immunoblotting using recombinant purified proteins. Since all six onconeural antibodies are usually analyzed simultaneously and objective cut-off values for these analyses are warranted, we developed a multiplex assay based on Luminex technology. Reaction of serial dilutions of six onconeural standard sera with microsphere-bound antigens showed lower limits of detection than with Western blotting. Using the six standard sera at a dilution of 1:200, the average within-run coefficient of variation (CV) was 4% (range 1.9-7.3%). The average between-run within-day CV was 5.1% (range 2.9-6.7%) while the average between-day CV was 8.1% (range 2.8-11.6%). The shelf-life of the antigen coupled microspheres was at least two months. The sensitivity of the multiplex assay ranged from 83% (Ri) to 100% (Yo, amphiphysin, CV2) and the specificity from 96% (CV2) to 100% (Ri). In conclusion, Luminex-based multiplex serology is highly reproducible with high sensitivity and specificity for the detection of onconeural antibodies. Conventional immunoblotting for diagnosis of onconeural antibodies in the setting of a routine laboratory may be replaced by this novel, robust technology. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights

  2. A novel multiplex PCR discriminates Bacillus anthracis and its genetically related strains from other Bacillus cereus group species.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hirohito Ogawa

    Full Text Available Anthrax is an important zoonotic disease worldwide that is caused by Bacillus anthracis, a spore-forming pathogenic bacterium. A rapid and sensitive method to detect B. anthracis is important for anthrax risk management and control in animal cases to address public health issues. However, it has recently become difficult to identify B. anthracis by using previously reported molecular-based methods because of the emergence of B. cereus, which causes severe extra-intestinal infection, as well as the human pathogenic B. thuringiensis, both of which are genetically related to B. anthracis. The close genetic relation of chromosomal backgrounds has led to complexity of molecular-based diagnosis. In this study, we established a B. anthracis multiplex PCR that can screen for the presence of B. anthracis virulent plasmids and differentiate B. anthracis and its genetically related strains from other B. cereus group species. Six sets of primers targeting a chromosome of B. anthracis and B. anthracis-like strains, two virulent plasmids, pXO1 and pXO2, a bacterial gene, 16S rRNA gene, and a mammalian gene, actin-beta gene, were designed. The multiplex PCR detected approximately 3.0 CFU of B. anthracis DNA per PCR reaction and was sensitive to B. anthracis. The internal control primers also detected all bacterial and mammalian DNAs examined, indicating the practical applicability of this assay as it enables monitoring of appropriate amplification. The assay was also applied for detection of clinical strains genetically related to B. anthracis, which were B. cereus strains isolated from outbreaks of hospital infections in Japan, and field strains isolated in Zambia, and the assay differentiated B. anthracis and its genetically related strains from other B. cereus group strains. Taken together, the results indicate that the newly developed multiplex PCR is a sensitive and practical method for detecting B. anthracis.

  3. Will a quadruple multiplexed point-of-care screening strategy for HIV-related co-infections be feasible and impact detection of new co-infections in at-risk populations? Results from cross-sectional studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pai, Nitika Pant; Dhurat, Rachita; Potter, Martin; Behlim, Tarannum; Landry, Geneviève; Vadnais, Caroline; Rodrigues, Camilla; Joseph, Lawrence; Shetty, Anjali

    2014-12-15

    Multiplexed point-of-care (POC) devices can rapidly screen for HIV-related co-infections (eg, hepatitis C (HCV), hepatitis B (HBV), syphilis) in one patient visit, but global evidence for this approach remains limited. This study aimed to evaluate a multiplex POC testing strategy to expedite screening for HIV-related co-infections in at-risk populations. A multiplex strategy was developed with two subsequent versions of an investigational device Miriad. It was evaluated in two non-comparable settings and populations in two countries for feasibility of conduct, detection of new infections, preference and accuracy. Version 1 was evaluated in 375 sexually transmitted disease clinic attendees in Mumbai, India; version 2 was evaluated in 119 injection drug users in Montreal, Canada. Feasibility (completion rate) of the multiplex strategy was high (86.1% Mumbai; 92.4% Montreal). A total of 170 new infections were detected in Mumbai (56 HIV, 75 HBV, 37 syphilis, 2 HCV) versus 2 in Montreal. Preference was 60% in Mumbai and 97% in Montreal. Miriad version 1 specificities were high: HIV 99.7% (98.3% to 100%), HBV 99.3% (97.6% to 99.9%), HCV 99.7% (98.5% to 99.9%), syphilis 85.2% (80.9% to 88.8%); sensitivities were as follows: HIV 100% (94.8% to 100%), HBV 13.3% (6.6% to 23.2%), HCV 50% (1.3% to 98.7%), syphilis 86.1% (70.5% to 95.3%). With version 2, specificities improved: HIV 100% (97.2% to 100%), HBV 100% (97.3% to 100%), HCV 85.3% (73.8% to 93.0%), syphilis 98.1% (93.3% to 99.8%); sensitivities were: HIV 100% (47.3% to 100%), HCV 80.4% (66.1% to 90.6%), syphilis 100% (22.4% to 100%). A quad multiplex POC strategy for HIV and co-infections was feasible to operationalise and preferred by patients in both settings. Many new infections were identified in Mumbai and accuracy improved with version 2 of the assay. Such a strategy will help expedite screening for co-infections, particularly where baseline screening is low. These findings are valuable to practitioners

  4. Evaluation of multiplex assay platforms for detection of influenza hemagglutinin subtype specific antibody responses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Zhu-Nan; Weber, Kimberly M; Limmer, Rebecca A; Horne, Bobbi J; Stevens, James; Schwerzmann, Joy; Wrammert, Jens; McCausland, Megan; Phipps, Andrew J; Hancock, Kathy; Jernigan, Daniel B; Levine, Min; Katz, Jacqueline M; Miller, Joseph D

    2017-05-01

    Influenza hemagglutination inhibition (HI) and virus microneutralization assays (MN) are widely used for seroprevalence studies. However, these assays have limited field portability and are difficult to fully automate for high throughput laboratory testing. To address these issues, three multiplex influenza subtype-specific antibody detection assays were developed using recombinant hemagglutinin antigens in combination with Chembio, Luminex ® , and ForteBio ® platforms. Assay sensitivity, specificity, and subtype cross-reactivity were evaluated using a panel of well characterized human sera. Compared to the traditional HI, assay sensitivity ranged from 87% to 92% and assay specificity in sera collected from unexposed persons ranged from 65% to 100% across the platforms. High assay specificity (86-100%) for A(H5N1) rHA was achieved for sera from exposed or unexposed to hetorosubtype influenza HAs. In contrast, assay specificity for A(H1N1)pdm09 rHA using sera collected from A/Vietnam/1204/2004 (H5N1) vaccinees in 2008 was low (22-30%) in all platforms. Although cross-reactivity against rHA subtype proteins was observed in each assay platform, the correct subtype specific responses were identified 78%-94% of the time when paired samples were available for analysis. These results show that high throughput and portable multiplex assays that incorporate rHA can be used to identify influenza subtype specific infections. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  5. Functional Multiplex PageRank

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iacovacci, Jacopo; Rahmede, Christoph; Arenas, Alex; Bianconi, Ginestra

    2016-10-01

    Recently it has been recognized that many complex social, technological and biological networks have a multilayer nature and can be described by multiplex networks. Multiplex networks are formed by a set of nodes connected by links having different connotations forming the different layers of the multiplex. Characterizing the centrality of the nodes in a multiplex network is a challenging task since the centrality of the node naturally depends on the importance associated to links of a certain type. Here we propose to assign to each node of a multiplex network a centrality called Functional Multiplex PageRank that is a function of the weights given to every different pattern of connections (multilinks) existent in the multiplex network between any two nodes. Since multilinks distinguish all the possible ways in which the links in different layers can overlap, the Functional Multiplex PageRank can describe important non-linear effects when large relevance or small relevance is assigned to multilinks with overlap. Here we apply the Functional Page Rank to the multiplex airport networks, to the neuronal network of the nematode C. elegans, and to social collaboration and citation networks between scientists. This analysis reveals important differences existing between the most central nodes of these networks, and the correlations between their so-called pattern to success.

  6. Multiplex PageRank.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arda Halu

    Full Text Available Many complex systems can be described as multiplex networks in which the same nodes can interact with one another in different layers, thus forming a set of interacting and co-evolving networks. Examples of such multiplex systems are social networks where people are involved in different types of relationships and interact through various forms of communication media. The ranking of nodes in multiplex networks is one of the most pressing and challenging tasks that research on complex networks is currently facing. When pairs of nodes can be connected through multiple links and in multiple layers, the ranking of nodes should necessarily reflect the importance of nodes in one layer as well as their importance in other interdependent layers. In this paper, we draw on the idea of biased random walks to define the Multiplex PageRank centrality measure in which the effects of the interplay between networks on the centrality of nodes are directly taken into account. In particular, depending on the intensity of the interaction between layers, we define the Additive, Multiplicative, Combined, and Neutral versions of Multiplex PageRank, and show how each version reflects the extent to which the importance of a node in one layer affects the importance the node can gain in another layer. We discuss these measures and apply them to an online multiplex social network. Findings indicate that taking the multiplex nature of the network into account helps uncover the emergence of rankings of nodes that differ from the rankings obtained from one single layer. Results provide support in favor of the salience of multiplex centrality measures, like Multiplex PageRank, for assessing the prominence of nodes embedded in multiple interacting networks, and for shedding a new light on structural properties that would otherwise remain undetected if each of the interacting networks were analyzed in isolation.

  7. Multiplex PageRank.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Halu, Arda; Mondragón, Raúl J; Panzarasa, Pietro; Bianconi, Ginestra

    2013-01-01

    Many complex systems can be described as multiplex networks in which the same nodes can interact with one another in different layers, thus forming a set of interacting and co-evolving networks. Examples of such multiplex systems are social networks where people are involved in different types of relationships and interact through various forms of communication media. The ranking of nodes in multiplex networks is one of the most pressing and challenging tasks that research on complex networks is currently facing. When pairs of nodes can be connected through multiple links and in multiple layers, the ranking of nodes should necessarily reflect the importance of nodes in one layer as well as their importance in other interdependent layers. In this paper, we draw on the idea of biased random walks to define the Multiplex PageRank centrality measure in which the effects of the interplay between networks on the centrality of nodes are directly taken into account. In particular, depending on the intensity of the interaction between layers, we define the Additive, Multiplicative, Combined, and Neutral versions of Multiplex PageRank, and show how each version reflects the extent to which the importance of a node in one layer affects the importance the node can gain in another layer. We discuss these measures and apply them to an online multiplex social network. Findings indicate that taking the multiplex nature of the network into account helps uncover the emergence of rankings of nodes that differ from the rankings obtained from one single layer. Results provide support in favor of the salience of multiplex centrality measures, like Multiplex PageRank, for assessing the prominence of nodes embedded in multiple interacting networks, and for shedding a new light on structural properties that would otherwise remain undetected if each of the interacting networks were analyzed in isolation.

  8. Rapid Multiplex Microbial Detector, Phase I

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — ORBITEC, in collaboration with Lucigen, proposes a rapid nucleic acid-based detector for spaceflight water systems to enable simultaneous quantification of multiple...

  9. Evaluating the use of dedicated swab for rapid antigen detection ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Evaluating the use of dedicated swab for rapid antigen detection testing in group a ... African Journal of Clinical and Experimental Microbiology ... Several generations of rapid antigen detection tests (RADTs) have been developed to facilitate ...

  10. Differentiation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex from non-tubercular mycobacteria by nested multiplex PCR targeting IS6110, MTP40 and 32kD alpha antigen encoding gene fragments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sinha, Pallavi; Gupta, Anamika; Prakash, Pradyot; Anupurba, Shampa; Tripathi, Rajneesh; Srivastava, G N

    2016-03-12

    Control of the global burden of tuberculosis is obstructed due to lack of simple, rapid and cost effective diagnostic techniques that can be used in resource poor-settings. To facilitate the early diagnosis of TB directly from clinical specimens, we have standardized and validated the use of nested multiplex PCR, targeting gene fragments IS6110, MTP40 and 32kD α-antigen encoding genes specific for Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and non-tubercular mycobacteria (NTM), in comparison to smear microscopy, solid culture and single step multiplex PCR. The results were evaluated in comparison to a composite reference standard (CRS) comprising of microbiological results (smear and culture), clinical, radiological and cytopathological findings, clinical treatment and response to anti-tubercular therapy. The nested multiplex PCR (nMPCR) assay was evaluated to test its utility in 600 (535 pulmonary and 65 extra-pulmonary specimens) clinically suspected TB cases. All specimens were processed for smear, culture, single step multiplex PCR and nested multiplex PCR testing. Out of 535 screened pulmonary and 65 extra-pulmonary specimens, 329 (61.5%) and 19 (29.2%) cases were culture positive for M. tuberculosis. Based on CRS, 450 patients had "clinical TB" (definitive-TB, probable-TB and possible-TB). Remaining 150 were confirmed "non-TB" cases. For culture, the sensitivity was low, 79.3% for pulmonary and 54.3% for extra-pulmonary cases. The sensitivity and specificity results for nMPCR test were evaluated taken composite reference standard as a gold standard. The sensitivity of the nMPCR assay was 97.1% for pulmonary and 91.4% for extra-pulmonary TB cases with specificity of 100% and 93.3% respectively. Nested multiplex PCR using three gene primers is a rapid, reliable and highly sensitive and specific diagnostic technique for the detection and differentiation of M. tuberculosis complex from NTM genome and will be useful in diagnosing paucibacillary samples. Nested multiplex

  11. Analogue multiplexer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gorshkov, V.A.; Kuznetsov, A.N.

    1980-01-01

    In systems of signal recording from several parallel spectrometric channels one can considerably reduce the total apparatus volume using a special unit - an analog multiplexer. A description of the multiplexer in the CAMAC system on the base of fast linear gating circuits which allows one analog-to-code converter to attend four spectrometric channels is given. On the example of the 4-channel spectrometer the logics of interaction of the multiple with analog-to-digital coxernver and signal recorder is shown. Electrical and functional multiplexer flow-sheets are given and its main characteristics are presented

  12. Towards a pathogenic Escherichia coli detection platform using multiplex SYBR®Green Real-time PCR methods and high resolution melting analysis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dafni-Maria Kagkli

    Full Text Available Escherichia coli is a group of bacteria which has raised a lot of safety concerns in recent years. Five major intestinal pathogenic groups have been recognized amongst which the verocytotoxin or shiga-toxin (stx1 and/or stx2 producing E. coli (VTEC or STEC respectively have received a lot of attention recently. Indeed, due to the high number of outbreaks related to VTEC strains, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA has requested the monitoring of the "top-five" serogroups (O26, O103, O111, O145 and O157 most often encountered in food borne diseases and addressed the need for validated VTEC detection methods. Here we report the development of a set of intercalating dye Real-time PCR methods capable of rapidly detecting the presence of the toxin genes together with intimin (eae in the case of VTEC, or aggregative protein (aggR, in the case of the O104:H4 strain responsible for the outbreak in Germany in 2011. All reactions were optimized to perform at the same annealing temperature permitting the multiplex application in order to minimize the need of material and to allow for high-throughput analysis. In addition, High Resolution Melting (HRM analysis allowing the discrimination among strains possessing similar virulence traits was established. The development, application to food samples and the flexibility in use of the methods are thoroughly discussed. Together, these Real-time PCR methods facilitate the detection of VTEC in a new highly efficient way and could represent the basis for developing a simple pathogenic E. coli platform.

  13. Low-Cost Method to Monitor Patient Adherence to HIV Antiretroviral Therapy Using Multiplex Cathepsin Zymography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Platt, Manu O; Evans, Denise; Keegan, Philip M; McNamara, Lynne; Parker, Ivana K; Roberts, LaDeidra M; Caulk, Alexander W; Gleason, Rudolph L; Seifu, Daniel; Amogne, Wondwossen; Penny, Clement

    2016-01-01

    Monitoring patient adherence to HIV antiretroviral therapy (ART) by patient survey is inherently error prone, justifying a need for objective, biological measures affordable in low-resource settings where HIV/AIDS epidemic is highest. In preliminary studies conducted in Ethiopia and South Africa, we observed loss of cysteine cathepsin activity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of HIV-positive patients on ART. We optimized a rapid protocol for multiplex cathepsin zymography to quantify cysteine cathepsins, and prospectively enrolled 350 HIV-positive, ART-naïve adults attending the Themba Lethu Clinic, Johannesburg, South Africa, to test if suppressed cathepsin activity could be a biomarker of ART adherence (103 patients were included in final analysis). Poor adherence was defined as detectable viral load (>400 copies/ml) or simplified medication adherence questionnaire, 4-6 months after ART initiation. 86 % of patients with undetectable viral loads after 6 months were cathepsin negative, and cathepsin-positive patients were twice as likely to have detectable viral loads (RR 2.32 95 % CI 1.26-4.29). Together, this demonstrates proof of concept that multiplex cathepsin zymography may be an inexpensive, objective method to monitor patient adherence to ART. Low cost of this electrophoresis-based assay makes it a prime candidate for implementation in resource-limited settings.

  14. Low cost method to monitor patient adherence to HIV antiretroviral therapy using multiplex cathepsin zymography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Platt, Manu O.; Evans, Denise; Keegan, Philip M.; McNamara, Lynne; Parker, Ivana K.; Roberts, LaDeidra M.; Caulk, Alexander W.; Gleason, Rudolph L.; Seifu, Daniel; Amogne, Wondwossen; Penny, Clement

    2015-01-01

    Monitoring patient adherence to HIV antiretroviral therapy (ART) by patient survey is inherently error-prone, justifying a need for objective, biological measures affordable in low resource settings where HIV/AIDS epidemic is highest. In preliminary studies conducted in Ethiopia and South Africa, we observed loss of cysteine cathepsin activity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of HIV-positive patients on ART. We optimized a rapid protocol for multiplex cathepsin zymography to quantify cysteine cathepsins, and prospectively enrolled 350 HIV-positive, ART naïve adults attending the Themba Lethu Clinic, Johannesburg, South Africa, to test if suppressed cathepsin activity could be a biomarker of ART adherence (103 patients were included in final analysis). Poor adherence was defined as detectable viral load (>400 copies/ml) or simplified medication adherence questionnaire (SMAQ), 4–6 months after ART initiation. 86% of patients with undetectable viral loads after 6 months were cathepsin negative, and cathepsin positive patients were twice as likely to have detectable viral loads (RR 2.32 95% CI 1.26–4.29). Together, this demonstrates proof of concept that multiplex cathepsin zymography may be an inexpensive, objective method to monitor patient adherence to ART. Low cost of this electrophoresis based assay makes it a prime candidate for implementation in resource limited settings. PMID:26589706

  15. A 50 SNP-multiplex mass spectrometry assay for human identification

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wächter, Andrea; Mengel-From, Jonas; Børsting, Claus

    2008-01-01

    We developed a 50 SNP-multiplex assay for detection on a MALDI-TOF MS platform based on the SNPs in the 52 SNP-multiplex assay recently developed by the SNPforID Consortium. After PCR amplification, the products were purified on Qiagen columns and used as templates in one single base extension (SBE...... primers were extended with biotin labelled ddNTPs and purified on avidin beads ensuring that only the extended SBE primers were isolated and spotted on the MALDI-TOF anchor target. Detection of the 50 extended primers from the SBE reaction was performed in a mass range between 3000 and 10,000 m/z...

  16. Evaluation of multiplex tandem real-time PCR for detection of Cryptosporidium spp., Dientamoeba fragilis, Entamoeba histolytica, and Giardia intestinalis in clinical stool samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stark, D; Al-Qassab, S E; Barratt, J L N; Stanley, K; Roberts, T; Marriott, D; Harkness, J; Ellis, J T

    2011-01-01

    The aim of this study was to describe the first development and evaluation of a multiplex tandem PCR (MT-PCR) assay for the detection and identification of 4 common pathogenic protozoan parasites, Cryptosporidium spp., Dientamoeba fragilis, Entamoeba histolytica, and Giardia intestinalis, from human clinical samples. A total of 472 fecal samples submitted to the Department of Microbiology at St. Vincent's Hospital were included in the study. The MT-PCR assay was compared to four real-time PCR (RT-PCR) assays and microscopy by a traditional modified iron hematoxylin stain. The MT-PCR detected 28 G. intestinalis, 26 D. fragilis, 11 E. histolytica, and 9 Cryptosporidium sp. isolates. Detection and identification of the fecal protozoa by MT-PCR demonstrated 100% correlation with the RT-PCR results, and compared to RT-PCR, MT-PCR exhibited 100% sensitivity and specificity, while traditional microscopy of stained fixed fecal smears exhibited sensitivities and specificities of 56% and 100% for Cryptosporidium spp., 38% and 99% for D. fragilis, 47% and 97% for E. histolytica, and 50% and 100% for G. intestinalis. No cross-reactivity was detected in 100 stool samples containing various other bacterial, viral, and protozoan species. The MT-PCR assay was able to provide rapid, sensitive, and specific simultaneous detection and identification of the four most important diarrhea-causing protozoan parasites that infect humans. This study also highlights the lack of sensitivity demonstrated by microscopy, and thus, molecular methods such as MT-PCR must be considered the diagnostic methods of choice for enteric protozoan parasites.

  17. Development of a Multiplexed Microsphere PCR for Culture-Free Detection and Gram-Typing of Bacteria in Human Blood Samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Fang; Browne, Daniel J; Gray, Megan J; Gartlan, Kate H; Smith, David D; Barnard, Ross T; Hill, Geoffrey R; Corrie, Simon R; Markey, Kate A

    2018-05-11

    Bloodstream infection is a significant clinical problem, particularly in vulnerable patient groups such as those undergoing chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation. Clinical diagnostics for suspected bloodstream infection remain centered around blood culture (highly variable timing, in the order of hours to days to become positive), and empiric use of broad-spectrum antibiotics is therefore employed for patients presenting with febrile neutropenia. Gram-typing provides the first opportunity to target therapy (e.g., combinations containing vancomycin or teicoplanin for Gram-positives; piperacillin-tazobactam or a carbapenem for Gram-negatives); however, current approaches require blood culture. In this study, we describe a multiplexed microsphere-PCR assay with flow cytometry readout, which can distinguish Gram-positive from Gram-negative bacterial DNA in a 3.5 h time period. The combination of a simple assay design (amplicon-dependent release of Gram-type specific Cy3-labeled oligonucleotides) and the Luminex-based readout (for quantifying each specific Cy3-labeled sequence) opens opportunities for further multiplexing. We demonstrate the feasibility of detecting common Gram-positive and Gram-negative organisms after spiking whole bacteria into healthy human blood prior to DNA extraction. Further development of DNA extraction methods is required to reach detection limits comparable to blood culture.

  18. Multiplex polymerase chain reaction on FTA cards vs. flow cytometry for B-lymphocyte clonality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dictor, Michael; Skogvall, Ingela; Warenholt, Janina; Rambech, Eva

    2007-01-01

    Two-colour flow cytometry was compared with multiplex PCR with capillary electrophoresis for clonality determination in specific categories of B-cell lymphoma. FTA cards were evaluated for preserving DNA from node imprints and expediting molecular analysis. A single-tube multiplex PCR targeted IGH and lymphoma-specific translocations in DNA extracted from 180 frozen lymphoid tissues and DNA bound to FTA cards from 192 fresh tissues and 137 aspirates. PCR results were compared with flow cytometry in the extracted and aspirated samples. Overall, single-tube multiplex PCR sensitivity was equivalent in the sample groups (intergroup range 79%-91%). False negatives were associated with tumour origin in the follicle centre. Multiplex PCR and flow cytometry were equally sensitive and together detected 98% of B-cell lymphomas. Additional two-tube targeting of IGK suggested an overall molecular sensitivity >90%. False positive (pseudoclonal) single-tube multiplex PCR was associated with necrosis and sparse lymphocytes. Multiplex PCR using template DNA bound to an FTA card effectively detects B-lymphocyte clonality, obviates DNA extraction and refrigeration, and can be used without diminished sensitivity in fine needle aspirates or node imprints as a replacement for or complement to flow cytometry at any point in the diagnostic work-up.

  19. Evaluation of the Roche LightMix Gastro parasites multiplex PCR assay detecting Giardia duodenalis, Entamoeba histolytica, cryptosporidia, Dientamoeba fragilis, and Blastocystis hominis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Friesen, J; Fuhrmann, J; Kietzmann, H; Tannich, E; Müller, M; Ignatius, R

    2018-03-23

    Multiplex PCR assays offer highly sensitive and specific tools for the detection of enteric pathogens. This prospective study aimed at comparing the novel Roche LightMix Modular Assay Gastro Parasites (LMAGP) detecting Giardia duodenalis, Entamoeba histolytica, Cryptosporidium spp., Blastocystishominis, and Dientamoebafragilis with routine laboratory procedures. Stool specimens (n = 1062 from 1009 patients) were consecutively examined by LMAGP, R-Biopharm Ridascreen enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) detecting G. duodenalis or E. histolytica/dispar, and microscopy of wet mounts. Discrepant results were analysed by in-house PCR. D. fragilis or B. hominis were detected by LMAGP in 131 (14.4%) and 179 (19.9%; 16 samples positive by microscopy; p PCR). G. duodenalis was detected by LMAGP, EIA, or microscopy in 20, 16, or 9 of 1039 stool samples, respectively; all four samples missed by EIA were confirmed by in-house PCR. In total, 938 stool samples were analysed for E. histolytica/dispar. Nine of ten EIA-positive samples were negative by LMAGP but positive by in-house PCR for E. dispar. One E. histolytica infection (positive by both LMAGP and in-house PCR) was missed by EIA and microscopy. Parasites only detected by microscopy included Enterobius vermicularis eggs (n = 3) and apathogenic amoebae (n = 27). The data call for routine use of multiplex PCR assays for the detection of enteric protozoan parasites in laboratory diagnostics. Copyright © 2018 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Lab-on-capillary: a rapid, simple and quantitative genetic analysis platform integrating nucleic acid extraction, amplification and detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, Yu; Zhou, Xiaoming; Xing, Da

    2017-12-05

    In this work, we describe for the first time a genetic diagnosis platform employing a polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride (PDDA)-modified capillary and a liquid-based thermalization system for rapid, simple and quantitative DNA analysis with minimal user interaction. Positively charged PDDA is modified on the inner surface of the silicon dioxide capillary by using an electrostatic self-assembly approach that allows the negatively charged DNA to be separated from the lysate in less than 20 seconds. The capillary loaded with the PCR mix is incorporated in the thermalization system, which can achieve on-site real-time PCR. This system is based on the circulation of pre-heated liquids in the chamber, allowing for high-speed thermalization of the capillary and fast amplification. Multiple targets can be simultaneously analysed with multiplex spatial melting. Starting with live Escherichia coli (E. coli) cells in milk, as a realistic sample, the current method can achieve DNA extraction, amplification, and detection within 40 min.

  1. Multiplex PCR for detection of plasmid-mediated colistin resistance determinants, mcr-1, mcr-2, mcr-3, mcr-4 and mcr-5 for surveillance purposes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rebelo, Ana Rita; Bortolaia, Valeria; Kjeldgaard, Jette S.

    2018-01-01

    Background and aim: Plasmid-mediated colistin resistance mechanisms have been identified worldwide in the past years. A multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) protocol for detection of all currently known transferable colistin resistance genes (mcr-1 to mcr-5, and variants) in Enterobacteriace...

  2. Tumor specific lung cancer diagnostics with multiplexed FRET immunoassays

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geißler, D.; Hill, D.; Löhmannsröben, H.-G.; Thomas, E.; Lavigne, A.; Darbouret, B.; Bois, E.; Charbonnière, L. J.; Ziessel, R. F.; Hildebrandt, N.

    2010-02-01

    An optical multiplexed homogeneous (liquid phase) immunoassay based on FRET from a terbium complex to eight different fluorescent dyes is presented. We achieved highly sensitive parallel detection of four different lung cancer specific tumor markers (CEA, NSE, SCC and CYFRA21-1) within a single assay and show a proof-of-principle for 5- fold multiplexing. The method is well suited for fast and low-cost miniaturized point-of-care testing as well as for highthroughput screening in a broad range of in-vitro diagnostic applications.

  3. Rapid assessment of assignments using plagiarism detection software.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bischoff, Whitney R; Abrego, Patricia C

    2011-01-01

    Faculty members most often use plagiarism detection software to detect portions of students' written work that have been copied and/or not attributed to their authors. The rise in plagiarism has led to a parallel rise in software products designed to detect plagiarism. Some of these products are configurable for rapid assessment and teaching, as well as for plagiarism detection.

  4. Rapid detection of small oscillation faults via deterministic learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Cong; Chen, Tianrui

    2011-08-01

    Detection of small faults is one of the most important and challenging tasks in the area of fault diagnosis. In this paper, we present an approach for the rapid detection of small oscillation faults based on a recently proposed deterministic learning (DL) theory. The approach consists of two phases: the training phase and the test phase. In the training phase, the system dynamics underlying normal and fault oscillations are locally accurately approximated through DL. The obtained knowledge of system dynamics is stored in constant radial basis function (RBF) networks. In the diagnosis phase, rapid detection is implemented. Specially, a bank of estimators are constructed using the constant RBF neural networks to represent the training normal and fault modes. By comparing the set of estimators with the test monitored system, a set of residuals are generated, and the average L(1) norms of the residuals are taken as the measure of the differences between the dynamics of the monitored system and the dynamics of the training normal mode and oscillation faults. The occurrence of a test oscillation fault can be rapidly detected according to the smallest residual principle. A rigorous analysis of the performance of the detection scheme is also given. The novelty of the paper lies in that the modeling uncertainty and nonlinear fault functions are accurately approximated and then the knowledge is utilized to achieve rapid detection of small oscillation faults. Simulation studies are included to demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach.

  5. Multiplexed Western Blotting Using Microchip Electrophoresis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jin, Shi; Furtaw, Michael D; Chen, Huaxian; Lamb, Don T; Ferguson, Stephen A; Arvin, Natalie E; Dawod, Mohamed; Kennedy, Robert T

    2016-07-05

    Western blotting is a commonly used protein assay that combines the selectivity of electrophoretic separation and immunoassay. The technique is limited by long time, manual operation with mediocre reproducibility, and large sample consumption, typically 10-20 μg per assay. Western blots are also usually used to measure only one protein per assay with an additional housekeeping protein for normalization. Measurement of multiple proteins is possible; however, it requires stripping membranes of antibody and then reprobing with a second antibody. Miniaturized alternatives to Western blot based on microfluidic or capillary electrophoresis have been developed that enable higher-throughput, automation, and greater mass sensitivity. In one approach, proteins are separated by electrophoresis on a microchip that is dragged along a polyvinylidene fluoride membrane so that as proteins exit the chip they are captured on the membrane for immunoassay. In this work, we improve this method to allow multiplexed protein detection. Multiple injections made from the same sample can be deposited in separate tracks so that each is probed with a different antibody. To further enhance multiplexing capability, the electrophoresis channel dimensions were optimized for resolution while keeping separation and blotting times to less than 8 min. Using a 15 μm deep × 50 μm wide × 8.6 cm long channel, it is possible to achieve baseline resolution of proteins that differ by 5% in molecular weight, e.g., ERK1 (44 kDa) from ERK2 (42 kDa). This resolution allows similar proteins detected by cross-reactive antibodies in a single track. We demonstrate detection of 11 proteins from 9 injections from a single Jurkat cell lysate sample consisting of 400 ng of total protein using this procedure. Thus, multiplexed Western blots are possible without cumbersome stripping and reprobing steps.

  6. Development of a multiplex real time PCR to detect thermophilic lactic acid bacteria in natural whey starters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bottari, Benedetta; Agrimonti, Caterina; Gatti, Monica; Neviani, Erasmo; Marmiroli, Nelson

    2013-01-01

    A multiplex real time PCR (mRealT-PCR) useful to rapidly screen microbial composition of thermophilic starter cultures for hard cooked cheeses and to compare samples with potentially different technological properties was developed. Novel primers directed toward pheS gene were designed and optimized for multiple detection of Lactobacillus helveticus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii, Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus fermentum. The assay was based on SYBR Green chemistry followed by melting curves analysis. The method was then evaluated for applications in the specific detection of the 4 lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in 29 different natural whey starters for Parmigiano Reggiano cheese production. The results obtained by mRealT-PCR were also compared with those obtained on the same samples by Fluorescence in Situ Hybridization (FISH) and Length-Heterogeneity PCR (LH-PCR). The mRealT-PCR developed in this study, was found to be effective for analyzing species present in the samples with an average sensitivity down to less than 600 copies of DNA and therefore sensitive enough to detect even minor LAB community members of thermophilic starter cultures. The assay was able to describe the microbial population of all the different natural whey starter samples analyzed, despite their natural variability. A higher number of whey starter samples with S. thermophilus and L. fermentum present in their microbial community were revealed, suggesting that these species could be more frequent in Parmigiano Reggiano natural whey starter samples than previously shown. The method was more effective than LH-PCR and FISH and, considering that these two techniques have to be used in combination to detect the less abundant species, the mRealT-PCR was also faster. Providing a single step sensitive detection of L. helveticus, L. delbrueckii, S. thermophilus and L. fermentum, the developed mRealT-PCR could be used for screening thermophilic starter cultures and to follow the presence of

  7. A novel RT-multiplex PCR for enteroviruses, hepatitis A and E viruses and influenza A virus among infants and children with diarrhea in Vietnam.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phan, T G; Nguyen, T A; Yan, H; Okitsu, S; Ushijima, H

    2005-06-01

    A novel reverse transcription-multiplex polymerase chain reaction (RT-multiplex PCR) assay that can detect enteroviruses, hepatitis A and E viruses and influenza A virus from various hosts (avian species, human, swine and horse) was developed. The identification of that group of viruses was performed with the mixture of four pairs of published specific primers (F1 and R1, P3 and P4, 2s and 2as, MMU42 and MMU43) for amplifying viral genomes and specifically generated four different amplicon sizes of 440, 267, 146 and 219 bp for enteroviruses, hepatitis A and E viruses and influenza A virus, respectively. A total of 276 fecal specimens (previously screened for rotavirus, adenovirus, norovirus, sapovirus and astrovirus-negative) from infants and children admitted into hospital with acute gastroenteritis in Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam during October 2002 and September 2003 were collected and further tested for the presence of those viruses by RT-multiplex PCR. Enteroviruses were identified in 27 specimens and this represented 9.8%. No hepatitis A and E viruses and influenza A virus was found among these subjects. The sensitivity and specificity of RT-multiplex PCR were also assessed and demonstrated the strong validation against RT-monoplex PCR. Taken together, the findings clearly indicated that this novel RT-multiplex PCR is a simple and potential assay for rapid, sensitive, specific and cost-effective laboratory diagnosis to investigate molecular epidemiology of acute gastroenteritis caused by enteroviruses, hepatitis A and E viruses and influenza A virus. This report is the first, to our knowledge, detecting these kinds of viruses in diarrheal feces from infants and children in Vietnam.

  8. Detection of Human Bocavirus DNA by Multiplex PCR Analysis: Postmortem Case Report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nihan Ziyade

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Background: Human bocavirus (HBoV is a virus belonging to the Parvoviridae family, which has been newly discovered to be associated with respiratory tract infections in children. There are many reports worldwide on the endemicity of this virus. Since it is relatively new, it is not routinely detected in clinical laboratory investigations. Case Report: We demonstrated that HBoV infection caused the death of a 5-month-old girl with a history of high fever and wheezing. Human bocavirus (HBoV 1/2/3/4 was found in a nasopharyngeal swab, paraffin-embedded lung tissue and stool samples by multiplex PCR methods using postmortem microbiological analysis. Conclusion: This case suggests that lower respiratory tract infections due to HBoV may cause severe and life-threatening diseases. Postmortem microbiology is useful in both clinical and forensic autopsies, and allows a suspected infection to be confirmed. To our knowledge, this report is the first document of a HBoV postmortem case in Turkey.

  9. Rapid Detection of Staphylococcus aureus and Methicillin-Resistant S. aureus in Atopic Dermatitis by Using the BD Max StaphSR Assay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Mi Kyung; Park, Kui Young; Jin, Taewon; Kim, Ju Hee; Seo, Seong Jun

    2017-07-01

    Eczematous lesions of atopic dermatitis (AD) patients are known to be a source of Staphylococcus aureus (SA) transmission and might be a reservoir for community-associated methicillin-resistant SA (MRSA). The BD Max StaphSR (BD-SR) is a fully automated, multiplex real-time PCR assay for the direct detection and differentiation of SA and MRSA from nasal swab samples. We evaluated the detection rates of SA and MRSA from skin lesions of outpatients with AD using the BD-SR assay, and determined the usefulness of the BD-SR assay. A total of 244 skin swab samples (skin lesions of 213 outpatients with AD and normal skin of 31 healthy controls) were tested directly by using the BD-SR assay. Of the 213 samples from patients with AD, 69 (32.4%) were positive for SA, 6 (8.7%) of which were positive for MRSA. Only 1 (3.2%) of 31 samples from healthy controls was positive for SA. The BD-SR assay is effective for the rapid detection of SA and MRSA from skin swab samples, which can provide important information for managing patients with AD and preventing the spread of MRSA. © The Korean Society for Laboratory Medicine.

  10. Forensic typing of autosomal SNPs with a 29 SNP-multiplex--results of a collaborative EDNAP exercise.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanchez, J J; Børsting, C; Balogh, K; Berger, B; Bogus, M; Butler, J M; Carracedo, A; Court, D Syndercombe; Dixon, L A; Filipović, B; Fondevila, M; Gill, P; Harrison, C D; Hohoff, C; Huel, R; Ludes, B; Parson, W; Parsons, T J; Petkovski, E; Phillips, C; Schmitter, H; Schneider, P M; Vallone, P M; Morling, N

    2008-06-01

    We report the results of an inter-laboratory exercise on typing of autosomal single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) for forensic genetic investigations in crime cases. The European DNA Profiling Group (EDNAP), a working group under the International Society for Forensic Genetics (ISFG), organised the exercise. A total of 11 European and one US forensic genetic laboratories tested a subset of a 52 SNP-multiplex PCR kit developed by the SNPforID consortium. The 52 SNP-multiplex kit amplifies 52 DNA fragments with 52 autosomal SNP loci in one multiplex PCR. The 52 SNPs are detected in two separate single base extension (SBE) multiplex reactions with 29 and 23 SNPs, respectively, using SNaPshot kit, capillary electrophoresis and multicolour fluorescence detection. For practical reasons, only the 29 SBE multiplex reaction was carried out by the participating laboratories. A total of 11 bloodstains on FTA cards including a sample of poor quality and a negative control were sent to the laboratories together with the essential reagents for the initial multiplex PCR and the multiplex SBE reaction. The total SNP locus dropout rate was 2.8% and more than 50% of the dropouts were observed with the poor quality sample. The overall rate of discrepant SNP allele assignments was 2.0%. Two laboratories reported 60% of all the discrepancies. Two laboratories reported all 29 SNP alleles in all 10 positive samples correctly. The results of the collaborative exercise were surprisingly good and demonstrate that SNP typing with SBE, capillary electrophoresis and multicolour detection methods can be developed for forensic genetics.

  11. Rapid Identification of Pathogenic Fungi Directly from Cultures by Using Multiplex PCR

    OpenAIRE

    Luo, Guizhen; Mitchell, Thomas G.

    2002-01-01

    A multiplex PCR method was developed to identify simultaneously multiple fungal pathogens in a single reaction. Five sets of species-specific primers were designed from the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions, ITS1 and ITS2, of the rRNA gene to identify Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Candida parapsilosis, Candida tropicalis, and Aspergillus fumigatus. Another set of previously published ITS primers, CN4 and CN5, were used to identify Cryptococcus neoformans. Three sets of primers w...

  12. Photocleavage-based affinity purification of biomarkers from serum: Application to multiplex allergy testing.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhi Wan

    Full Text Available Multiplex serological immunoassays, such as implemented on microarray or microsphere-based platforms, provide greater information content and higher throughput, while lowering the cost and blood volume required. These features are particularly attractive in pediatric food allergy testing to facilitate high throughput multi-allergen analysis from finger- or heel-stick collected blood. However, the miniaturization and microfluidics necessary for creating multiplex assays make them highly susceptible to the "matrix effect" caused by interference from non-target agents in serum and other biofluids. Such interference can result in lower sensitivity, specificity, reproducibility and quantitative accuracy. These problems have in large part prevented wide-spread implementation of multiplex immunoassays in clinical laboratories. We report the development of a novel method to eliminate the matrix effect by utilizing photocleavable capture antibodies to purify and concentrate blood-based biomarkers (a process termed PC-PURE prior to detection in a multiplex immunoassay. To evaluate this approach, it was applied to blood-based allergy testing. Patient total IgE was purified and enriched using PC-PURE followed by multiplex microsphere-based detection of allergen-specific IgEs (termed the AllerBead assay. AllerBead was formatted to detect the eight most common pediatric food allergens: milk, soy, wheat, egg, peanuts, tree nuts, fin fish and shellfish, which account for >90% of all pediatric food allergies. 205 serum samples obtained from Boston Children's Hospital were evaluated. When PC-PURE was employed with AllerBead, excellent agreement was obtained with the standard, non-multiplex, ImmunoCAP® assay (average sensitivity above published negative predictive cutoffs = 96% and average Pearson r = 0.90; average specificity = 97%. In contrast, poor ImmunoCAP®-correlation was observed when PC-PURE was not utilized (average sensitivity above published negative

  13. Simultaneous Detection of CDC Category "A" DNA and RNA Bioterrorism Agents by Use of Multiplex PCR & RT-PCR Enzyme Hybridization Assays

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kelly J. Henrickson

    2009-10-01

    surrogate sensitivities of these two assays were 100% (95%CI 83-100 for FT, BA (pX02, YP, VM, VZV, dengue 2,3,4 and 95% (95%CI 75-100 for BA (pX01 and dengue 1 using spiked clinical specimens. The specificity of both BioT multiplex assays on spiked specimens was 100% (95% CI 99-100. Compared to other available assays (culture, serology, PCR, etc. both the BioT DNA mPCR-EHA and BioT RNA mRT-PCR-EHA are rapid, sensitive and specific assays for detecting many category “A” Bioterrorism agents using a standard thermocycler.

  14. Multiplex gas chromatography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valentin, Jose R.

    1990-01-01

    The principles of the multiplex gas chromatography (GC) technique, which is a possible candidate for chemical analysis of planetary atmospheres, are discussed. Particular attention is given to the chemical modulators developed by present investigators for multiplex GC, namely, the thermal-desorption, thermal-decomposition, and catalytic modulators, as well as to mechanical modulators. The basic technique of multiplex GC using chemical modulators and a mechanical modulator is demonstrated. It is shown that, with the chemical modulators, only one gas stream consisting of the carrier in combination with the components is being analyzed, resulting in a simplified instrument that requires relatively few consumables. The mechanical modulator demonstrated a direct application of multiplex GC for the analysis of gases in atmosphere of Titan at very low pressures.

  15. Multiplexing a high-throughput liability assay to leverage efficiencies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herbst, John; Anthony, Monique; Stewart, Jeremy; Connors, David; Chen, Taosheng; Banks, Martyn; Petrillo, Edward W; Agler, Michele

    2009-06-01

    In order to identify potential cytochrome P-450 3A4 (drug-metabolizing enzyme) inducers at an early stage of the drug discovery process, a cell-based transactivation high-throughput luciferase reporter assay for the human pregnane X receptor (PXR) in HepG2 cells has been implemented and multiplexed with a viability end point for data interpretation, as part of a Lead Profiling portfolio of assays. As a routine part of Lead Profiling operations, assays are periodically evaluated for utility as well as for potential improvements in technology or process. We used a recent evaluation of our PXR-transactivation assay as a model for the application of Lean Thinking-based process analysis to lab-bench assay optimization and automation. This resulted in the development of a 384-well multiplexed homogeneous assay simultaneously detecting PXR transactivation and HepG2 cell cytotoxicity. In order to multiplex fluorescent and luminescent read-outs, modifications to each assay were necessary, which included optimization of multiple assay parameters such as cell density, plate type, and reagent concentrations. Subsequently, a set of compounds including known cytotoxic compounds and PXR inducers were used to validate the multiplexed assay. Results from the multiplexed assay correlate well with those from the singleplexed assay formats measuring PXR transactivation and viability separately. Implementation of the multiplexed assay for routine compound profiling provides improved data quality, sample conservation, cost savings, and resource efficiencies.

  16. Typing of Y chromosome SNPs with multiplex PCR methods

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sanchez Sanchez, Juan Jose; Børsting, Claus; Morling, Niels

    2005-01-01

    We describe a method for the simultaneous typing of Y-chromosome single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers by means of multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) strategies that allow the detection of 35 Y chromosome SNPs on 25 amplicons from 100 to 200 pg of chromosomal deoxyribonucleic acid...... factors for the creation of larger SNP typing PCR multiplexes include careful selection of primers for the primary amplification and the SBE reaction, use of DNA primers with homogenous composition, and balancing the primer concentrations for both the amplification and the SBE reactions....

  17. Mode Division Multiplexing Exploring Hollow-Core Photonic Bandgap Fibers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Xu, Jing; Lyngso, Jens Kristian; Leick, Lasse

    2013-01-01

    We review our recent exploratory investigations on mode division multiplexing using hollow-core photonic bandgap fibers (HC-PBGFs). Compared with traditional multimode fibers, HC-PBGFs have several attractive features such as ultra-low nonlinearities, low-loss transmission window around 2 µm etc....... After having discussed the potential and challenges of using HC-PBGFs as transmission fibers for mode multiplexing applications, we will report a number of recent proof-of-concept results obtained in our group using direct detection receivers. The first one is the transmission of two 10.7 Gbit/s non...

  18. Evaluation of two real-time multiplex PCR screening assays detecting fetal RHD in plasma from RhD negative women to ascertain the requirement for antenatal RhD prophylaxis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Clausen, Frederik Banch; Krog, Grethe Risum; Rieneck, Klaus

    2011-01-01

    and 5. We used the same fluorescent dye for the exon 7 and 10 probes to increase sensitivity; exon 5 was VIC labeled. We evaluated possible inhibition of DNA amplification with dilution experiments. We then tested the two multiplex assays with DNA extracted from 97 plasma samples from 38 RhD negative......OBJECTIVE: To evaluate two different multiplex real-time PCR assays detecting fetal RHD for screening of RhD negative women in relation to antenatal RhD prophylaxis. METHODS: We designed a duplex assay for the detection of RHD exon 7 and 10 and a triplex assay for the detection of RHD exon 7, 10...... assay (exon 7/10), accuracy was 94.2%. Detection of exon 5 was less reliable. CONCLUSION: The duplex assay using exon 7/10 was the most reliable for prenatal prediction of fetal RhD type as a candidate assay for screening of RhD negative women in relation to antenatal RhD prophylaxis. The triplex assay...

  19. Multiplex, Quantitative, Reverse Transcription PCR Detection of Influenza Viruses Using Droplet Microfluidic Technology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ravi Prakash

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Quantitative, reverse transcription, polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR is facilitated by leveraging droplet microfluidic (DMF system, which due to its precision dispensing and sample handling capabilities at microliter and lower volumes has emerged as a popular method for miniaturization of the PCR platform. This work substantially improves and extends the functional capabilities of our previously demonstrated single qRT-PCR micro-chip, which utilized a combination of electrostatic and electrowetting droplet actuation. In the reported work we illustrate a spatially multiplexed micro-device that is capable of conducting up to eight parallel, real-time PCR reactions per usage, with adjustable control on the PCR thermal cycling parameters (both process time and temperature set-points. This micro-device has been utilized to detect and quantify the presence of two clinically relevant respiratory viruses, Influenza A and Influenza B, in human samples (nasopharyngeal swabs, throat swabs. The device performed accurate detection and quantification of the two respiratory viruses, over several orders of RNA copy counts, in unknown (blind panels of extracted patient samples with acceptably high PCR efficiency (>94%. The multi-stage qRT-PCR assays on eight panel patient samples were accomplished within 35–40 min, with a detection limit for the target Influenza virus RNAs estimated to be less than 10 RNA copies per reaction.

  20. Rapid and inexpensive analysis of genetic variability in Arapaima gigas by PCR multiplex panel of eight microsatellites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamoy, I G; Santos, E J M; Santos, S E B

    2008-01-22

    The aim of the present study was the development of a multiplex genotyping panel of eight microsatellite markers of Arapaima gigas, previously described. Specific primer pairs were developed, each one of them marked with either FAM-6, HEX or NED. The amplification conditions using the new primers were standardized for a single reaction. The results obtained demonstrate high heterozygosity (average of 0.69) in a Lower Amazon population. The multiplex system described can thus be considered a fast, efficient and inexpensive method for the investigation of genetic variability in Arapaima populations.

  1. Rapid Magnetic Nanobiosensor for the detection of Serratia marcescen

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aljabali, Alaa A. A.; Hussein, Emad; Aljumaili, Omar; Zoubi, Mazhar Al; Altrad, Bahaa; Albatayneh, Khaled; Al-razaq, Mutaz A. Abd

    2018-02-01

    The development of rapid, sensitive, accurate and reliable bacterial detection methods are of keen interest to ensure food safety and hospital security. Therefore, the development of a fast, specific, low-cost and trusted methods is in high demand. Magnetic nanoparticles with their unique material properties have been utilized as a tool for pathogen detection. Here, we present a novel iron oxide nanoparticles labeled with specific targeting antibodies to improve specificity and extend the use of nanoparticles as nanosensors. The results indicated that antibody labeled iron oxide platform that binds specifically to Serriata marcescenst in a straightforward method is very specific and sensitive. The system is capable of rapid and specific detection of various clinically relevant bacterial species, with sensitivity down to single bacteria. The generic platform could be used to identify pathogens for a variety of applications rapidly.

  2. Validation of a Multiplex Allele-Specific Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay for Detection of KRAS Gene Mutations in Formalin-Fixed, Paraffin-Embedded Tissues from Colorectal Cancer Patients.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sirirat Seekhuntod

    Full Text Available Patients with KRAS mutations do not respond to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR inhibitors and fail to benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy. Mutation analysis of KRAS is needed before starting treatment with monoclonal anti-EGFR antibodies in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC. The objective of this study is to develop a multiplex allele-specific PCR (MAS-PCR assay to detect KRAS mutations.We developed a single-tube MAS-PCR assay for the detection of seven KRAS mutations (G12D, G12A, G12R, G12C, G12S, G12V, and G13D. We performed MAS-PCR assay analysis for KRAS on DNA isolated from 270 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE colorectal cancer tissues. Sequences of all 270 samples were determined by pyrosequencing. Seven known point-mutation DNA samples diluted with wild-type DNA were assayed to determine the limitation of detection and reproducibility of the MAS-PCR assay.Overall, the results of MAS-PCR assay were in good concordance with pyrosequencing, and only seven discordant samples were found. The MAS-PCR assay reproducibly detected 1 to 2% mutant alleles. The most common mutations were G13D in codon 13 (49.17%, G12D (25.83% and G12V (12.50% in codon 12.The MAS-PCR assay provides a rapid, cost-effective, and reliable diagnostic tool for accurate detection of KRAS mutations in routine FFPE colorectal cancer tissues.

  3. The current incidence of viral disease in korean sweet potatoes and development of multiplex rt-PCR assays for simultaneous detection of eight sweet potato viruses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwak, Hae-Ryun; Kim, Mi-Kyeong; Shin, Jun-Chul; Lee, Ye-Ji; Seo, Jang-Kyun; Lee, Hyeong-Un; Jung, Mi-Nam; Kim, Sun-Hyung; Choi, Hong-Soo

    2014-12-01

    Sweet potato is grown extensively from tropical to temperate regions and is an important food crop worldwide. In this study, we established detection methods for 17 major sweet potato viruses using single and multiplex RT-PCR assays. To investigate the current incidence of viral diseases, we collected 154 samples of various sweet potato cultivars showing virus-like symptoms from 40 fields in 10 Korean regions, and analyzed them by RT-PCR using specific primers for each of the 17 viruses. Of the 17 possible viruses, we detected eight in our samples. Sweet potato feathery mottle virus (SPFMV) and sweet potato virus C (SPVC) were most commonly detected, infecting approximately 87% and 85% of samples, respectively. Furthermore, Sweet potato symptomless virus 1 (SPSMV-1), Sweet potato virus G (SPVG), Sweet potato leaf curl virus (SPLCV), Sweet potato virus 2 ( SPV2), Sweet potato chlorotic fleck virus (SPCFV), and Sweet potato latent virus (SPLV) were detected in 67%, 58%, 47%, 41%, 31%, and 20% of samples, respectively. This study presents the first documented occurrence of four viruses (SPVC, SPV2, SPCFV, and SPSMV-1) in Korea. Based on the results of our survey, we developed multiplex RT-PCR assays for simple and simultaneous detection of the eight sweet potato viruses we recorded.

  4. The Current Incidence of Viral Disease in Korean Sweet Potatoes and Development of Multiplex RT-PCR Assays for Simultaneous Detection of Eight Sweet Potato Viruses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hae-Ryun Kwak

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Sweet potato is grown extensively from tropical to temperate regions and is an important food crop worldwide. In this study, we established detection methods for 17 major sweet potato viruses using single and multiplex RT-PCR assays. To investigate the current incidence of viral diseases, we collected 154 samples of various sweet potato cultivars showing virus-like symptoms from 40 fields in 10 Korean regions, and analyzed them by RT-PCR using specific primers for each of the 17 viruses. Of the 17 possible viruses, we detected eight in our samples. Sweet potato feathery mottle virus (SPFMV and sweet potato virus C (SPVC were most commonly detected, infecting approximately 87% and 85% of samples, respectively. Furthermore, Sweet potato symptomless virus 1 (SPSMV-1, Sweet potato virus G (SPVG, Sweet potato leaf curl virus (SPLCV, Sweet potato virus 2 ( SPV2, Sweet potato chlorotic fleck virus (SPCFV, and Sweet potato latent virus (SPLV were detected in 67%, 58%, 47%, 41%, 31%, and 20% of samples, respectively. This study presents the first documented occurrence of four viruses (SPVC, SPV2, SPCFV, and SPSMV-1 in Korea. Based on the results of our survey, we developed multiplex RT-PCR assays for simple and simultaneous detection of the eight sweet potato viruses we recorded.

  5. Rapid detection, characterization, and enumeration of foodborne pathogens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoorfar, J

    2011-11-01

    As food safety management further develops, microbiological testing will continue to play an important role in assessing whether Food Safety Objectives are achieved. However, traditional microbiological culture-based methods are limited, particularly in their ability to provide timely data. The present review discusses the reasons for the increasing interest in rapid methods, current developments in the field, the research needs, and the future trends. The advent of biotechnology has introduced new technologies that led to the emergence of rapid diagnostic methods and altered food testing practices. Rapid methods are comprised of many different detection technologies, including specialized enzyme substrates, antibodies and DNA, ranging from simple differential plating media to the use of sophisticated instruments. The use of non-invasive sampling techniques for live animals especially came into focus with the 1990s outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy that was linked to the human outbreak of Creutzfeldt Jakob's Disease. Serology is still an important tool in preventing foodborne pathogens to enter the human food supply through meat and milk from animals. One of the primary uses of rapid methods is for fast screening of large number of samples, where most of them are expected to be test-negative, leading to faster product release for sale. This has been the main strength of rapid methods such as real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Enrichment PCR, where a primary culture broth is tested in PCR, is the most common approach in rapid testing. Recent reports show that it is possible both to enrich a sample and enumerate by pathogen-specific real-time PCR, if the enrichment time is short. This can be especially useful in situations where food producers ask for the level of pathogen in a contaminated product. Another key issue is automation, where the key drivers are miniaturization and multiple testing, which mean that not only one instrument is flexible

  6. Consideration for wavelength multiplexing versus time multiplexing in optical transport network

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Limal, Emmanuel; Stubkjær, Kristian Elmholdt

    1999-01-01

    We compare optical wavelength multiplexing and time multiplexing techniquesfor optical transport network by studying the space switch sizes of OXCs andtheir interfaces as a function of the fraction of add/drop traffic....

  7. Development of a multiplex real-time PCR assay for detection of human enteric viruses other than norovirus using samples collected from gastroenteritis patients in Fukui Prefecture, Japan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kowada, Kazuaki; Takeuchi, Kenji; Hirano, Eiko; Toho, Miho; Sada, Kiyonao

    2018-01-01

    There are many varieties of gastroenteritis viruses, of which norovirus (NoV) accounts for over 90% of the viral food poisoning incidents in Japan. However, protocols for rapidly identifying other gastroenteritis viruses need to be established to investigate NoV-negative cases intensively. In this study, a multiplex real-time PCR assay targeting rotavirus A, rotavirus C, sapovirus, astrovirus, adenovirus, and enterovirus was developed using stool samples collected from gastroenteritis patients between 2010 and 2013 in Fukui Prefecture, Japan. Of the 126 samples collected sporadically from pediatric patients with suspected infectious gastroenteritis, 51 were positive for non-NoV target viruses, whereas 27 were positive for NoV, showing a high prevalence of non-NoV viruses in pediatric patients. In contrast, testing in 382 samples of 58 gastroenteritis outbreaks showed that non-NoV viruses were detected in 13 samples, with NoV in 267. Of the 267 NoV-positive patients, only two were co-infected with non-NoV target viruses, suggesting that testing for non-NoV gastroenteritis viruses in NoV-positive samples was mostly unnecessary in outbreak investigations. Given these results, multiplex real-time PCR testing for non-NoV gastroenteritis viruses, conducted separately from NoV testing, may be helpful to deal with two types of epidemiological investigations, regular surveillance of infectious gastroenteritis and urgent testing when gastroenteritis outbreaks occur. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  8. Simultaneous Detection of Barley Virus Diseases in Korea

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bong-Choon Lee

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Barley mild mosaic virus (BaMMV, Barley yellow mosaic virus (BaYMV and Barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV have been identified as an important causative agents for an economically important disease of winter barley in Korea. In this study, a multiplex reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (mRT-PCR method was used for the simultaneous detection. Three sets of virus-specific primers targeted to the capsid protein coding genes of BaMMV, BaYMV and BYDV were used to amplify fragments that were 594 bp, 461 bp, and 290 bp, respectively. Several sets of primers for each target virus were evaluated for their sensitivity and specificity by multiplex RT-PCR. The optimum primer concentrations and RT-PCR conditions were determined for the multiplex RT-PCR. The mRT-PCR assay was found to be a better and rapid virus diagnostic tool of specific barley diseases and potential for investigating the epidemiology of these viral diseases.

  9. Diagnostic accuracy of the ROCHE Septifast PCR system for the rapid detection of blood pathogens in neonatal sepsis-A prospective clinical trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Straub, Julia; Paula, Helga; Mayr, Michaela; Kasper, David; Assadian, Ojan; Berger, Angelika; Rittenschober-Böhm, Judith

    2017-01-01

    Diagnosis of neonatal sepsis remains a major challenge in neonatology. Most molecular-based methods are not customized for neonatal requirements. The aim of the present study was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of a modified multiplex PCR protocol for the detection of neonatal sepsis using small blood volumes. 212 episodes of suspected neonatal late onset sepsis were analyzed prospectively using the Roche SeptiFast® MGRADE PCR with a modified DNA extraction protocol and software-handling tool. Results were compared to blood culture, laboratory biomarkers and clinical signs of sepsis. Of 212 episodes, 85 (40.1%) were categorized as "not infected". Among these episodes, 1 was false positive by blood culture (1.2%) and 23 were false positive by PCR (27.1%). Of 51 (24.1%) episodes diagnosed as "culture proven sepsis", the same pathogen was detected by blood culture and PCR in 39 episodes (76.5%). In 8 episodes, more pathogens were detected by PCR compared to blood culture, and in 4 episodes the pathogen detected by blood culture was not found by PCR. One of these episodes was caused by Bacillus cereus, a pathogen not included in the PCR panel. In 76/212 (35.8%) episodes, clinical sepsis was diagnosed. Among these, PCR yielded positive results in 39.5% of episodes (30/76 episodes). For culture-positive sepsis, PCR showed a sensitivity of 90.2% (95%CI 86.2-94.2%) and a specificity of 72.9% (95%CI 67.0-79.0%). The Roche SeptiFast® MGRADE PCR using a modified DNA extraction protocol showed acceptable results for rapid detection of neonatal sepsis in addition to conventional blood culture. The benefit of rapid pathogen detection has to be balanced against the considerable risk of contamination, loss of information on antibiotic sensitivity pattern and increased costs.

  10. Extracting information from multiplex networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iacovacci, Jacopo; Bianconi, Ginestra

    2016-06-01

    Multiplex networks are generalized network structures that are able to describe networks in which the same set of nodes are connected by links that have different connotations. Multiplex networks are ubiquitous since they describe social, financial, engineering, and biological networks as well. Extending our ability to analyze complex networks to multiplex network structures increases greatly the level of information that is possible to extract from big data. For these reasons, characterizing the centrality of nodes in multiplex networks and finding new ways to solve challenging inference problems defined on multiplex networks are fundamental questions of network science. In this paper, we discuss the relevance of the Multiplex PageRank algorithm for measuring the centrality of nodes in multilayer networks and we characterize the utility of the recently introduced indicator function Θ ˜ S for describing their mesoscale organization and community structure. As working examples for studying these measures, we consider three multiplex network datasets coming for social science.

  11. Determination of foodborne pathogenic bacteria by multiplex PCR-microchip capillary electrophoresis with genetic algorithm-support vector regression optimization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yongxin; Li, Yuanqian; Zheng, Bo; Qu, Lingli; Li, Can

    2009-06-08

    A rapid and sensitive method based on microchip capillary electrophoresis with condition optimization of genetic algorithm-support vector regression (GA-SVR) was developed and applied to simultaneous analysis of multiplex PCR products of four foodborne pathogenic bacteria. Four pairs of oligonucleotide primers were designed to exclusively amplify the targeted gene of Vibrio parahemolyticus, Salmonella, Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7, Shigella and the quadruplex PCR parameters were optimized. At the same time, GA-SVR was employed to optimize the separation conditions of DNA fragments in microchip capillary electrophoresis. The proposed method was applied to simultaneously detect the multiplex PCR products of four foodborne pathogenic bacteria under the optimal conditions within 8 min. The levels of detection were as low as 1.2 x 10(2) CFU mL(-1) of Vibrio parahemolyticus, 2.9 x 10(2) CFU mL(-1) of Salmonella, 8.7 x 10(1) CFU mL(-1) of E. coli O157:H7 and 5.2 x 10(1) CFU mL(-1) of Shigella, respectively. The relative standard deviation of migration time was in the range of 0.74-2.09%. The results demonstrated that the good resolution and less analytical time were achieved due to the application of the multivariate strategy. This study offers an efficient alternative to routine foodborne pathogenic bacteria detection in a fast, reliable, and sensitive way.

  12. An accurate, specific, sensitive, high-throughput method based on a microsphere immunoassay for multiplex detection of three viruses and bacterial fruit blotch bacterium in cucurbits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Charlermroj, Ratthaphol; Makornwattana, Manlika; Himananto, Orawan; Seepiban, Channarong; Phuengwas, Sudtida; Warin, Nuchnard; Gajanandana, Oraprapai; Karoonuthaisiri, Nitsara

    2017-09-01

    To employ a microsphere immunoassay (MIA) to simultaneously detect multiple plant pathogens (potyviruses, Watermelon silver mottle virus, Melon yellow spot virus, and Acidovorax avenae subsp. citrulli) in actual plant samples, several factors need to be optimized and rigorously validated. Here, a simple extraction method using a single extraction buffer was successfully selected to detect the four pathogens in various cucurbit samples (cucumber, cantaloupe, melon, and watermelon). The extraction method and assay performance were validated with inoculated and field cucurbit samples. The MIA showed 98-99% relative accuracy, 97-100% relative specificity and 92-100% relative sensitivity when compared to commercial ELISA kits and reverse transcription PCR. In addition, the MIA was also able to accurately detect multiple-infected field samples. The results demonstrate that one common extraction method for all tested cucurbit samples could be applied to detect multiple pathogens; avoiding the need for multiple protocols to be employed. This multiplex method can therefore be instrumental for high-throughput screening of multiple plant pathogens with many advantages such as a shorter assay time (2.5h) with single assay format, a lower cost of detection ($5 vs $19.7 for 4 pathogens/sample) and less labor requirement. Its multiplex capacity can also be expanded to detect up to 50 different pathogens upon the availability of specific antibodies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Multiplexed colorimetric detection of Kaposi's sarcoma associated herpesvirus and Bartonella DNA using gold and silver nanoparticles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mancuso, Matthew; Jiang, Li; Cesarman, Ethel; Erickson, David

    2013-01-01

    Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is an infectious cancer occurring most commonly in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive patients and in endemic regions, such as Sub-Saharan Africa, where KS is among the top four most prevalent cancers. The cause of KS is the Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV, also called HHV-8), an oncogenic herpesvirus that while routinely diagnosed in developed nations, provides challenges to developing world medical providers and point-of-care detection. A major challenge in the diagnosis of KS is the existence of a number of other diseases with similar clinical presentation and histopathological features, requiring the detection of KSHV in a biopsy sample. In this work we develop an answer to this challenge by creating a multiplexed one-pot detection system for KSHV DNA and DNA from a frequently confounding disease, bacillary angiomatosis. Gold and silver nanoparticle aggregation reactions are tuned for each target and a multi-color change system is developed capable of detecting both targets down to levels between 1 nM and 2 nM. The system developed here could later be integrated with microfluidic sample processing to create a final device capable of solving the two major challenges in point-of-care KS detection.

  14. Preliminary Assessment of Microwave Readout Multiplexing Factor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Croce, Mark Philip [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Koehler, Katrina Elizabeth [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Rabin, Michael W. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Bennett, D. A. [National Inst. of Standards and Technology (NIST), Boulder, CO (United States); Mates, J. A. B. [National Inst. of Standards and Technology (NIST), Boulder, CO (United States); Gard, J. D. [National Inst. of Standards and Technology (NIST), Boulder, CO (United States); Becker, D. [National Inst. of Standards and Technology (NIST), Boulder, CO (United States); Schmidt, D. R. [National Inst. of Standards and Technology (NIST), Boulder, CO (United States); Ullom, J. N. [National Inst. of Standards and Technology (NIST), Boulder, CO (United States)

    2017-01-23

    Ultra-high resolution microcalorimeter gamma spectroscopy is a new non-destructive assay technology for measurement of plutonium isotopic composition, with the potential to reduce total measurement uncertainty to a level competitive with destructive analysis methods [1-4]. Achieving this level of performance in practical applications requires not only the energy resolution now routinely achieved with transition-edge sensor microcalorimeter arrays (an order of magnitude better than for germanium detectors) but also high throughput. Microcalorimeter gamma spectrometers have not yet achieved detection efficiency and count rate capability that is comparable to germanium detectors, largely because of limits from existing readout technology. Microcalorimeter detectors must be operated at low temperature to achieve their exceptional energy resolution. Although the typical 100 mK operating temperatures can be achieved with reliable, cryogen-free systems, the cryogenic complexity and heat load from individual readout channels for large sensor arrays is prohibitive. Multiplexing is required for practical systems. The most mature multiplexing technology at present is time-division multiplexing (TDM) [3, 5-6]. In TDM, the sensor outputs are switched by applying bias current to one SQUID amplifier at a time. Transition-edge sensor (TES) microcalorimeter arrays as large as 256 pixels have been developed for X-ray and gamma-ray spectroscopy using TDM technology. Due to bandwidth limits and noise scaling, TDM is limited to a maximum multiplexing factor of approximately 32-40 sensors on one readout line [8]. Increasing the size of microcalorimeter arrays above the kilopixel scale, required to match the throughput of germanium detectors, requires the development of a new readout technology with a much higher multiplexing factor.

  15. Advanced DNA-Based Point-of-Care Diagnostic Methods for Plant Diseases Detection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Han Yih Lau

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Diagnostic technologies for the detection of plant pathogens with point-of-care capability and high multiplexing ability are an essential tool in the fight to reduce the large agricultural production losses caused by plant diseases. The main desirable characteristics for such diagnostic assays are high specificity, sensitivity, reproducibility, quickness, cost efficiency and high-throughput multiplex detection capability. This article describes and discusses various DNA-based point-of care diagnostic methods for applications in plant disease detection. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR is the most common DNA amplification technology used for detecting various plant and animal pathogens. However, subsequent to PCR based assays, several types of nucleic acid amplification technologies have been developed to achieve higher sensitivity, rapid detection as well as suitable for field applications such as loop-mediated isothermal amplification, helicase-dependent amplification, rolling circle amplification, recombinase polymerase amplification, and molecular inversion probe. The principle behind these technologies has been thoroughly discussed in several review papers; herein we emphasize the application of these technologies to detect plant pathogens by outlining the advantages and disadvantages of each technology in detail.

  16. Individual differences in detecting rapidly presented fearful faces.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dandan Zhang

    Full Text Available Rapid detection of evolutionarily relevant threats (e.g., fearful faces is important for human survival. The ability to rapidly detect fearful faces exhibits high variability across individuals. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between behavioral detection ability and brain activity, using both event-related potential (ERP and event-related oscillation (ERO measurements. Faces with fearful or neutral facial expressions were presented for 17 ms or 200 ms in a backward masking paradigm. Forty-two participants were required to discriminate facial expressions of the masked faces. The behavioral sensitivity index d' showed that the detection ability to rapidly presented and masked fearful faces varied across participants. The ANOVA analyses showed that the facial expression, hemisphere, and presentation duration affected the grand-mean ERP (N1, P1, and N170 and ERO (below 20 Hz and lasted from 100 ms to 250 ms post-stimulus, mainly in theta band brain activity. More importantly, the overall detection ability of 42 subjects was significantly correlated with the emotion effect (i.e., fearful vs. neutral on ERP (r = 0.403 and ERO (r = 0.552 measurements. A higher d' value was corresponding to a larger size of the emotional effect (i.e., fearful--neutral of N170 amplitude and a larger size of the emotional effect of the specific ERO spectral power at the right hemisphere. The present results suggested a close link between behavioral detection ability and the N170 amplitude as well as the ERO spectral power below 20 Hz in individuals. The emotional effect size between fearful and neutral faces in brain activity may reflect the level of conscious awareness of fearful faces.

  17. Multiplexing Short Primers for Viral Family PCR

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gardner, S N; Hiddessen, A L; Hara, C A; Williams, P L; Wagner, M; Colston, B W

    2008-06-26

    We describe a Multiplex Primer Prediction (MPP) algorithm to build multiplex compatible primer sets for large, diverse, and unalignable sets of target sequences. The MPP algorithm is scalable to larger target sets than other available software, and it does not require a multiple sequence alignment. We applied it to questions in viral detection, and demonstrated that there are no universally conserved priming sequences among viruses and that it could require an unfeasibly large number of primers ({approx}3700 18-mers or {approx}2000 10-mers) to generate amplicons from all sequenced viruses. We then designed primer sets separately for each viral family, and for several diverse species such as foot-and-mouth disease virus, hemagglutinin and neuraminidase segments of influenza A virus, Norwalk virus, and HIV-1.

  18. Rapid detection of Mannheimia haemolytica in lung tissues of sheep and from bacterial culture

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jyoti Kumar

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Aim: This study was aimed to detect Mannheimia haemolytica in lung tissues of sheep and from a bacterial culture. Introduction: M. haemolytica is one of the most important and well-established etiological agents of pneumonia in sheep and other ruminants throughout the world. Accurate diagnosis of M. haemolytica primarily relies on bacteriological examination, biochemical characteristics and, biotyping and serotyping of the isolates. In an effort to facilitate rapid M. haemolytica detection, polymerase chain reaction assay targeting Pasteurella haemolytica serotype-1 specific antigens (PHSSA, Rpt2 and 12S ribosomal RNA (rRNA genes were used to detect M. haemolytica directly from lung tissues and from bacterial culture. Materials and Methods: A total of 12 archived lung tissues from sheep that died of pneumonia on an organized farm were used. A multiplex polymerase chain reaction (mPCR based on two-amplicons targeted PHSSA and Rpt2 genes of M. haemolytica were used for identification of M. haemolytica isolates in culture from the lung samples. All the 12 lung tissue samples were tested for the presence M. haemolytica by PHSSA and Rpt2 genes based PCR and its confirmation by sequencing of the amplicons. Results: All the 12 lung tissue samples tested for the presence of PHSSA and Rpt2 genes of M. haemolytica by mPCR were found to be positive. Amplification of 12S rRNA gene fragment as internal amplification control was obtained with each mPCR reaction performed from DNA extracted directly from lung tissue samples. All the M. haemolytica were also positive for mPCR. No amplified DNA bands were observed for negative control reactions. All the three nucleotide sequences were deposited in NCBI GenBank (Accession No. KJ534629, KJ534630 and KJ534631. Sequencing of the amplified products revealed the identity of 99-100%, with published sequence of PHSSA and Rpt2 genes of M. haemolytica available in the NCBI database. Sheep specific mitochondrial 12S r

  19. Rapid and quantitative detection of C-reactive protein based on quantum dots and immunofiltration assay

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhang PF

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Pengfei Zhang,1,* Yan Bao,1,* Mohamed Shehata Draz,2,3,* Huiqi Lu,1 Chang Liu,1 Huanxing Han11Center for Translational Medicine, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 2Zhejiang-California International Nanosystems Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China; 3Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt*These authors contributed equally to this workAbstract: Convenient and rapid immunofiltration assays (IFAs enable on-site “yes” or “no” determination of disease markers. However, traditional IFAs are commonly qualitative or semi-quantitative and are very limited for the efficient testing of samples in field diagnostics. Here, we overcome these limitations by developing a quantum dots (QDs-based fluorescent IFA for the quantitative detection of C-reactive proteins (CRP. CRP, the well-known diagnostic marker for acute viral and bacterial infections, was used as a model analyte to demonstrate performance and sensitivity of our developed QDs-based IFA. QDs capped with both polyethylene glycol (PEG and glutathione were used as fluorescent labels for our IFAs. The presence of the surface PEG layer, which reduced the non-specific protein interactions, in conjunction with the inherent optical properties of QDs, resulted in lower background signal, increased sensitivity, and ability to detect CRP down to 0.79 mg/L with only 5 µL serum sample. In addition, the developed assay is simple, fast and can quantitatively detect CRP with a detection limit up to 200 mg/L. Clinical test results of our QD-based IFA are well correlated with the traditional latex enhance immune-agglutination aggregation. The proposed QD-based fluorescent IFA is very promising, and potentially will be adopted for multiplexed immunoassay and in field point-of-care test.Keywords: C-reactive proteins, point-of-care test, Glutathione capped QDs, PEGylation

  20. One-step triplex PCR/RT-PCR to detect canine distemper virus, canine parvovirus, and canine kobuvirus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Dafei; Liu, Fei; Guo, Dongchun; Hu, Xiaoliang; Li, Zhijie; Li, Zhigang; Ma, Jianzhang; Liu, Chunguo

    2018-01-23

    To rapidly distinguish Canine distemper virus (CDV), canine parvovirus (CPV), and canine kobuvirus (CaKoV) in practice, a one-step multiplex PCR/RT-PCR assay was developed, with detection limits of 10 2.1 TCID 50 for CDV, 10 1.9 TCID 50 for CPV and 10 3 copies for CaKoV. This method did not amplify nonspecific DNA or RNA from other canine viruses. Therefore, the assay provides a sensitive tool for the rapid clinical detection and epidemiological surveillance of CDV, CPV and CaKoV in dogs.

  1. Role of multiplex polymerase chain reaction in diagnosing tubercular meningitis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anupam Berwal

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Tuberculous meningitis (TBM is one of the most serious manifestations of extrapulmonary tuberculosis. Timely and accurate diagnosis provides a favorable prognosis in patients with TBM. The study evaluated the use of multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR in the diagnosis of TBM. A study was conducted on 74 patients clinically suspected with TBM. The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF specimens were processed for smear microscopy, middle brook 7H9 culture, and multiplex PCR using primers directed against IS6110 gene and 38 kD protein for detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The results were analyzed to assess the role of multiplex PCR in the diagnosis of TBM. A total of 26 (35.1% patients were diagnosed with TBM. Microscopy was negative in all while culture was positive in two cases only. Comparing with clinical diagnosis and CSF adenosine deaminase levels of ≥10 U/L, multiplex PCR showed sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of 71.4%, 89.6%, 83.3%, and 81.2%, respectively, in the diagnosis of TBM.

  2. Detection of selected antibiotic resistance genes using multiplex PCR assay in mastitis pathogens in the Czech Republic

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vladimir Pyatov

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this research was to develop multiplex polymerase chain reaction assays for the detection of aminoglycoside (strA, strB, sulphonamide (sulI, sulII, tetracycline (tetA, tetB, tetK, tetM, tetO, macrolide and lincosamide (msrA, ermA, ermB, ermC, mefA/E genes of resistance in mastitis pathogens (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus uberis, Streptococcus agalactiae and Streptococcus dysgalactiae. Applying the established assays, we investigated the distribution of antibiotic resistance genes in the above mentioned species isolated from milk samples in the Czech Republic. Each assay consisted of seven pairs of primers. Six of them amplified fragments of antibiotic resistance genes and one pair a fragment of a species specific gene. Polymerase chain reaction conditions were optimized to amplify seven gene fragments simultaneously in one reaction. In total, 249 isolates were used, among which 111 were positive for E. coli, 52 for S. aureus and 86 for Streptococcus spp. The majority (60.2% of bacteria carried at least one antibiotic resistance gene and 44.6% were multidrug-resistant. The designed multiplex polymerase chain reaction assays may be applied as diagnostic method to replace or complement standard techniques of antibiotic susceptibility testing in the mentioned pathogens.

  3. Ultra-fast DNA-based multiplex convection PCR method for meat species identification with possible on-site applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Kyung-Young; Hwang, Hyun Jin; Kim, Jeong Hee

    2017-08-15

    The aim of this study was to develop an ultra-fast molecular detection method for meat identification using convection Palm polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The mitochondrial cytochrome b (Cyt b) gene was used as a target gene. Amplicon size was designed to be different for beef, lamb, and pork. When these primer sets were used, each species-specific set specifically detected the target meat species in singleplex and multiplex modes in a 24min PCR run. The detection limit was 1pg of DNA for each meat species. The convection PCR method could detect as low as 1% of meat adulteration. The stability of the assay was confirmed using thermal processed meats. We also showed that direct PCR can be successfully performed with mixed meats and food samples. These results suggest that the developed assay may be useful in the authentication of meats and meat products in laboratory and rapid on-site applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Forensic typing of autosomal SNPs with a 29 SNP-multiplex--results of a collaborative EDNAP exercise

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sanchez, Juan Jose; Børsting, C; Balogh, K

    2008-01-01

    base extension (SBE) multiplex reactions with 29 and 23 SNPs, respectively, using SNaPshot kit, capillary electrophoresis and multicolour fluorescence detection. For practical reasons, only the 29 SBE multiplex reaction was carried out by the participating laboratories. A total of 11 bloodstains on FTA...

  5. Amperometric immunosensor for rapid detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hiraiwa, Morgan; Lee, Hyun-Boo; Inoue, Shinnosuke; Chung, Jae-Hyun; Kim, Jong-Hoon; Becker, Annie L; Weigel, Kris M; Cangelosi, Gerard A; Lee, Kyong-Hoon

    2015-01-01

    Tuberculosis (TB) has been a major public health problem, which can be better controlled by using accurate and rapid diagnosis in low-resource settings. A simple, portable, and sensitive detection method is required for point-of-care (POC) settings. This paper studies an amperometric biosensor using a microtip immunoassay for a rapid and low-cost detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) in sputum. MTB in sputum is specifically captured on the functionalized microtip surface and detected by electric current. According to the numerical study, the current signal on the microtip surface is linearly changed with increasing immersion depth. Using a reference microtip, the immersion depth is compensated for a sensing microtip. On the microtip surface, target bacteria are concentrated and organized by a coffee-ring effect, which amplifies the electric current. To enhance the signal-to-noise ratio, both the sample processing and rinsing steps are presented with the use of deionized water as a medium for the amperometric measurement. When applied to cultured MTB cells spiked into human sputum, the detection limit was 100 CFU mL −1 , comparable to a more labor-intensive fluorescence detection method reported previously. (paper)

  6. Amperometric immunosensor for rapid detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hiraiwa, Morgan; Kim, Jong-Hoon; Lee, Hyun-Boo; Inoue, Shinnosuke; Becker, Annie L.; Weigel, Kris M.; Cangelosi, Gerard A.; Lee, Kyong-Hoon; Chung, Jae-Hyun

    2015-05-01

    Tuberculosis (TB) has been a major public health problem, which can be better controlled by using accurate and rapid diagnosis in low-resource settings. A simple, portable, and sensitive detection method is required for point-of-care (POC) settings. This paper studies an amperometric biosensor using a microtip immunoassay for a rapid and low-cost detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) in sputum. MTB in sputum is specifically captured on the functionalized microtip surface and detected by electric current. According to the numerical study, the current signal on the microtip surface is linearly changed with increasing immersion depth. Using a reference microtip, the immersion depth is compensated for a sensing microtip. On the microtip surface, target bacteria are concentrated and organized by a coffee-ring effect, which amplifies the electric current. To enhance the signal-to-noise ratio, both the sample processing and rinsing steps are presented with the use of deionized water as a medium for the amperometric measurement. When applied to cultured MTB cells spiked into human sputum, the detection limit was 100 CFU mL-1, comparable to a more labor-intensive fluorescence detection method reported previously.

  7. Rapid detection of EBOLA VP40 in microchip immunofiltration assay

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miethe, Peter; Gary, Dominik; Hlawatsch, Nadine; Gad, Anne-Marie

    2015-05-01

    In the spring of 2014, the Ebola virus (EBOV) strain Zaire caused a dramatic outbreak in several regions of West Africa. The RT-PCR and antigen capture diagnostic proved to be effective for detecting EBOV in blood and serum. In this paper, we present data of a rapid antigen capture test for the detection of VP40. The test was performed in a microfluidic chip for immunofiltration analysis. The chip integrates all necessary assay components. The analytical sensitivity of the rapid test was 8 ng/ml for recombinant VP40. In serum and whole blood samples spiked with virus culture material, the detection limit was 2.2 x 102 PFU/ml. The performance data of the rapid test (15 min) are comparable to that of the VP40 laboratory ELISA.

  8. Comparison and transfer testing of multiplex ligation detection methods for GM plants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ujhelyi Gabriella

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background With the increasing number of GMOs on the global market the maintenance of European GMO regulations is becoming more complex. For the analysis of a single food or feed sample it is necessary to assess the sample for the presence of many GMO-targets simultaneously at a sensitive level. Several methods have been published regarding DNA-based multidetection. Multiplex ligation detection methods have been described that use the same basic approach: i hybridisation and ligation of specific probes, ii amplification of the ligated probes and iii detection and identification of the amplified products. Despite they all have this same basis, the published ligation methods differ radically. The present study investigated with real-time PCR whether these different ligation methods have any influence on the performance of the probes. Sensitivity and the specificity of the padlock probes (PLPs with the ligation protocol with the best performance were also tested and the selected method was initially validated in a laboratory exchange study. Results Of the ligation protocols tested in this study, the best results were obtained with the PPLMD I and PPLMD II protocols and no consistent differences between these two protocols were observed. Both protocols are based on padlock probe ligation combined with microarray detection. Twenty PLPs were tested for specificity and the best probes were subjected to further evaluation. Up to 13 targets were detected specifically and simultaneously. During the interlaboratory exchange study similar results were achieved by the two participating institutes (NIB, Slovenia, and RIKILT, the Netherlands. Conclusions From the comparison of ligation protocols it can be concluded that two protocols perform equally well on the basis of the selected set of PLPs. Using the most ideal parameters the multiplicity of one of the methods was tested and 13 targets were successfully and specifically detected. In the

  9. Multiplex identification of sepsis-causing Gram-negative pathogens from the plasma of infected blood.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chung, Boram; Park, Chulmin; Cho, Sung-Yeon; Shin, Juyoun; Shin, Sun; Yim, Seon-Hee; Lee, Dong-Gun; Chung, Yeun-Jung

    2018-02-01

    Early and accurate detection of bacterial pathogens in the blood is the most crucial step for sepsis management. Gram-negative bacteria are the most common organisms causing severe sepsis and responsible for high morbidity and mortality. We aimed to develop a method for rapid multiplex identification of clinically important Gram-negative pathogens and also validated whether our system can identify Gram-negative pathogens with the cell-free plasm DNA from infected blood. We designed five MLPA probe sets targeting the genes specific to major Gram-negative pathogens (uidA and lacY for E. coli, ompA for A. baumannii, phoE for K. pneumoniae, and ecfX for P. aeruginosa) and one set targeting the CTX-M group 1 to identify the ESBL producing Gram-negative pathogens. All six target-specific peaks were clearly separated without any non-specific peaks in a multiplex reaction condition. The minimum detection limit was 100 fg of pathogen DNA. When we tested 28 Gram-negative clinical isolates, all of them were successfully identified without any non-specific peaks. To evaluate the clinical applicability, we tested seven blood samples from febrile patients. Three blood culture positive cases showed E. coli specific peaks, while no peak was detected in the other four culture negative samples. This technology can be useful for detection of major sepsis-causing, drug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens and also the major ESBL producing Gram-negatives from the blood of sepsis patients in a clinical setting. This system can help early initiation of effective antimicrobial treatment against Gram-negative pathogens for sepsis patients, which is very crucial for better treatment outcomes. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  10. MPprimer: a program for reliable multiplex PCR primer design

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wang Xiaolei

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Multiplex PCR, defined as the simultaneous amplification of multiple regions of a DNA template or multiple DNA templates using more than one primer set (comprising a forward primer and a reverse primer in one tube, has been widely used in diagnostic applications of clinical and environmental microbiology studies. However, primer design for multiplex PCR is still a challenging problem and several factors need to be considered. These problems include mis-priming due to nonspecific binding to non-target DNA templates, primer dimerization, and the inability to separate and purify DNA amplicons with similar electrophoretic mobility. Results A program named MPprimer was developed to help users for reliable multiplex PCR primer design. It employs the widely used primer design program Primer3 and the primer specificity evaluation program MFEprimer to design and evaluate the candidate primers based on genomic or transcript DNA database, followed by careful examination to avoid primer dimerization. The graph-expanding algorithm derived from the greedy algorithm was used to determine the optimal primer set combinations (PSCs for multiplex PCR assay. In addition, MPprimer provides a virtual electrophotogram to help users choose the best PSC. The experimental validation from 2× to 5× plex PCR demonstrates the reliability of MPprimer. As another example, MPprimer is able to design the multiplex PCR primers for DMD (dystrophin gene which caused Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, which has 79 exons, for 20×, 20×, 20×, 14×, and 5× plex PCR reactions in five tubes to detect underlying exon deletions. Conclusions MPprimer is a valuable tool for designing specific, non-dimerizing primer set combinations with constrained amplicons size for multiplex PCR assays.

  11. Multiplex real-time PCR assays for the identification of the potato cyst and tobacco cyst nematodes

    Science.gov (United States)

    TaqMan primer-probe sets were developed for the detection and identification of potato cyst nematodes (PCN) Globodera pallida and G. rostochiensis using two-tube, multiplex real-time PCR. One tube contained a primer-probe set specific for G. pallida (pale cyst nematode) multiplexed with another prim...

  12. Optomagnetic Detection of MicroRNA Based on Duplex-Specific Nuclease-Assisted Target Recycling and Multilayer Core-Satellite Magnetic Superstructures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tian, Bo; Ma, Jing; Qiu, Zhen

    2017-01-01

    -efficiency, and potential for bioresponsive multiplexing. Herein, we demonstrate a sensitive and rapid miRNA detection method based on optomagnetic read-out, duplex-specific nuclease (DSN)-assisted target recycling, and the use of multilayer core-satellite magnetic superstructures. Triggered by the presence of target mi...

  13. Simultaneous measurements of auto-immune and infectious disease specific antibodies using a high throughput multiplexing tool.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Atul Asati

    Full Text Available Considering importance of ganglioside antibodies as biomarkers in various immune-mediated neuropathies and neurological disorders, we developed a high throughput multiplexing tool for the assessment of gangliosides-specific antibodies based on Biolpex/Luminex platform. In this report, we demonstrate that the ganglioside high throughput multiplexing tool is robust, highly specific and demonstrating ∼100-fold higher concentration sensitivity for IgG detection than ELISA. In addition to the ganglioside-coated array, the high throughput multiplexing tool contains beads coated with influenza hemagglutinins derived from H1N1 A/Brisbane/59/07 and H1N1 A/California/07/09 strains. Influenza beads provided an added advantage of simultaneous detection of ganglioside- and influenza-specific antibodies, a capacity important for the assay of both infectious antigen-specific and autoimmune antibodies following vaccination or disease. Taken together, these results support the potential adoption of the ganglioside high throughput multiplexing tool for measuring ganglioside antibodies in various neuropathic and neurological disorders.

  14. Multiplex PCR for specific and robust detection of Xanthomonas campestris pv. musacearum in pure culture and infected plant material

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Adriko, John; Aritua, V.; Mortensen, Carmen Nieves

    2012-01-01

    The present study developed a pathovar-specific PCR for the detection of Xanthomonas campestris pv. musacearum (Xcm), the cause of banana xanthomonas wilt, by amplification of a 265-bp region of the gene encoding the general secretion pathway protein D (GspD). A distinct DNA fragment......-specific PCR was successfully multiplexed with internal control primers targeting 16S rDNA for application on DNA from bacterial cultures and with primers targeting plant mitochondrial 26S rDNA for application on DNA extracted from plant material. Diagnostic discrimination of healthy and infected plants...

  15. Simultaneous detection and identification of four cherry viruses by two step multiplex RT-PCR with an internal control of plant nad5 mRNA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noorani, Md Salik; Awasthi, Prachi; Sharma, Maheshwar Prasad; Ram, Raja; Zaidi, Aijaz Asgar; Hallan, Vipin

    2013-10-01

    A multiplex reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (mRT-PCR) was developed and standardized for the simultaneous detection of four cherry viruses: Cherry virus A (CVA, Genus; Capillovirus), Cherry necrotic rusty mottle virus (CNRMV, unassigned species of the Betaflexiviridae), Little cherry virus 1 (LChV-1, Genus; Closterovirus) and Prunus necrotic ringspot virus (PNRSV, Genus; Ilarvirus) with nad5 as plant internal control. A reliable and quick method for total plant RNA extraction from pome and stone fruit trees was also developed. To minimize primer dimer formation, a single antisense primer for CVA and CNRMV was used. A mixture of random hexamer and oligo (dT) primer was used for cDNA synthesis, which was highly suited and economic for multiplexing. All four viruses were detected successfully by mRT-PCR in artificially created viral RNA mixture and field samples of sweet cherry. The identity of the viruses was confirmed by sequencing. The assay could detect above viruses in diluted cDNA (10(-4)) and RNA (10(-3), except PNRSV which was detected only till ten times lesser dilution). The developed mRT-PCR will not only be useful for the detection of viruses from single or multiple infections of sweet cherry plants but also for other stone and pome fruits. The developed method will be therefore quite helpful for virus indexing, plant quarantine and certification programs. This is the first report for the simultaneous detection of four cherry viruses by mRT-PCR. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Luciferase-Zinc-Finger System for the Rapid Detection of Pathogenic Bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Chu; Xu, Qing; Ge, Yue; Jiang, Ling; Huang, He

    2017-08-09

    Rapid and reliable detection of pathogenic bacteria is crucial for food safety control. Here, we present a novel luciferase-zinc finger system for the detection of pathogens that offers rapid and specific profiling. The system, which uses a zinc-finger protein domain to probe zinc finger recognition sites, was designed to bind the amplified conserved regions of 16S rDNA, and the obtained products were detected using a modified luciferase. The luciferase-zinc finger system not only maintained luciferase activity but also allowed the specific detection of different bacterial species, with a sensitivity as low as 10 copies and a linear range from 10 to 10 4 copies per microliter of the specific PCR product. Moreover, the system is robust and rapid, enabling the simultaneous detection of 6 species of bacteria in artificially contaminated samples with excellent accuracy. Thus, we envision that our luciferase-zinc finger system will have far-reaching applications.

  17. Rapid detection of the positive side reactions in vanadium flow batteries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Le; Li, Zhaohua; Xi, Jingyu; Zhou, Haipeng; Wu, Zenghua; Qiu, Xinping

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • A method for rapid measurement of the positive side reactions in VFB is presented. • The SOC of positive electrolytes can be detected with resolution of 0.002%. • Side reaction ratios at different charge currents, flow rates are obtained. - Abstract: We present an optical detection method for rapid measurement of the positive side reactions in vanadium flow batteries (VFB). By measuring the transmittance of the positive electrolytes in VFB, the states of charge (SOC) of the positive electrolytes can be detected at very high resolution (better than 0.002% in the SOC range from 98% to 100%), due to the nonlinear transmittance spectra caused by the interactions between V(IV) and V(V) ions. The intensity of the positive side reactions of a VFB can be rapidly measured by a few steps, attributing to the fact that the positive side reactions occur only during the high voltage charging process. The ratios of the positive side reactions at different charge currents and different flow rates are obtained while causing no damage to the battery. This optical detection method can rapidly determine the optimal parameters of the VFB system, providing new means for studying the electrochemical reactions in the VFB system and rapid test in industrial production of VFBs.

  18. Electrochemical sensor for multiplex screening of genetically modified DNA: identification of biotech crops by logic-based biomolecular analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liao, Wei-Ching; Chuang, Min-Chieh; Ho, Ja-An Annie

    2013-12-15

    Genetically modified (GM) technique, one of the modern biomolecular engineering technologies, has been deemed as profitable strategy to fight against global starvation. Yet rapid and reliable analytical method is deficient to evaluate the quality and potential risk of such resulting GM products. We herein present a biomolecular analytical system constructed with distinct biochemical activities to expedite the computational detection of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The computational mechanism provides an alternative to the complex procedures commonly involved in the screening of GMOs. Given that the bioanalytical system is capable of processing promoter, coding and species genes, affirmative interpretations succeed to identify specified GM event in terms of both electrochemical and optical fashions. The biomolecular computational assay exhibits detection capability of genetically modified DNA below sub-nanomolar level and is found interference-free by abundant coexistence of non-GM DNA. This bioanalytical system, furthermore, sophisticates in array fashion operating multiplex screening against variable GM events. Such a biomolecular computational assay and biosensor holds great promise for rapid, cost-effective, and high-fidelity screening of GMO. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Monitoring bacterial faecal contamination in waters using multiplex ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Monitoring of sanitary quality or faecal pollution in water is currently based on quantifying some bacterial indicators such as Escherichia coli and faecal enterococci. Using a multiplex real-time PCR assay for faecal enterococci and Bacteroides spp., the detection of faecal contamination in non-treated water can be done in a ...

  20. Multiplexed Engineering in Biology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rogers, Jameson K; Church, George M

    2016-03-01

    Biotechnology is the manufacturing technology of the future. However, engineering biology is complex, and many possible genetic designs must be evaluated to find cells that produce high levels of a desired drug or chemical. Recent advances have enabled the design and construction of billions of genetic variants per day, but evaluation capacity remains limited to thousands of variants per day. Here we evaluate biological engineering through the lens of the design–build–test cycle framework and highlight the role that multiplexing has had in transforming the design and build steps. We describe a multiplexed solution to the ‘test’ step that is enabled by new research. Achieving a multiplexed test step will permit a fully multiplexed engineering cycle and boost the throughput of biobased product development by up to a millionfold.

  1. Silicon Chip-to-Chip Mode-Division Multiplexing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Baumann, Jan Markus; Porto da Silva, Edson; Ding, Yunhong

    2018-01-01

    A chip-to-chip mode-division multiplexing connection is demonstrated using a pair of multiplexers/demultiplexers fabricated on the silicon-on-insulator platform. Successful mode multiplexing and demultiplexing is experimentally demonstrated, using the LP01, LP11a and LP11b modes.......A chip-to-chip mode-division multiplexing connection is demonstrated using a pair of multiplexers/demultiplexers fabricated on the silicon-on-insulator platform. Successful mode multiplexing and demultiplexing is experimentally demonstrated, using the LP01, LP11a and LP11b modes....

  2. Comparative evaluation of uniplex, nested, semi-nested, multiplex and nested multiplex PCR methods in the identification of microbial etiology of clinically suspected infectious endophthalmitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bharathi, Madasamy Jayahar; Murugan, Nandagopal; Rameshkumar, Gunasekaran; Ramakrishnan, Rengappa; Venugopal Reddy, Yerahaia Chinna; Shivkumar, Chandrasekar; Ramesh, Srinivasan

    2013-05-01

    This study is aimed to determine the utility of various polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods in vitreous fluids (VFs) for detecting the infectious genomes in the diagnosis of infectious endophthalmitis in terms of sensitivity and specificity. This prospective and consecutive analysis included a total of 66 VFs that were submitted for the microbiological evaluation, which were obtained from 66 clinically diagnosed endophthalmitis patients presented between November 2010 and October 2011 at the tertiary eye care referral centre in South India. Part of the collected VFs were subjected to cultures and smears, and the remaining parts were utilized for five PCR methods: uniplex, nested, semi-nested, multiplex and nested multiplex after extracting DNA, using universal eubacterial and Propionibacterium acnes species-specific primer sets targeting 16S rRNA gene in all bacteria and P. acnes, and panfungal primers, targeting 28S rRNA gene in all fungi. Of the 66 VFs, five (7.5%) showed positive results in smears, 16 (24%) in cultures and 43 (65%) showed positive results in PCRs. Among the 43 positively amplified VFs, 10 (15%) were positive for P. acnes genome, one for panfungal genome and 42 (62%) for eubacterial genome (including 10 P. acnes positives). Among 42 eubacterial-positive VFs, 36 were positive by both uniplex (first round) and multiplex (first round) PCRs, while nested (second round) and nested multiplex (second round) PCRs produced positive results in 42 and 41 VFs, respectively. Of the 43 PCR-positive specimens, 16 (37%) had positive growth (15 bacterial and one fungal) in culture. Of 50 culture-negative specimens, 27 (54%) were showed positive amplification, of which 10 were amplified for both P. acnes and eubacterial genomes and the remaining 17 were for eubacterial genome alone. Nested PCRs are superior than uniplex and multiplex PCR. PCRs proved to be a powerful tool in the diagnosis of endophthalmitis, especially for detecting uncultured microbes.

  3. Rapid Aminoglycoside NP Test for Rapid Detection of Multiple Aminoglycoside Resistance in Enterobacteriaceae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nordmann, Patrice; Jayol, Aurélie; Dobias, Jan; Poirel, Laurent

    2017-04-01

    The rapid aminoglycoside NP (Nordmann/Poirel) test was developed to rapidly identify multiple aminoglycoside (AG) resistance in Enterobacteriaceae It is based on the detection of the glucose metabolism related to enterobacterial growth in the presence of a defined concentration of amikacin plus gentamicin. Formation of acid metabolites was evidenced by a color change (orange to yellow) of the red phenol pH indicator. The rapid aminoglycoside NP test was evaluated by using bacterial colonies of 18 AG-resistant isolates producing 16S rRNA methylases, 20 AG-resistant isolates expressing AG-modifying enzymes (acetyl-, adenyl-, and phosphotransferases), and 10 isolates susceptible to AG. Its sensitivity and specificity were 100% and 97%, respectively, compared to the broth dilution method, which was taken as the gold standard for determining aminoglycoside resistance. The test is inexpensive, rapid (<2 h), and implementable worldwide. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

  4. Sensitive Detection of Thirteen Bacterial Vaginosis-Associated Agents Using Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Natália Malaguti

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Bacterial vaginosis (BV is characterized by a polymicrobial proliferation of anaerobic bacteria and depletion of lactobacilli, which are components of natural vaginal microbiota. Currently, there are limited conventional methods for BV diagnosis, and these methods are time-consuming, expensive, and rarely allow for the detection of more than one agent simultaneously. Therefore, we conceived and validated a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (M-PCR assay for the simultaneous screening of thirteen bacterial vaginosis-associated agents (BV-AAs related to symptomatic BV: Gardnerella vaginalis, Mobiluncus curtisii, Mobiluncus mulieris, Bacteroides fragilis, Mycoplasma hominis, Atopobium vaginae, Ureaplasma urealyticum, Megasphaera type I, Clostridia-like bacteria vaginosis-associated bacteria (BVABs 1, 2, and 3, Sneathia sanguinegens, and Mycoplasma genitalium. The overall validation parameters of M-PCR compared to single PCR (sPCR were extremely high, including agreement of 99.1% and sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive values of 100.0%, negative predictive value of 97.0%, accuracy of 99.3%, and agreement with Nugent results of 100.0%. The prevalence of BV-AAs was very high (72.6%, and simultaneous agents were detected in 53.0%, which demonstrates the effectiveness of the M-PCR assay. Therefore, the M-PCR assay has great potential to impact BV diagnostic methods in vaginal samples and diminish associated complications in the near future.

  5. Comparison of three multiplex PCR assays for the detection of respiratory viral infections: evaluation of xTAG respiratory virus panel fast assay, RespiFinder 19 assay and RespiFinder SMART 22 assay

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dabisch-Ruthe Mareike

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background A broad spectrum of pathogens is causative for respiratory tract infections, but symptoms are mostly similar. Therefore, the identification of the causative viruses and bacteria is only feasible using multiplex PCR or several monoplex PCR tests in parallel. Methods The analytical sensitivity of three multiplex PCR assays, RespiFinder-19, RespiFinder-SMART-22 and xTAG-Respiratory-Virus-Panel-Fast-Assay (RVP, were compared to monoplex real-time PCR with quantified standardized control material. All assays include the most common respiratory pathogens. Results To compare the analytical sensitivity of the multiplex assays, samples were inoculated with 13 different quantified viruses in the range of 101 to 105 copies/ml. Concordant results were received for rhinovirus, whereas the RVP detected influenzavirus, RSV and hMPV more frequently in low concentrations. The RespiFinder-19 and the RespiFinder-SMART-22 showed a higher analytical sensitivity for adenoviruses and coronaviruses, whereas the RVP was incapable to detect adenovirus and coronavirus in concentrations of 104 copies/ml. The RespiFinder-19 and RespiFinder-SMART-22A did not detect influenzaviruses (104 copies/ml and RSV (103 copies/ml. The detection of all 13 viruses in one sample was only achieved using monoplex PCR. To analyze possible competitive amplification reactions between the different viruses, samples were further inoculated with only 4 different viruses in one sample. Compared to the detection of 13 viruses in parallel, only a few differences were found. The incidence of respiratory viruses was compared in tracheal secretion (TS samples (n = 100 of mechanically ventilated patients in winter (n = 50 and summer (n = 50. In winter, respiratory viruses were detected in 32 TS samples (64% by RespiFinder-19, whereas the detection rate with RVP was only 22%. The most frequent viruses were adenovirus (32% and PIV-2 (20%. Multiple infections were detected

  6. Multiplex measuring systems in physics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Soroko, L.M.

    1980-01-01

    The principles of operation of multiplex devices used in different spheres of physics are discussed. The ''multiplex'' notion means that the data output of the device is an integral image of the functional dependence under investigation, but not its readings as in usual instruments. The analysis of the present state of developments of the multiplex systems in optics, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, in time-of-flight spectrometers for slow and fast neutrons, as well as elementary particle detectors, is given. The construction algorithms for the digital codes are presented, the history of development of the multiplex measuring principle is given [ru

  7. Rapid detection and characterization of Salmonella enterica ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used for molecular typing of Salmonella enterica serovars in Egypt. During the summer of 2010, a total of 1075 samples were collected from cattle, sheep and poultry farms to be subjected for isolation of Salmonella (290 rectal swabs from cattle, 335 rectal swabs from sheep ...

  8. Prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella spp. in seafood products using multiplex polymerase chain reaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zarei, Mehdi; Maktabi, Siavash; Ghorbanpour, Masoud

    2012-02-01

    Although several etiological agents can be transmitted through seafood consumption, Listeria monocytogenes, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella spp. are considered among the most important pathogens in terms of public health and disease. In this study, multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR), as a rapid and cost-effective method, was used to determine the prevalence of these pathogens in 245 samples of raw/fresh, frozen, and ready-to-eat (RTE) seafood products marketed in Iran. The prevalence of L. monocytogenes in raw/fresh fish and shrimp samples was 1.4%, whereas 2.9% of the raw/fresh fish and 7.1% of the shrimp samples were contaminated with V. parahaemolyticus. No contamination with L. monocytogenes and V. parahaemolyticus was found in frozen and RTE seafood products. The prevalence of S. aureus was found to be higher than other investigated pathogens. S. aureus was detected in 5% of the raw/fresh samples of fish and shrimp, 17.5% of the frozen, and 12.3% of the RTE samples. Further, our findings indicate that 2.9% of the fish samples, 4.3% of the shrimp samples, and 1.5% of the RTE samples were contaminated with Salmonella spp. Owing to the potential hazard of these pathogenic bacteria, multiplex PCR can provide a rapid and cost-effective method for the surveillance of these pathogens in seafood products.

  9. Rapid Detection of the Varicella Zoster Virus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lewis, Michelle P.; Harding, Robert

    2011-01-01

    1.Technology Description-Researchers discovered that when the Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV) reactivates from latency in the body, the virus is consistently present in saliva before the appearance of skin lesions. A small saliva sample is mixed with a specialized reagent in a test kit. If the virus is present in the saliva sample, the mixture turns a red color. The sensitivity and specificity emanates from an antibody-antigen reaction. This technology is a rapid, non-invasive, point of-of-care testing kit for detecting the virus from a saliva sample. The device is easy to use and can be used in clinics and in remote locations to quickly detect VZV and begin treatment with antiviral drugs. 2.Market Opportunity- RST Bioscience will be the first and only company to market a rapid, same day test kit for the detection of VZV in saliva. The RST detection test kit will have several advantages over existing, competitive technology. The test kit is self contained and laboratory equipment is not required for analysis of the sample. Only a single saliva sample is required to be taken instead of blood or cerebral spinal fluid. The test kit is portable, sterile and disposable after use. RST detection test kits require no electrical power or expensive storage equipment and can be used in remote locations. 3.Market Analysis- According to the CDC, it is estimated that 1 million cases of shingles occur each year in the U.S. with more than half over the age of sixty. There is a high demand for rapid diagnostics by the public. The point-of-care testing (POCT) market is growing faster than other segments of in vitro diagnostics. According to a July 2007 InteLab Corporation industry report the overall market for POCT was forecast to increase from $10.3 billion in 2005 to $18.7 billion by 2011. The market value of this test kit has not been determined. 4.Competition- The VZV vaccine prevents 50% of cases and reduces neuralgia by 66%. The most popular test detects VZV-specific IgM antibody

  10. A novel multiplex bead-based platform highlights the diversity of extracellular vesicles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koliha, Nina; Wiencek, Yvonne; Heider, Ute; Jüngst, Christian; Kladt, Nikolay; Krauthäuser, Susanne; Johnston, Ian C D; Bosio, Andreas; Schauss, Astrid; Wild, Stefan

    2016-01-01

    The surface protein composition of extracellular vesicles (EVs) is related to the originating cell and may play a role in vesicle function. Knowledge of the protein content of individual EVs is still limited because of the technical challenges to analyse small vesicles. Here, we introduce a novel multiplex bead-based platform to investigate up to 39 different surface markers in one sample. The combination of capture antibody beads with fluorescently labelled detection antibodies allows the analysis of EVs that carry surface markers recognized by both antibodies. This new method enables an easy screening of surface markers on populations of EVs. By combining different capture and detection antibodies, additional information on relative expression levels and potential vesicle subpopulations is gained. We also established a protocol to visualize individual EVs by stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy. Thereby, markers on single EVs can be detected by fluorophore-conjugated antibodies. We used the multiplex platform and STED microscopy to show for the first time that NK cell-derived EVs and platelet-derived EVs are devoid of CD9 or CD81, respectively, and that EVs isolated from activated B cells comprise different EV subpopulations. We speculate that, according to our STED data, tetraspanins might not be homogenously distributed but may mostly appear as clusters on EV subpopulations. Finally, we demonstrate that EV mixtures can be separated by magnetic beads and analysed subsequently with the multiplex platform. Both the multiplex bead-based platform and STED microscopy revealed subpopulations of EVs that have been indistinguishable by most analysis tools used so far. We expect that an in-depth view on EV heterogeneity will contribute to our understanding of different EVs and functions.

  11. An integrated micro-chip for rapid detection of magnetic particles

    KAUST Repository

    Gooneratne, Chinthaka P.; Liang, Cai; Giouroudi, Ioanna; Kosel, Jü rgen

    2012-01-01

    This paper proposes an integrated micro-chip for the manipulation and detection of magnetic particles (MPs). A conducting ring structure is used to manipulate MPs toward giant magnetoresistance(GMR) sensing elements for rapid detection

  12. Lab-on-a-chip for rapid electrochemical detection of nerve agent Sarin

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tan, Hsih-Yin; Loke, Weng Keong; Nguyen, Nam-Trung

    2014-01-01

    This paper reports a lab-on-a-chip for the detection of Sarin nerve agent based on rapid electrochemical detection. The chemical warfare agent Sarin (C4H10FO2P, O-isopropyl methylphosphonofluoridate) is a highly toxic organophosphate that induces rapid respiratory depression, seizures and death...

  13. Advances in developing rapid, reliable and portable detection systems for alcohol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thungon, Phurpa Dema; Kakoti, Ankana; Ngashangva, Lightson; Goswami, Pranab

    2017-11-15

    Development of portable, reliable, sensitive, simple, and inexpensive detection system for alcohol has been an instinctive demand not only in traditional brewing, pharmaceutical, food and clinical industries but also in rapidly growing alcohol based fuel industries. Highly sensitive, selective, and reliable alcohol detections are currently amenable typically through the sophisticated instrument based analyses confined mostly to the state-of-art analytical laboratory facilities. With the growing demand of rapid and reliable alcohol detection systems, an all-round attempt has been made over the past decade encompassing various disciplines from basic and engineering sciences. Of late, the research for developing small-scale portable alcohol detection system has been accelerated with the advent of emerging miniaturization techniques, advanced materials and sensing platforms such as lab-on-chip, lab-on-CD, lab-on-paper etc. With these new inter-disciplinary approaches along with the support from the parallel knowledge growth on rapid detection systems being pursued for various targets, the progress on translating the proof-of-concepts to commercially viable and environment friendly portable alcohol detection systems is gaining pace. Here, we summarize the progress made over the years on the alcohol detection systems, with a focus on recent advancement towards developing portable, simple and efficient alcohol sensors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Nanoparticle discrimination based on wavelength and lifetime-multiplexed cathodoluminescence microscopy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Garming, Mathijs W H; Weppelman, I Gerward C; de Boer, Pascal; Martínez, Felipe Perona; Schirhagl, Romana; Hoogenboom, Jacob P; Moerland, Robert J

    2017-01-01

    Nanomaterials can be identified in high-resolution electron microscopy images using spectrally-selective cathodoluminescence. Capabilities for multiplex detection can however be limited, e.g., due to spectral overlap or availability of filters. Also, the available photon flux may be limited due to

  15. Research advance in rapid detection of foodborne Staphylococcus aureus

    OpenAIRE

    Xihong Zhao; Caijiao Wei; Junliang Zhong; Shiwei Jin

    2016-01-01

    Staphylococcus aureus is a gram-positive, coccus-shaped facultative anaerobe and a member of the Staphylococcaceae family. In recent years, alimentary toxicosis caused by S. aureus is a very serious problem worldwide, which constitutes a great threat to public health. In this review, we tried to summarize the conventional methods and newly developed rapid detection techniques of S. aureus (traditional detection method, biochemical detection, immunology method, molecular biology, and biosensor...

  16. Multiplex quantification of four DNA targets in one reaction with Bio-Rad droplet digital PCR system for GMO detection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dobnik, David; Štebih, Dejan; Blejec, Andrej; Morisset, Dany; Žel, Jana

    2016-10-01

    The advantages of the digital PCR technology are already well documented until now. One way to achieve better cost efficiency of the technique is to use it in a multiplexing strategy. Droplet digital PCR platforms, which include two fluorescence filters, support at least duplex reactions and with some developments and optimization higher multiplexing is possible. The present study not only shows a development of multiplex assays in droplet digital PCR, but also presents a first thorough evaluation of several parameters in such multiplex digital PCR. Two 4-plex assays were developed for quantification of 8 different DNA targets (7 genetically modified maize events and maize endogene). Per assay, two of the targets were labelled with one fluorophore and two with another. As current analysis software does not support analysis of more than duplex, a new R- and Shiny-based web application analysis tool (http://bit.ly/ddPCRmulti) was developed that automates the analysis of 4-plex results. In conclusion, the two developed multiplex assays are suitable for quantification of GMO maize events and the same approach can be used in any other field with a need for accurate and reliable quantification of multiple DNA targets.

  17. Towards Multiplex Molecular Diagnosis—A Review of Microfluidic Genomics Technologies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ismail Hussain Kamal Basha

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Highly sensitive and specific pathogen diagnosis is essential for correct and timely treatment of infectious diseases, especially virulent strains, in people. Point-of-care pathogen diagnosis can be a tremendous help in managing disease outbreaks as well as in routine healthcare settings. Infectious pathogens can be identified with high specificity using molecular methods. A plethora of microfluidic innovations in recent years have now made it increasingly feasible to develop portable, robust, accurate, and sensitive genomic diagnostic devices for deployment at the point of care. However, improving processing time, multiplexed detection, sensitivity and limit of detection, specificity, and ease of deployment in resource-limited settings are ongoing challenges. This review outlines recent techniques in microfluidic genomic diagnosis and devices with a focus on integrating them into a lab on a chip that will lead towards the development of multiplexed point-of-care devices of high sensitivity and specificity.

  18. Integrated photonics : compact multiplexing

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pile, D.; Chen, H.; Uden, van R.G.H.; Okonkwo, C.M.; Koonen, A.M.J.

    2015-01-01

    Spatial multiplexers (SMUXs) for mode division multiplexing often involve multiple strategies for mode-selective excitation and the minimization of insertion and other losses. Haoshuo Chen, Roy van Uden, Chigo Okonkwo and Ton Koonen, working at the COBRA Institute at the Eindhoven University of

  19. Quantitative, multiplexed workflow for deep analysis of human blood plasma and biomarker discovery by mass spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keshishian, Hasmik; Burgess, Michael W; Specht, Harrison; Wallace, Luke; Clauser, Karl R; Gillette, Michael A; Carr, Steven A

    2017-08-01

    Proteomic characterization of blood plasma is of central importance to clinical proteomics and particularly to biomarker discovery studies. The vast dynamic range and high complexity of the plasma proteome have, however, proven to be serious challenges and have often led to unacceptable tradeoffs between depth of coverage and sample throughput. We present an optimized sample-processing pipeline for analysis of the human plasma proteome that provides greatly increased depth of detection, improved quantitative precision and much higher sample analysis throughput as compared with prior methods. The process includes abundant protein depletion, isobaric labeling at the peptide level for multiplexed relative quantification and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to accurate-mass, high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry analysis of peptides fractionated off-line by basic pH reversed-phase (bRP) chromatography. The overall reproducibility of the process, including immunoaffinity depletion, is high, with a process replicate coefficient of variation (CV) of 4,500 proteins are detected and quantified per patient sample on average, with two or more peptides per protein and starting from as little as 200 μl of plasma. The approach can be multiplexed up to 10-plex using tandem mass tags (TMT) reagents, further increasing throughput, albeit with some decrease in the number of proteins quantified. In addition, we provide a rapid protocol for analysis of nonfractionated depleted plasma samples analyzed in 10-plex. This provides ∼600 quantified proteins for each of the ten samples in ∼5 h of instrument time.

  20. Rapid Detection and Characterization of Emerging Foreign Animal Disease Pathogens

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jaing, C. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

    2016-11-18

    To best safeguard human and animal health requires early detection and characterization of disease events. This must include effective surveillance for emerging infectious diseases. Both deliberate and natural outbreaks have enormous economic and public health impacts, and can present serious threats to national security. In this project, we developed novel next generation detection technologies to protect the agricultural economy and biosecurity. The first technology is a multiplexed assay to simultaneously detection 10 swine viral and bacterial pathogens. The second one is the Lawrence Livermore Microbial Detection Array (LLMDA) which can detect more than 10,000 microbial species including 4219 viruses, 5367 bacteria, 265 fungi, 117 protozoa and 293 archaea. We analyzed a series of swine clinical samples from past disease events to demonstrate the utility of the assays for faster and cheaper detection of emerging and foreign animal disease pathogens, and their utility as s routine diagnosis and surveillance tool. A second goal of the study is to better understand mechanisms of African swine fever virus (ASFV) infection in pigs to aid the development of countermeasures and diagnostics. There is no vaccine available for ASF. ASF outbreak is on the rise on several European countries. Though ASF is not currently in the U.S., a potential outbreak in the U.S. would be detrimental to the swine industry and the US agricultural economy. We pursued a genome-wide approach to characterize the pig immune responses after ASFV infection. We used RNA sequencing and bioinformatics methods to identify genes and pathways that are affected during ASF infection. We have identified a list of most differentially expressed genes that are in the immune response pathways.

  1. Diagnostic evaluation of a multiplexed RT-PCR microsphere array assay for the detection of foot-and-mouth disease virus and look-alike disease viruses

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hindson, B J; Reid, S M; Baker, B R; Ebert, K; Ferris, N P; Bentley Tammero, L F; Lenhoff, R J; Naraghi-Arani, P; Vitalis, E A; Slezak, T R; Hullinger, P J; King, D P

    2007-07-26

    A high-throughput multiplexed assay was developed for the differential laboratory diagnosis of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) from viruses which cause clinically similar diseases of livestock. This assay simultaneously screens for five RNA and two DNA viruses using multiplexed reverse transcription PCR (mRT-PCR) amplification coupled with a microsphere hybridization array and flow-cytometric detection. Two of the seventeen primer-probe sets included in this multiplex assay were adopted from previously characterized real-time RT-PCR (rRT-PCR) assays for FMDV. The diagnostic accuracy of the mRT-PCR was evaluated using 287 field samples, including 248 (true positive n= 213, true negative n=34) from suspect cases of foot-and-mouth disease collected from 65 countries between 1965 and 2006 and 39 true negative samples collected from healthy animals. The mRT-PCR assay results were compared with two singleplex rRT-PCR assays, using virus isolation with antigen-ELISA as the reference method. The diagnostic sensitivity of the mRT-PCR assay for FMDV was 93.9% [95% C.I. 89.8-96.4%], compared to 98.1% [95% C.I. 95.3-99.3%] for the two singleplex rRT-PCR assays used in combination. In addition, the assay could reliably differentiate between FMDV and other vesicular viruses such as swine vesicular disease virus and vesicular exanthema of swine virus. Interestingly, the mRT-PCR detected parapoxvirus (n=2) and bovine viral diarrhea virus (n=2) in clinical samples, demonstrating the screening potential of this mRT-PCR assay to identify viruses in FMDV-negative material not previously recognized using focused single-target rRT-PCR assays.

  2. Aptamer-based multiplexed proteomic technology for biomarker discovery.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Larry Gold

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available The interrogation of proteomes ("proteomics" in a highly multiplexed and efficient manner remains a coveted and challenging goal in biology and medicine.We present a new aptamer-based proteomic technology for biomarker discovery capable of simultaneously measuring thousands of proteins from small sample volumes (15 µL of serum or plasma. Our current assay measures 813 proteins with low limits of detection (1 pM median, 7 logs of overall dynamic range (~100 fM-1 µM, and 5% median coefficient of variation. This technology is enabled by a new generation of aptamers that contain chemically modified nucleotides, which greatly expand the physicochemical diversity of the large randomized nucleic acid libraries from which the aptamers are selected. Proteins in complex matrices such as plasma are measured with a process that transforms a signature of protein concentrations into a corresponding signature of DNA aptamer concentrations, which is quantified on a DNA microarray. Our assay takes advantage of the dual nature of aptamers as both folded protein-binding entities with defined shapes and unique nucleotide sequences recognizable by specific hybridization probes. To demonstrate the utility of our proteomics biomarker discovery technology, we applied it to a clinical study of chronic kidney disease (CKD. We identified two well known CKD biomarkers as well as an additional 58 potential CKD biomarkers. These results demonstrate the potential utility of our technology to rapidly discover unique protein signatures characteristic of various disease states.We describe a versatile and powerful tool that allows large-scale comparison of proteome profiles among discrete populations. This unbiased and highly multiplexed search engine will enable the discovery of novel biomarkers in a manner that is unencumbered by our incomplete knowledge of biology, thereby helping to advance the next generation of evidence-based medicine.

  3. Aptamer-based multiplexed proteomic technology for biomarker discovery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gold, Larry; Ayers, Deborah; Bertino, Jennifer; Bock, Christopher; Bock, Ashley; Brody, Edward N; Carter, Jeff; Dalby, Andrew B; Eaton, Bruce E; Fitzwater, Tim; Flather, Dylan; Forbes, Ashley; Foreman, Trudi; Fowler, Cate; Gawande, Bharat; Goss, Meredith; Gunn, Magda; Gupta, Shashi; Halladay, Dennis; Heil, Jim; Heilig, Joe; Hicke, Brian; Husar, Gregory; Janjic, Nebojsa; Jarvis, Thale; Jennings, Susan; Katilius, Evaldas; Keeney, Tracy R; Kim, Nancy; Koch, Tad H; Kraemer, Stephan; Kroiss, Luke; Le, Ngan; Levine, Daniel; Lindsey, Wes; Lollo, Bridget; Mayfield, Wes; Mehan, Mike; Mehler, Robert; Nelson, Sally K; Nelson, Michele; Nieuwlandt, Dan; Nikrad, Malti; Ochsner, Urs; Ostroff, Rachel M; Otis, Matt; Parker, Thomas; Pietrasiewicz, Steve; Resnicow, Daniel I; Rohloff, John; Sanders, Glenn; Sattin, Sarah; Schneider, Daniel; Singer, Britta; Stanton, Martin; Sterkel, Alana; Stewart, Alex; Stratford, Suzanne; Vaught, Jonathan D; Vrkljan, Mike; Walker, Jeffrey J; Watrobka, Mike; Waugh, Sheela; Weiss, Allison; Wilcox, Sheri K; Wolfson, Alexey; Wolk, Steven K; Zhang, Chi; Zichi, Dom

    2010-12-07

    The interrogation of proteomes ("proteomics") in a highly multiplexed and efficient manner remains a coveted and challenging goal in biology and medicine. We present a new aptamer-based proteomic technology for biomarker discovery capable of simultaneously measuring thousands of proteins from small sample volumes (15 µL of serum or plasma). Our current assay measures 813 proteins with low limits of detection (1 pM median), 7 logs of overall dynamic range (~100 fM-1 µM), and 5% median coefficient of variation. This technology is enabled by a new generation of aptamers that contain chemically modified nucleotides, which greatly expand the physicochemical diversity of the large randomized nucleic acid libraries from which the aptamers are selected. Proteins in complex matrices such as plasma are measured with a process that transforms a signature of protein concentrations into a corresponding signature of DNA aptamer concentrations, which is quantified on a DNA microarray. Our assay takes advantage of the dual nature of aptamers as both folded protein-binding entities with defined shapes and unique nucleotide sequences recognizable by specific hybridization probes. To demonstrate the utility of our proteomics biomarker discovery technology, we applied it to a clinical study of chronic kidney disease (CKD). We identified two well known CKD biomarkers as well as an additional 58 potential CKD biomarkers. These results demonstrate the potential utility of our technology to rapidly discover unique protein signatures characteristic of various disease states. We describe a versatile and powerful tool that allows large-scale comparison of proteome profiles among discrete populations. This unbiased and highly multiplexed search engine will enable the discovery of novel biomarkers in a manner that is unencumbered by our incomplete knowledge of biology, thereby helping to advance the next generation of evidence-based medicine.

  4. Virus reactivations after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation detected by multiplex PCR assay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Inazawa, Natsuko; Hori, Tsukasa; Nojima, Masanori; Saito, Makoto; Igarashi, Keita; Yamamoto, Masaki; Shimizu, Norio; Yoto, Yuko; Tsutsumi, Hiroyuki

    2017-02-01

    Several studies have indicated that viral reactivations following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) are frequent, but viral reactivations after autologous HSCT (auto-HSCT) have not been investigated in detail. We performed multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay to examine multiple viral reactivations simultaneously in 24 patients undergoing auto-HSCT between September 2010 and December 2012. Weekly whole blood samples were collected from pre- to 42 days post-HSCT, and tested for the following 13 viruses; herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1), HSV-2, varicella-zoster virus (VZV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6), HHV-7, HHV-8, adeno virus (ADV), BK virus (BKV), JC virus (JCV), parvovirus B19 (B19V), and hepatitis B virus (HBV).  Fifteen (63%) patients had at least one type of viral reactivation. HHV6 (n = 10; 41.7%) was most frequently detected followed by EBV (n = 7; 29.2%). HHV-6 peaked on day 21 after HSCT and promptly declined. In addition, HBV, CMV, HHV7, and B19V were each detected in one patient. HHV6 reactivation was detected in almost half the auto-HSCT patients, which was similar to the incidence in allo-HSCT patients. The incidence of EBV was unexpectedly high. Viral infections in patients undergoing auto-HSCT were higher than previously reported in other studies. Although there were no particular complications of viral infection, we should pay attention to possible viral reactivations in auto-HSCT patients. J. Med. Virol. 89:358-362, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  5. Dynamic Optically Multiplexed Imaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-07-29

    Dynamic Optically Multiplexed Imaging Yaron Rachlin, Vinay Shah, R. Hamilton Shepard, and Tina Shih Lincoln Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of...V. Shah, and T. Shih “Design Architectures for Optically Multiplexed Imaging,” in submission 9 R. Gupta , P. Indyk, E. Price, and Y. Rachlin

  6. Development and use of tuf gene-based primers for the multiplex PCR detection of Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei group, Lactobacillus delbrueckii, and Bifidobacterium longum in commercial dairy products.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sheu, Sen-Je; Hwang, Wen-zhe; Chen, Hsin-Chih; Chiang, Yu-Cheng; Tsen, Hau-Yang

    2009-01-01

    PCR primers specific for the detection of Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei group, Lactobacillus delbrueckii, and Bifidobacterium longum were designed based on the elongation factor Tu gene (tuf). The specificity of these four primer sets were confirmed by PCR with 88 bacterial strains of Lactobacillus, Enterococcus, Bifidobacterium, and other bacterial species. Results indicated that these primer sets generated predicted PCR products of 397, 230, 202, and 161 bp for L. acidophilus, L. delbrueckii, L. casei group, and B. longum, respectively. Bacterial species other than the target organisms tested did not generate false-positive results. When these four primer sets were combined for the simultaneous detection of the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in fermented milk products including yogurt, the LAB species listed on the labels of these products could be identified without the preenrichment step. The identification limit for each LAB strain with this multiplex PCR method was N X 10(3) CFU/ml in milk samples. The results of our multiplex PCR method were confirmed by PCR assay using primers based on the 16S rDNA or the 16S-23S intergenic spacer region and by biochemical tests using the API 50 CHL kit. When this multiplex PCR method was used with the determination of counts of total viable LAB and bifidobacteria, the quality of commercial fermented milk products could be assured.

  7. A lab-on-a-chip-based multiplex platform to detect potential fraud of introducing pig, dog, cat, rat and monkey meat into the food chain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Razzak, Md Abdur; Hamid, Sharifah Bee Abd; Ali, Md Eaqub

    2015-01-01

    Food forgery has posed considerable risk to public health, religious rituals, personal budget and wildlife. Pig, dog, cat, rat and monkey meat are restricted in most religions, but their sporadic adulteration are rampant. Market controllers need a low-cost but reliable technique to track and trace suspected species in the food chain. Considering the need, here we documented a lab-on-a-chip-based multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for the authentication of five non-halal meat species in foods. Using species-specific primers, 172, 163, 141, 129 and 108-bp sites of mitochondrial ND5, ATPase 6 and cytochrome b genes were amplified to detect cat, dog, pig, monkey and rat species under complex matrices. Species-specificity was authenticated against 20 different species with the potential to be used in food. The targets were stable under extreme sterilisation (121°C at 45 psi for 2.5 h) which severely degrades DNA. The assay was optimised under the backgrounds of various commercial meat products and validated for the analysis of meatballs, burgers and frankfurters, which are popular fast food items across the globe. The assay was tested to detect 0.1% suspected meats under commercial backgrounds of marketed foods. Instead of simplex PCR which detects only one species at a time, such a multiplex platform can reduce cost by at least fivefolds by detecting five different species in a single assay platform.

  8. Rapid detection, characterization, and enumeration of foodborne pathogens

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hoorfar, Jeffrey

    2011-01-01

    . The present review discusses the reasons for the increasing interest in rapid methods; current developments in the field, the research needs, and the future trends. The advent of biotechnology has introduced new technologies that led to the emergence of rapid diagnostic methods and altered food testing...... of rapid methods is for fast screening of large number of samples, where most of them are expected to be test-negative, leading to faster product release for sale. This has been the main strength of rapid methods such as real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Enrichment PCR, where a primary culture...... of pathogen in a contaminated product. Another key issue is automation, where the key drivers are miniaturization and multiple testing, which mean that not only one instrument is flexible enough to test for many pathogens but also many pathogens can be detected with one test. The review is mainly based...

  9. Research advance in rapid detection of foodborne Staphylococcus aureus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xihong Zhao

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Staphylococcus aureus is a gram-positive, coccus-shaped facultative anaerobe and a member of the Staphylococcaceae family. In recent years, alimentary toxicosis caused by S. aureus is a very serious problem worldwide, which constitutes a great threat to public health. In this review, we tried to summarize the conventional methods and newly developed rapid detection techniques of S. aureus (traditional detection method, biochemical detection, immunology method, molecular biology, and biosensor method for their principles, advantages, disadvantages, and applications. Furthermore, the future perspectives of S. aureus detection methods were forecasted at last.

  10. Fluorescently labelled multiplex lateral flow immunoassay based on cadmium-free quantum dots.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beloglazova, Natalia V; Sobolev, Aleksander M; Tessier, Mickael D; Hens, Zeger; Goryacheva, Irina Yu; De Saeger, Sarah

    2017-03-01

    A sensitive tool for simultaneous qualitative detection of two mycotoxins based on use of non-cadmium quantum dots (QDs) is presented for the first time. QDs have proven themselves as promising fluorescent labels for biolabeling and chemical analysis. With an increasing global tendency to regulate and limit the use of hazardous elements, indium phosphide (InP) QDs are highlighted as environmentally-friendly alternatives to the highly efficient and well-studied, but potentially toxic Cd- and Pb-based QDs. Here, we developed water-soluble InP QDs-based fluorescent nanostructures. They consisted of core/shell InP/ZnS QDs enrobed in a silica shell that allowed the water solubility (QD@SiO 2 ). Then we applied the QD@SiO 2 as novel, silica shell-encapsulated fluorescent labels in immunoassays for rapid multiplexed screening. Two mycotoxins, zearalenone and deoxynivalenol, were simultaneously detected in maize and wheat, since the two QD@SiO 2 labelled conjugates emit at two different, individually detectable wavelengths. The cutoff values for the simultaneous determination were 50 and 500μgkg -1 for zearalenone and deoxynivalenol, respectively, in both maize and wheat. Liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used to confirm the result. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Rapid In-Place Composite Rotor Damage Detection, Phase II

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Luna Innovations is proposing to further develop the Rapid In-Place Composite Rotor Damage Detection (RIPCoRDD) System for determining and tracking the structural...

  12. Rapid In-Place Composite Rotor Damage Detection, Phase I

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Luna Innovations is proposing to develop the Rapid In-Place Composite Rotor Damage Detection (RIPCoRDD) for determining and tracking the structural health of...

  13. Rapid Detection of Biological and Chemical Threat Agents Using Physical Chemistry, Active Detection, and Computational Analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chung, Myung; Dong, Li; Fu, Rong; Liotta, Lance; Narayanan, Aarthi; Petricoin, Emanuel; Ross, Mark; Russo, Paul; Zhou, Weidong; Luchini, Alessandra; Manes, Nathan; Chertow, Jessica; Han, Suhua; Kidd, Jessica; Senina, Svetlana; Groves, Stephanie

    2007-01-01

    Basic technologies have been successfully developed within this project: rapid collection of aerosols and a rapid ultra-sensitive immunoassay technique. Water-soluble, humidity-resistant polyacrylamide nano-filters were shown to (1) capture aerosol particles as small as 20 nm, (2) work in humid air and (3) completely liberate their captured particles in an aqueous solution compatible with the immunoassay technique. The immunoassay technology developed within this project combines electrophoretic capture with magnetic bead detection. It allows detection of as few as 150-600 analyte molecules or viruses in only three minutes, something no other known method can duplicate. The technology can be used in a variety of applications where speed of analysis and/or extremely low detection limits are of great importance: in rapid analysis of donor blood for hepatitis, HIV and other blood-borne infections in emergency blood transfusions, in trace analysis of pollutants, or in search of biomarkers in biological fluids. Combined in a single device, the water-soluble filter and ultra-sensitive immunoassay technique may solve the problem of early warning type detection of aerosolized pathogens. These two technologies are protected with five patent applications and are ready for commercialization.

  14. Detection of African swine fever, classical swine fever, and foot-and-mouth disease viruses in swine oral fluids by multiplex reverse transcription real-time polymerase chain reaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grau, Frederic R; Schroeder, Megan E; Mulhern, Erin L; McIntosh, Michael T; Bounpheng, Mangkey A

    2015-03-01

    African swine fever (ASF), classical swine fever (CSF), and foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) are highly contagious animal diseases of significant economic importance. Pigs infected with ASF and CSF viruses (ASFV and CSFV) develop clinical signs that may be indistinguishable from other diseases. Likewise, various causes of vesicular disease can mimic clinical signs caused by the FMD virus (FMDV). Early detection is critical to limiting the impact and spread of these disease outbreaks, and the ability to perform herd-level surveillance for all 3 diseases rapidly and cost effectively using a single diagnostic sample and test is highly desirable. This study assessed the feasibility of simultaneous ASFV, CSFV, and FMDV detection by multiplex reverse transcription real-time polymerase chain reaction (mRT-qPCR) in swine oral fluids collected through the use of chewing ropes. Animal groups were experimentally infected independently with each virus, observed for clinical signs, and oral fluids collected and tested throughout the course of infection. All animal groups chewed on the ropes readily before and after onset of clinical signs and before onset of lameness or serious clinical signs. ASFV was detected as early as 3 days postinoculation (dpi), 2-3 days before onset of clinical disease; CSFV was detected at 5 dpi, coincident with onset of clinical disease; and FMDV was detected as early as 1 dpi, 1 day before the onset of clinical disease. Equivalent results were observed in 4 independent studies and demonstrate the feasibility of oral fluids and mRT-qPCR for surveillance of ASF, CSF, and FMD in swine populations. © 2015 The Author(s).

  15. Detection systems for carbapenemase gene identification should include the SME serine carbapenemase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bush, Karen; Pannell, Megan; Lock, John L; Queenan, Anne Marie; Jorgensen, James H; Lee, Ryan M; Lewis, James S; Jarrett, Deidre

    2013-01-01

    Carbapenemase detection has become a major problem in hospitals that encounter outbreaks of infections caused by carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. Rapid detection systems have been reported using multiplex PCR analyses and DNA microarray assays. Major carbapenemases that are detected by these systems include the KPC and OXA serine carbapenemases, and the IMP, VIM and NDM families of metallo-β-lactamases. However, increasing numbers of the SME serine carbapenemase are being reported from Serratia marcescens, especially from North and South America. These organisms differ from many of the other carbapenemase-producing pathogens in that they are generally susceptible to the expanded-spectrum cephalosporins ceftazidime and cefepime while retaining resistance to almost all other β-lactam antibiotics. Thus, multiplex PCR assays or DNA microarray testing of carbapenem-resistant S. marcescens isolates should include analyses for production of the SME carbapenemase. Confirmation of the presence of this enzyme may provide reassurance that oxyimino-cephalosporins can be considered for treatment of infections caused by these carbapenem-resistant pathogens. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. and the International Society of Chemotherapy. All rights reserved.

  16. On-chip mode division multiplexing technologies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ding, Yunhong; Frellsen, Louise Floor; Guan, Xiaowei

    2016-01-01

    Space division multiplexing (SDM) is currently widely investigated in order to provide enhanced capacity thanks to the utilization of space as a new degree of multiplexing freedom in both optical fiber communication and on-chip interconnects. Basic components allowing the processing of spatial...... photonic integrated circuit mode (de) multiplexer for few-mode fibers (FMFs)....

  17. Real time quantitative amplification detection on a microarray: towards high multiplex quantitative PCR.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pierik, A.; Moamfa, M; van Zelst, M.; Clout, D.; Stapert, H.; Dijksman, Johan Frederik; Broer, D.; Wimberger-Friedl, R.

    2012-01-01

    Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qrtPCR) is widely used as a research and diagnostic tool. Notwithstanding its many powerful features, the method is limited in the degree of multiplexing to about 6 due to spectral overlap of the available fluorophores. A new method is presented that

  18. Real time quantitative amplification detection on a microarray : towards high multiplex quantitative PCR

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pierik, Anke; Boamfa, M.; Zelst, van M.; Clout, D.; Stapert, H.R.; Dijksman, J.F.; Broer, D.J.; Wimberger-Friedl, R.

    2012-01-01

    Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qrtPCR) is widely used as a research and diagnostic tool. Notwithstanding its many powerful features, the method is limited in the degree of multiplexing to about 6 due to spectral overlap of the available fluorophores. A new method is presented that

  19. Multiplex Immunoassay Profiling of Hormones Involved in Metabolic Regulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stephen, Laurie; Guest, Paul C

    2018-01-01

    Multiplex immunoassays are used for rapid profiling of biomarker proteins and small molecules in biological fluids. The advantages over single immunoassays include lower sample consumption, cost, and labor. This chapter details a protocol to develop a 5-plex assay for glucagon-like peptide 1, growth hormone, insulin, leptin, and thyroid-stimulating hormone on the Luminex ® platform. The results of the analysis of insulin in normal control subjects are given due to the important role of this hormone in nutritional programming diseases.

  20. Multiplex real-time PCR assay for the detection of extended-spectrum β-lactamase and carbapenemase genes using melting curve analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Prashant; Pfeifer, Yvonne; Mustapha, Azlin

    2016-05-01

    Real-time PCR melt curve assays for the detection of β-lactamase, extended-spectrum β-lactamase and carbapenemase genes in Gram-negative bacteria were developed. Two multiplex real-time PCR melt curve assays were developed for the detection of ten common β-lactamase genes: blaKPC-like, blaOXA-48-like, blaNDM-like, blaVIM-like, blaIMP-like, blaCTX-M-1+2-group, blaCMY-like, blaACC-like, blaSHV-like and blaTEM-like. The assays were evaluated using 25 bacterial strains and 31 DNA samples (total n=56) comprising different Enterobacteriaceae genera and Pseudomonas spp. These strains were previously characterized at five research institutes. Each resistance gene targeted in this study generated a non-overlapping and distinct melt curve peak. The assay worked effectively and detected the presence of additional resistance genes in 23 samples. The assays developed in this study offer a simple, low cost method for the detection of prevalent β-lactamase, ESBL and carbapenemase genes among Gram-negative pathogens. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Radiometric method for the rapid detection of Leptospira organisms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Manca, N.; Verardi, R.; Colombrita, D.; Ravizzola, G.; Savoldi, E.; Turano, A.

    1986-01-01

    A rapid and sensitive radiometric method for detection of Leptospira interrogans serovar pomona and Leptospira interrogans serovar copenhageni is described. Stuart's medium and Middlebrook TB (12A) medium supplemented with bovine serum albumin, catalase, and casein hydrolysate and labeled with 14 C-fatty acids were used. The radioactivity was measured in a BACTEC 460. With this system, Leptospira organisms were detected in human blood in 2 to 5 days, a notably shorter time period than that required for the majority of detection techniques

  2. Development of touch down-multiplex PCR for the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V Hallur

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: The diagnosis of toxoplasmosis is challenging since conventional methods like culture and immunofluorescence are not universally available. Serology, which is used regularly might be negative during early phase of infection and in immunosuppressed patients or may remain positive for a long time. Several molecular tests have been used for the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis, but none of them have an internal control which would inform us regarding the presence of polymerase chain reaction (PCR inhibitors thus, undermining the confidence of a laboratory physician. Materials and Methods: We designed a multiplex PCR containing primers targeting human beta globin gene which would act as internal control and two primers against the B1 gene and 5s gene which aid in sensitive detection of T. gondii. Results: Multiplex PCR had a sensitivity of 83.3% and specificity of 100%. Conclusion: Multiplex PCR may provide a sensitive and specific tool for diagnosis of human toxoplasmosis.

  3. Penerapan Metode Diagnosis Cepat Virus Avian Influenza H5N1 dengan Metode Single Step Multiplex RT-PCR

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aris Haryanto

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Avian influenza (AI virus is a segmented single stranded (ss RNA virus with negative polarity andbelong to the Orthomyxoviridae family. Diagnose of AI virus can be performed using conventional methodsbut it has low sensitivity and specificity. The objective of the research was to apply rapid, precise, andaccurate diagnostic method for AI virus and also to determine its type and subtype based on the SingleStep Multiplex Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction targeting M, H5, and N1 genes. In thismethod M, H5 and NI genes were simultaneously amplified in one PCR tube. The steps of this researchconsist of collecting viral RNAs from 10 different AI samples originated from Maros Disease InvestigationCenter during 2007. DNA Amplification was conducted by Simplex RT-PCR using M primer set. Then, bysingle step multiplex RT-PCR were conducted simultaneously using M, H5 and N1 primers set. The RTPCRproducts were then separated on 1.5% agarose gel, stained by ethidum bromide and visualized underUV transilluminator. Results showed that 8 of 10 RNA virus samples could be amplified by Simplex RTPCRfor M gene which generating a DNA fragment of 276 bp. Amplification using multiplex RT-PCRmethod showed two of 10 samples were AI positive using multiplex RT-PCR, three DNA fragments weregenerated consisting of 276 bp for M gene, 189 bp for H5 gene, and 131 bp for N1. In this study, rapid andeffective diagnosis method for AI virus can be conducted by using simultaneous Single Step Multiplex RTPCR.By this technique type and subtype of AI virus, can also be determined, especially H5N1.

  4. Steatocystoma multiplex hos 39-årig kvinde

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Duffy, Jonas Raymond; Siersen, Hans Erik; Bonde, Christian T

    2011-01-01

    -coloured cystic lesions on the chest, abdomen, axillae and back. The patient's clinical presentations and history were compatible with steatocystoma multiplex. Various treatment options for steatocystoma multiplex and steatocystoma multiplex suppurativum have been published and include oral antibiotics...

  5. Performance of Multiplexed XY Resistive Micromegas detectors in a high intensity beam

    Science.gov (United States)

    Banerjee, D.; Burtsev, V.; Chumakov, A.; Cooke, D.; Depero, E.; Dermenev, A. V.; Donskov, S. V.; Dubinin, F.; Dusaev, R. R.; Emmenegger, S.; Fabich, A.; Frolov, V. N.; Gardikiotis, A.; Gninenko, S. N.; Hösgen, M.; Karneyeu, A. E.; Ketzer, B.; Kirsanov, M. M.; Konorov, I. V.; Kramarenko, V. A.; Kuleshov, S. V.; Levchenko, E.; Lyubovitskij, V. E.; Lysan, V.; Mamon, S.; Matveev, V. A.; Mikhailov, Yu. V.; Myalkovskiy, V. V.; Peshekhonov, V. D.; Peshekhonov, D. V.; Polyakov, V. A.; Radics, B.; Rubbia, A.; Samoylenko, V. D.; Tikhomirov, V. O.; Tlisov, D. A.; Toropin, A. N.; Vasilishin, B.; Arenas, G. Vasquez; Ulloa, P.; Crivelli, P.

    2018-02-01

    We present the performance of multiplexed XY resistive Micromegas detectors tested in the CERN SPS 100 GeV/c electron beam at intensities up to 3 . 3 × 105e- /(s ṡcm2) . So far, all studies with multiplexed Micromegas have only been reported for tests with radioactive sources and cosmic rays. The use of multiplexed modules in high intensity environments was not explored due to the effect of ambiguities in the reconstruction of the hit point caused by the multiplexing feature. For the specific mapping and beam intensities analyzed in this work with a multiplexing factor of five, more than 50% level of ambiguity is introduced due to particle pile-up as well as fake clusters due to the mapping feature. Our results prove that by using the additional information of cluster size and integrated charge from the signal clusters induced on the XY strips, the ambiguities can be reduced to a level below 2%. The tested detectors are used in the CERN NA64 experiment for tracking the incoming particles bending in a magnetic field in order to reconstruct their momentum. The average hit detection efficiency of each module was found to be ∼96% at the highest beam intensities. By using four modules a tracking resolution of 1.1% was obtained with ∼85% combined tracking efficiency.

  6. Explaining HIV Risk Multiplexity: A Social Network Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Felsher, Marisa; Koku, Emmanuel

    2018-04-21

    Risk multiplexity (i.e., overlap in drug-use, needle exchange and sexual relations) is a known risk factor for HIV. However, little is known about predictors of multiplexity. This study uses egocentric data from the Colorado Springs study to examine how individual, behavioral and social network factors influence engagement in multiplex risk behavior. Analyses revealed that compared to Whites, Hispanics were significantly more likely to engage in risk multiplexity and Blacks less so. Respondents who were similar to each other (e.g., in terms of race) had significantly higher odds of being in risk multiplex relationships, and respondents' risk perceptions and network size were significantly associated with engaging in multiplex risk behaviors. Findings from interaction analysis showed the effect of knowing someone with HIV on the odds of multiplexity depends partly on whether respondents' know their HIV status. Findings suggest that demographics, HIV behaviors and network factors impact engagement in multiplex risk behaviors, highlighting the need for multi-level interventions aimed at reducing HIV risk behavior.

  7. Authentication of Meat Species in Sucuk by Multiplex PCR

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Osman İrfan İLHAK

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The identification of meat species used in meat products is important by reason of economic considerations, religious factors, verification of label, and prevention of unfair-market competition. In this paper, multiplex PCR method was experienced for routine detection of equine (horse and donkey, poultry (chicken and turkey, pig and cattle meat in sucuk (sausage. The primers used for these animals generated specific fragments, and they did not show cross reactions with the DNA from the other genus of animal. After multiplex PCR was successfully optimized, a field study was carried out to investigate the presence of horse, donkey, chicken, turkey and pig meat in 50 sucuks (30 beef and 20 beef + poultry collected from markets. The result of the field study indicated that 23.3% of 30 beef sucuk samples were containing poultry meat. None of the 50 sucuk samples was containing pig meat, but one (2% of the samples generated equine fragment. The present study showed that the multiplex PCR method can be used for routine analysis of meat species identification, verification and control of label information of meat products.

  8. A Novel Strategy for Detection and Enumeration of Circulating Rare Cell Populations in Metastatic Cancer Patients Using Automated Microfluidic Filtration and Multiplex Immunoassay.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mark Jesus M Magbanua

    Full Text Available Size selection via filtration offers an antigen-independent approach for the enrichment of rare cell populations in blood of cancer patients. We evaluated the performance of a novel approach for multiplex rare cell detection in blood samples from metastatic breast (n = 19 and lung cancer patients (n = 21, and healthy controls (n = 30 using an automated microfluidic filtration and multiplex immunoassay strategy. Captured cells were enumerated after sequential staining for specific markers to identify circulating tumor cells (CTCs, circulating mesenchymal cells (CMCs, putative circulating stem cells (CSCs, and circulating endothelial cells (CECs. Preclinical validation experiments using cancer cells spiked into healthy blood demonstrated high recovery rate (mean = 85% and reproducibility of the assay. In clinical studies, CTCs and CMCs were detected in 35% and 58% of cancer patients, respectively, and were largely absent from healthy controls (3%, p = 0.001. Mean levels of CTCs were significantly higher in breast than in lung cancer patients (p = 0.03. Fifty-three percent (53% of cancer patients harbored putative CSCs, while none were detectable in healthy controls (p<0.0001. In contrast, CECs were observed in both cancer and control groups. Direct comparison of CellSearch® vs. our microfluidic filter method revealed moderate correlation (R2 = 0.46, kappa = 0.47. Serial blood analysis in breast cancer patients demonstrated the feasibility of monitoring circulating rare cell populations over time. Simultaneous assessment of CTCs, CMCs, CSCs and CECs may provide new tools to study mechanisms of disease progression and treatment response/resistance.

  9. A Novel Strategy for Detection and Enumeration of Circulating Rare Cell Populations in Metastatic Cancer Patients Using Automated Microfluidic Filtration and Multiplex Immunoassay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Magbanua, Mark Jesus M; Pugia, Michael; Lee, Jin Sun; Jabon, Marc; Wang, Victoria; Gubens, Matthew; Marfurt, Karen; Pence, Julia; Sidhu, Harwinder; Uzgiris, Arejas; Rugo, Hope S; Park, John W

    2015-01-01

    Size selection via filtration offers an antigen-independent approach for the enrichment of rare cell populations in blood of cancer patients. We evaluated the performance of a novel approach for multiplex rare cell detection in blood samples from metastatic breast (n = 19) and lung cancer patients (n = 21), and healthy controls (n = 30) using an automated microfluidic filtration and multiplex immunoassay strategy. Captured cells were enumerated after sequential staining for specific markers to identify circulating tumor cells (CTCs), circulating mesenchymal cells (CMCs), putative circulating stem cells (CSCs), and circulating endothelial cells (CECs). Preclinical validation experiments using cancer cells spiked into healthy blood demonstrated high recovery rate (mean = 85%) and reproducibility of the assay. In clinical studies, CTCs and CMCs were detected in 35% and 58% of cancer patients, respectively, and were largely absent from healthy controls (3%, p = 0.001). Mean levels of CTCs were significantly higher in breast than in lung cancer patients (p = 0.03). Fifty-three percent (53%) of cancer patients harbored putative CSCs, while none were detectable in healthy controls (p<0.0001). In contrast, CECs were observed in both cancer and control groups. Direct comparison of CellSearch® vs. our microfluidic filter method revealed moderate correlation (R2 = 0.46, kappa = 0.47). Serial blood analysis in breast cancer patients demonstrated the feasibility of monitoring circulating rare cell populations over time. Simultaneous assessment of CTCs, CMCs, CSCs and CECs may provide new tools to study mechanisms of disease progression and treatment response/resistance.

  10. Radiometric method for the rapid detection of Leptospira organisms

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Manca, N.; Verardi, R.; Colombrita, D.; Ravizzola, G.; Savoldi, E.; Turano, A.

    1986-02-01

    A rapid and sensitive radiometric method for detection of Leptospira interrogans serovar pomona and Leptospira interrogans serovar copenhageni is described. Stuart's medium and Middlebrook TB (12A) medium supplemented with bovine serum albumin, catalase, and casein hydrolysate and labeled with /sup 14/C-fatty acids were used. The radioactivity was measured in a BACTEC 460. With this system, Leptospira organisms were detected in human blood in 2 to 5 days, a notably shorter time period than that required for the majority of detection techniques.

  11. Application of a Multiplex Quantitative PCR to Assess Prevalence and Intensity Of Intestinal Parasite Infections in a Controlled Clinical Trial

    Science.gov (United States)

    Llewellyn, Stacey; Inpankaew, Tawin; Nery, Susana Vaz; Gray, Darren J.; Verweij, Jaco J.; Clements, Archie C. A.; Gomes, Santina J.; Traub, Rebecca; McCarthy, James S.

    2016-01-01

    Background Accurate quantitative assessment of infection with soil transmitted helminths and protozoa is key to the interpretation of epidemiologic studies of these parasites, as well as for monitoring large scale treatment efficacy and effectiveness studies. As morbidity and transmission of helminth infections are directly related to both the prevalence and intensity of infection, there is particular need for improved techniques for assessment of infection intensity for both purposes. The current study aimed to evaluate two multiplex PCR assays to determine prevalence and intensity of intestinal parasite infections, and compare them to standard microscopy. Methodology/Principal Findings Faecal samples were collected from a total of 680 people, originating from rural communities in Timor-Leste (467 samples) and Cambodia (213 samples). DNA was extracted from stool samples and subject to two multiplex real-time PCR reactions the first targeting: Necator americanus, Ancylostoma spp., Ascaris spp., and Trichuris trichiura; and the second Entamoeba histolytica, Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia. duodenalis, and Strongyloides stercoralis. Samples were also subject to sodium nitrate flotation for identification and quantification of STH eggs, and zinc sulphate centrifugal flotation for detection of protozoan parasites. Higher parasite prevalence was detected by multiplex PCR (hookworms 2.9 times higher, Ascaris 1.2, Giardia 1.6, along with superior polyparasitism detection with this effect magnified as the number of parasites present increased (one: 40.2% vs. 38.1%, two: 30.9% vs. 12.9%, three: 7.6% vs. 0.4%, four: 0.4% vs. 0%). Although, all STH positive samples were low intensity infections by microscopy as defined by WHO guidelines the DNA-load detected by multiplex PCR suggested higher intensity infections. Conclusions/Significance Multiplex PCR, in addition to superior sensitivity, enabled more accurate determination of infection intensity for Ascaris, hookworms and

  12. Percolation in real multiplex networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bianconi, Ginestra; Radicchi, Filippo

    2016-12-01

    We present an exact mathematical framework able to describe site-percolation transitions in real multiplex networks. Specifically, we consider the average percolation diagram valid over an infinite number of random configurations where nodes are present in the system with given probability. The approach relies on the locally treelike ansatz, so that it is expected to accurately reproduce the true percolation diagram of sparse multiplex networks with negligible number of short loops. The performance of our theory is tested in social, biological, and transportation multiplex graphs. When compared against previously introduced methods, we observe improvements in the prediction of the percolation diagrams in all networks analyzed. Results from our method confirm previous claims about the robustness of real multiplex networks, in the sense that the average connectedness of the system does not exhibit any significant abrupt change as its individual components are randomly destroyed.

  13. Fluorescent microarray for multiplexed quantification of environmental contaminants in seawater samples

    Science.gov (United States)

    The development of a fluorescent multiplexed microarray platform able to detect and quantify a wide variety of pollutants in seawater is reported. The microarray platform has been manufactured by spotting 6 different bioconjugate competitors and it uses a cocktail of 6 monoclonal and polyclonal anti...

  14. Multiplexed Imaging of Protein Phosphorylation on Membranes Based on Ti(IV) Functionalized Nanopolymers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iliuk, Anton; Li, Li; Melesse, Michael; Hall, Mark C; Tao, W Andy

    2016-05-17

    Accurate protein phosphorylation analysis reveals dynamic cellular signaling events not evident from protein expression levels. The most dominant biochemical assay, western blotting, suffers from the inadequate availability and poor quality of phospho-specific antibodies for phosphorylated proteins. Furthermore, multiplexed assays based on antibodies are limited by steric interference between the antibodies. Here we introduce a multifunctionalized nanopolymer for the universal detection of phosphoproteins that, in combination with regular antibodies, allows multiplexed imaging and accurate determination of protein phosphorylation on membranes. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  15. Differentiating Botulinum Neurotoxin-Producing Clostridia with a Simple, Multiplex PCR Assay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williamson, Charles H D; Vazquez, Adam J; Hill, Karen; Smith, Theresa J; Nottingham, Roxanne; Stone, Nathan E; Sobek, Colin J; Cocking, Jill H; Fernández, Rafael A; Caballero, Patricia A; Leiser, Owen P; Keim, Paul; Sahl, Jason W

    2017-09-15

    Diverse members of the genus Clostridium produce botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs), which cause a flaccid paralysis known as botulism. While multiple species of clostridia produce BoNTs, the majority of human botulism cases have been attributed to Clostridium botulinum groups I and II. Recent comparative genomic studies have demonstrated the genomic diversity within these BoNT-producing species. This report introduces a multiplex PCR assay for differentiating members of C. botulinum group I, C. sporogenes , and two major subgroups within C. botulinum group II. Coding region sequences unique to each of the four species/subgroups were identified by in silico analyses of thousands of genome assemblies, and PCR primers were designed to amplify each marker. The resulting multiplex PCR assay correctly assigned 41 tested isolates to the appropriate species or subgroup. A separate PCR assay to determine the presence of the ntnh gene (a gene associated with the botulinum neurotoxin gene cluster) was developed and validated. The ntnh gene PCR assay provides information about the presence or absence of the botulinum neurotoxin gene cluster and the type of gene cluster present ( ha positive [ ha + ] or orfX + ). The increased availability of whole-genome sequence data and comparative genomic tools enabled the design of these assays, which provide valuable information for characterizing BoNT-producing clostridia. The PCR assays are rapid, inexpensive tests that can be applied to a variety of sample types to assign isolates to species/subgroups and to detect clostridia with botulinum neurotoxin gene ( bont ) clusters. IMPORTANCE Diverse clostridia produce the botulinum neurotoxin, one of the most potent known neurotoxins. In this study, a multiplex PCR assay was developed to differentiate clostridia that are most commonly isolated in connection with human botulism cases: C. botulinum group I, C. sporogenes , and two major subgroups within C. botulinum group II. Since Bo

  16. Pilot-multiplexed continuous-variable quantum key distribution with a real local oscillator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Tao; Huang, Peng; Zhou, Yingming; Liu, Weiqi; Zeng, Guihua

    2018-01-01

    We propose a pilot-multiplexed continuous-variable quantum key distribution (CVQKD) scheme based on a local local oscillator (LLO). Our scheme utilizes time-multiplexing and polarization-multiplexing techniques to dramatically isolate the quantum signal from the pilot, employs two heterodyne detectors to separately detect the signal and the pilot, and adopts a phase compensation method to almost eliminate the multifrequency phase jitter. In order to analyze the performance of our scheme, a general LLO noise model is constructed. Besides the phase noise and the modulation noise, the photon-leakage noise from the reference path and the quantization noise due to the analog-to-digital converter (ADC) are also considered, which are first analyzed in the LLO regime. Under such general noise model, our scheme has a higher key rate and longer secure distance compared with the preexisting LLO schemes. Moreover, we also conduct an experiment to verify our pilot-multiplexed scheme. Results show that it maintains a low level of the phase noise and is expected to obtain a 554-Kbps secure key rate within a 15-km distance under the finite-size effect.

  17. ETV Tech Brief: Rapid Fungi and Bacteria Detection Technologies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Technical brief that summarizes the results for Mycometer, Inc. Mycometer®-test and Bactiquant®-test, which are rapid detection technologies for fungi and bacteria. The brief summarizes the results of the verification report and statement.

  18. Validation of the Applied Biosystems RapidFinder Shiga Toxin-Producing E. coli (STEC) Detection Workflow.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cloke, Jonathan; Matheny, Sharon; Swimley, Michelle; Tebbs, Robert; Burrell, Angelia; Flannery, Jonathan; Bastin, Benjamin; Bird, Patrick; Benzinger, M Joseph; Crowley, Erin; Agin, James; Goins, David; Salfinger, Yvonne; Brodsky, Michael; Fernandez, Maria Cristina

    2016-11-01

    The Applied Biosystems™ RapidFinder™ STEC Detection Workflow (Thermo Fisher Scientific) is a complete protocol for the rapid qualitative detection of Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 and the "Big 6" non-O157 Shiga-like toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) serotypes (defined as serogroups: O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145). The RapidFinder STEC Detection Workflow makes use of either the automated preparation of PCR-ready DNA using the Applied Biosystems PrepSEQ™ Nucleic Acid Extraction Kit in conjunction with the Applied Biosystems MagMAX™ Express 96-well magnetic particle processor or the Applied Biosystems PrepSEQ Rapid Spin kit for manual preparation of PCR-ready DNA. Two separate assays comprise the RapidFinder STEC Detection Workflow, the Applied Biosystems RapidFinder STEC Screening Assay and the Applied Biosystems RapidFinder STEC Confirmation Assay. The RapidFinder STEC Screening Assay includes primers and probes to detect the presence of stx1 (Shiga toxin 1), stx2 (Shiga toxin 2), eae (intimin), and E. coli O157 gene targets. The RapidFinder STEC Confirmation Assay includes primers and probes for the "Big 6" non-O157 STEC and E. coli O157:H7. The use of these two assays in tandem allows a user to detect accurately the presence of the "Big 6" STECs and E. coli O157:H7. The performance of the RapidFinder STEC Detection Workflow was evaluated in a method comparison study, in inclusivity and exclusivity studies, and in a robustness evaluation. The assays were compared to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) Microbiology Laboratory Guidebook (MLG) 5.09: Detection, Isolation and Identification of Escherichia coli O157:H7 from Meat Products and Carcass and Environmental Sponges for raw ground beef (73% lean) and USDA/FSIS-MLG 5B.05: Detection, Isolation and Identification of Escherichia coli non-O157:H7 from Meat Products and Carcass and Environmental Sponges for raw beef trim. No statistically significant

  19. Remote (250 km Fiber Bragg Grating Multiplexing System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manuel Lopez-Amo

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available We propose and demonstrate two ultra-long range fiber Bragg grating (FBG sensor interrogation systems. In the first approach four FBGs are located 200 km from the monitoring station and a signal to noise ratio of 20 dB is obtained. The second improved version is able to detect the four multiplexed FBGs placed 250 km away, offering a signal to noise ratio of 6–8 dB. Consequently, this last system represents the longest range FBG sensor system reported so far that includes fiber sensor multiplexing capability. Both simple systems are based on a wavelength swept laser to scan the reflection spectra of the FBGs, and they are composed by two identical-lengths optical paths: the first one intended to launch the amplified laser signal by means of Raman amplification and the other one is employed to guide the reflection signal to the reception system.

  20. Use of Tethered Enzymes as a Platform Technology for Rapid Analyte Detection.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roy Cohen

    Full Text Available Rapid diagnosis for time-sensitive illnesses such as stroke, cardiac arrest, and septic shock is essential for successful treatment. Much attention has therefore focused on new strategies for rapid and objective diagnosis, such as Point-of-Care Tests (PoCT for blood biomarkers. Here we use a biomimicry-based approach to demonstrate a new diagnostic platform, based on enzymes tethered to nanoparticles (NPs. As proof of principle, we use oriented immobilization of pyruvate kinase (PK and luciferase (Luc on silica NPs to achieve rapid and sensitive detection of neuron-specific enolase (NSE, a clinically relevant biomarker for multiple diseases ranging from acute brain injuries to lung cancer. We hypothesize that an approach capitalizing on the speed and catalytic nature of enzymatic reactions would enable fast and sensitive biomarker detection, suitable for PoCT devices.We performed in-vitro, animal model, and human subject studies. First, the efficiency of coupled enzyme activities when tethered to NPs versus when in solution was tested, demonstrating a highly sensitive and rapid detection of physiological and pathological concentrations of NSE. Next, in rat stroke models the enzyme-based assay was able in minutes to show a statistically significant increase in NSE levels in samples taken 1 hour before and 0, 1, 3 and 6 hours after occlusion of the distal middle cerebral artery. Finally, using the tethered enzyme assay for detection of NSE in samples from 20 geriatric human patients, we show that our data match well (r = 0.815 with the current gold standard for biomarker detection, ELISA-with a major difference being that we achieve detection in 10 minutes as opposed to the several hours required for traditional ELISA.Oriented enzyme immobilization conferred more efficient coupled activity, and thus higher assay sensitivity, than non-tethered enzymes. Together, our findings provide proof of concept for using oriented immobilization of active

  1. Multiplex Conditional Mutagenesis Using Transgenic Expression of Cas9 and sgRNAs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yin, Linlin; Maddison, Lisette A; Li, Mingyu; Kara, Nergis; LaFave, Matthew C; Varshney, Gaurav K; Burgess, Shawn M; Patton, James G; Chen, Wenbiao

    2015-06-01

    Determining the mechanism of gene function is greatly enhanced using conditional mutagenesis. However, generating engineered conditional alleles is inefficient and has only been widely used in mice. Importantly, multiplex conditional mutagenesis requires extensive breeding. Here we demonstrate a system for one-generation multiplex conditional mutagenesis in zebrafish (Danio rerio) using transgenic expression of both cas9 and multiple single guide RNAs (sgRNAs). We describe five distinct zebrafish U6 promoters for sgRNA expression and demonstrate efficient multiplex biallelic inactivation of tyrosinase and insulin receptor a and b, resulting in defects in pigmentation and glucose homeostasis. Furthermore, we demonstrate temporal and tissue-specific mutagenesis using transgenic expression of Cas9. Heat-shock-inducible expression of cas9 allows temporal control of tyr mutagenesis. Liver-specific expression of cas9 disrupts insulin receptor a and b, causing fasting hypoglycemia and postprandial hyperglycemia. We also show that delivery of sgRNAs targeting ascl1a into the eye leads to impaired damage-induced photoreceptor regeneration. Our findings suggest that CRISPR/Cas9-based conditional mutagenesis in zebrafish is not only feasible but rapid and straightforward. Copyright © 2015 by the Genetics Society of America.

  2. Rapid Simultaneous Amplification and Detection of the MBR/JH Chromosomal Translocation by Fluorescence Melting Curve Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bohling, Sandra D.; King, Thomas C.; Wittwer, Carl T.; Elenitoba-Johnson, Kojo S. J.

    1999-01-01

    Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and product analysis for the detection of chromosomal translocations, such as the t(14;18), has traditionally been a two-step process. PCR product detection has generally entailed gel electrophoresis and/or hybridization or sequencing for confirmation of assay specificity. Using a microvolume fluorimeter integrated with a thermal cycler and a PCR-compatible double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) binding fluorescent dye (SYBR Green I), we investigated the feasibility of simultaneous thermal amplification and detection of MBR/JH translocation products by fluorescence melting curve analysis. We analyzed DNA from 30 cases of lymphoproliferative disorders comprising 19 cases of previously documented MBR/JH-positive follicle center lymphoma and 11 reactive lymphadenopathies. The samples were coded and analyzed blindly for the presence of MBR/JH translocations by fluorescence melting curve analysis. We also performed dilutional assays using the MBR/JH-positive cell line SUDHL-6. Multiplex PCR for MBR/JH and β-globin was used to simultaneously assess sample adequacy. All (100%) of the 19 cases previously determined to be MBR/JH positive by conventional PCR analysis showed a characteristic sharp decrease in fluorescence at ∼90°C by melting curve analysis after amplification. Fluorescence melting peaks obtained by plotting the negative derivative of fluorescence over temperature (−dF/dT) versus temperature (T) showed melting temperatures (Tm) at 88.85 ± 1.15°C. In addition, multiplex assays using both MBR/JH and β-globin primers yielded easily distinguishable fluorescence melting peaks at ∼90°C and 81.2°C, respectively. Dilutional assays revealed that fluorescence melting curve analysis was more sensitive than conventional PCR and agarose gel electrophoresis with ultraviolet transillumination by as much as 100-fold. Simultaneous amplification and fluorescence melting curve analysis is a simple, reliable, and sensitive method

  3. Spatial analysis of various multiplex cinema types

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Young-Seo Park

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available This study identifies the spatial characteristics and relationships of each used space according to the multiplex type. In this study, multiplexes are classified according to screen rooms and circulation systems, and each used space is quantitatively analyzed. The multiplex type based on screen rooms and moving line systems influences the relationship and characteristics of each used space in various ways. In particular, the structure of the used space of multiplexes has a significant effect on profit generation and audience convenience.

  4. Biocontrol and Rapid Detection of Food-borne Pathogens Using Bacteriophages and Endolysins

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jaewoo eBai

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Bacteriophages have been suggested as natural food preservatives as well as rapid detection materials for food-borne pathogens in various foods. Since Listeria monocytogenes-targeting phage cocktail (ListShield was approved for applications in foods, numerous phages have been screened and experimentally characterized for phage applications in foods. A single phage and phage cocktail treatments to various foods contaminated with food-borne pathogens including E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella enterica, Campylobacter jejuni, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Cronobacter sakazakii, and Vibrio spp. revealed that they have great potential to control various food-borne pathogens and may be alternative for conventional food preservatives. In addition, phage-derived endolysins with high host specificity and host lysis activities may be preferred to food applications rather than phages. For rapid detection of food-borne pathogens, cell-wall binding domains (CBDs from endolysins have been suggested due to their high host-specific binding. Fluorescence-tagged CBDs have been successfully evaluated and suggested to be alternative materials of expensive antibodies for various detection applications. Most recently, reporter phage systems have been developed and tested to confirm their usability and accuracy for specific detection. These systems revealed some advantages like rapid detection of only viable pathogenic cells without interference by food components in a very short reaction time, suggesting that these systems may be suitable for monitoring of pathogens in foods. Consequently, phage is the next-generation biocontrol agent as well as rapid detection tool to confirm and even identify the food-borne pathogens present in various foods.

  5. One-step Multiplex RT-PCR Method for Simultaneous Detection of Seed Transmissible Bacterium and Virus Occurring on Brassicaceae Crop Seeds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kyusik Jeong

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this research was to develop specific and sensitive PCR-based procedures for simultaneous detection of economically important plant pathogenic bacteria and seed borne virus in commercial Brassicaceae crop seeds, Xanthomonns campestris pv. campestris (Xcc and Lettuce Mosaic Virus (LMV. Bacterial and virus diseases of Brassicaceae leaves are responsible for heavy losses. PCR with arbitral primers: selection of specific primers, performance of PCR with specific primers and determination of the threshold level for pathogens detection. To detect simultaneously the Xcc and LMV in commercial Brassicaceae crop seeds (lettuce, kohlrabi, radish, chinese cabbage and cabbage, two pairs of specific primer (LMV-F/R, Xcc-F/R were synthesized by using primer-blast program (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/tools/ primer-blast/. The multiplex PCR for the two pathogens in Brassicaceae crop seeds could detect specifically without interference among primers and/or cDNA of other plant pathogens. The pathogen detection limit was determined at 1 ng of RNA extracted from pathogens. In the total PCR results for pathogen detection using commercial kohlrabi (10 varieties, lettuce (50 varieties, radish (20 varieties, chinese cabbage (20 varieties and cabbage (20 varieties, LMV and Xcc were detected from 39 and 2 varieties, respectively. In the PCR result of lettuce, LMV and Xcc were simultaneously detected in 8 varieties.

  6. One-step Multiplex RT-PCR Method for Simultaneous Detection of Seed Transmissible Bacteria and Viruses in Pepper and Tomato Seeds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kyusik Jeong

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to develop specific and sensitive PCR-based procedures for simultaneous detection of economically important plant seed infection pathogenic bacteria and virus, Xanthomonns campestris pv. vesicatoria (Xcv, Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis (Cmm, Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora (Ecc, Pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV and Tobacco mild green mosaic virus (TMGMV in pepper and tomato seeds. Most of pepper and tomato bacterial and virus diseases are responsible for germination and growth obstruction. PCR with arbitral primers: selection of specific primers, performance of PCR with specific primers and determination of the threshold level for pathogens detection. To detect simultaneously the Xcv, Cmm, Ecc, PMMoV and TMGMV in pepper and tomato seeds, five pairs (Cmm-F/R, Ecc-F/R, Xcv-F/R, PMMoV-F/R, TMGMV-F/R of specific primer were synthesized by primer-blast program. The multiplex PCR for the five pathogens in pepper and tomato seeds could detect specially without interference among primers and/or cDNA of plant seeds and other plant pathogens. The PCR result for pathogen detection using 20 commercial pepper and 10 tomato seed samples, Ecc was detected from 4 pepper and 2 tomato seed samples, PMMoV was detected from 1 pepper seed sample, and PMMoV and TMGMV were simultaneously detected from 1 pepper seed sample.

  7. Development and assessment of multiplex high resolution melting assay as a tool for rapid single-tube identification of five Brucella species.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gopaul, Krishna K; Sells, Jessica; Lee, Robin; Beckstrom-Sternberg, Stephen M; Foster, Jeffrey T; Whatmore, Adrian M

    2014-12-11

    The zoonosis brucellosis causes economically significant reproductive problems in livestock and potentially debilitating disease of humans. Although the causative agent, organisms from the genus Brucella, can be differentiated into a number of species based on phenotypic characteristics, there are also significant differences in genotype that are concordant with individual species. This paper describes the development of a five target multiplex assay to identify five terrestrial Brucella species using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and subsequent high resolution melt curve analysis. This technology offers a robust and cost effective alternative to previously described hydrolysis-probe Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP)-based species defining assays. Through the use of Brucella whole genome sequencing five species defining SNPs were identified. Individual HRM assays were developed to these target these changes and, following optimisation of primer concentrations, it was possible to multiplex all five assays in a single tube. In a validation exercise using a panel of 135 Brucella strains of terrestrial and marine origin, it was possible to distinguish the five target species from the other species within this panel. The HRM multiplex offers a number of diagnostic advantages over previously described SNP-based typing approaches. Further, and uniquely for HRM, the successful multiplexing of five assays in a single tube allowing differentiation of five Brucella species in the diagnostic laboratory in a cost-effective and timely manner is described. However there are possible limitations to using this platform on DNA extractions direct from clinical material.

  8. Bilevel alarm monitoring multiplexer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johnson, C.S.

    1977-06-01

    This report describes the operation of the Bilevel Alarm Monitoring Multiplexer used in the Adaptive Intrusion Data System (AIDS) to transfer and control alarm signals being sent to the Nova 2 computer, the Memory Controlled Data Processor, and its own integral Display Panel. The multiplexer can handle 48 alarm channels and format the alarms into binary formats compatible with the destination of the alarm data

  9. Multiplexed Colorimetric Solid-Phase Extraction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gazda, Daniel B.; Fritz, James S.; Porter, Marc D.

    2009-01-01

    Multiplexed colorimetric solid-phase extraction (MC-SPE) is an extension of colorimetric solid-phase extraction (C-SPE) an analytical platform that combines colorimetric reagents, solid phase extraction, and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy to quantify trace analytes in water. In CSPE, analytes are extracted and complexed on the surface of an extraction membrane impregnated with a colorimetric reagent. The analytes are then quantified directly on the membrane surface using a handheld diffuse reflectance spectrophotometer. Importantly, the use of solid-phase extraction membranes as the matrix for impregnation of the colorimetric reagents creates a concentration factor that enables the detection of low concentrations of analytes in small sample volumes. In extending C-SPE to a multiplexed format, a filter holder that incorporates discrete analysis channels and a jig that facilitates the concurrent operation of multiple sample syringes have been designed, enabling the simultaneous determination of multiple analytes. Separate, single analyte membranes, placed in a readout cartridge create unique, analyte-specific addresses at the exit of each channel. Following sample exposure, the diffuse reflectance spectrum of each address is collected serially and the Kubelka-Munk function is used to quantify each water quality parameter via calibration curves. In a demonstration, MC-SPE was used to measure the pH of a sample and quantitate Ag(I) and Ni(II).

  10. Using molecular techniques for rapid detection of Salmonella ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    PRECIOUS

    2010-02-01

    Feb 1, 2010 ... A total of 152 samples of chicken and chicken products ... detection of Salmonella species in the collected field samples ... that 16 million new cases of typhoid fever occur each ... vative methods for the rapid identification of Salmonella ... saved for the PCR-Non Selective test (PCR-NS) and 1 ml of the.

  11. A strain-specific multiplex RT-PCR for Australian rabbit haemorrhagic disease viruses uncovers a new recombinant virus variant in rabbits and hares.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hall, R N; Mahar, J E; Read, A J; Mourant, R; Piper, M; Huang, N; Strive, T

    2018-04-01

    Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV, or GI.1) is a calicivirus in the genus Lagovirus that has been widely utilized in Australia as a biological control agent for the management of overabundant wild European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) populations since 1996. Recently, two exotic incursions of pathogenic lagoviruses have been reported in Australia; GI.1a-Aus, previously called RHDVa-Aus, is a GI.1a virus detected in January 2014, and the novel lagovirus GI.2 (previously known as RHDV2). Furthermore, an additional GI.1a strain, GI.1a-K5 (also known as 08Q712), was released nationwide in March 2017 as a supplementary tool for wild rabbit management. To discriminate between these lagoviruses, a highly sensitive strain-specific multiplex RT-PCR assay was developed, which allows fast, cost-effective and sensitive detection of the four pathogenic lagoviruses currently known to be circulating in Australia. In addition, we developed a universal RT-qPCR assay to be used in conjunction with the multiplex assay that broadly detects all four viruses and facilitates quantification of viral RNA load in samples. These assays enable rapid detection, identification and quantification of pathogenic lagoviruses in the Australian context. Using these assays, a novel recombinant lagovirus was detected in rabbit tissue samples, which contained the non-structural genes of GI.1a-Aus and the structural genes of GI.2. This variant was also recovered from the liver of a European brown hare (Lepus europaeus). The impact of this novel recombinant on Australian wild lagomorph populations and its competitiveness in relation to circulating field strains, particularly GI.2, requires further studies. © 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

  12. High sensitive photonic crystal multiplexed biosensor array using H0 sandwiched cavities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arafa Safia

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available We theoretically investigate a high sensitive photonic crystal integrated biosensor array structure which is potentially used for label-free multiplexed sensing. The proposed device consists of an array of three sandwiched H0 cavities patterned above silicon on insulator (SOI substrate; each cavity has been designed for different cavity spacing and different resonant wavelength. Results obtained by performing finite-difference time-domain (FDTD simulations, indicate that the response of each detection unit shifts independently in terms of refractive index variations. The optimized design makes possible the combination of sensing as a function of location, as well as a function of time in the same platform. A refractive index sensitivity of 520nm/RIU and a quality factor over 104 are both achieved with an accompanied crosstalk of less than -26 dB. In addition, the device presents an improved detection limit (DL of 1.24.10-6 RIU and a wide measurement range. These features make the designed device a promising element for performing label-free multiplexed detection in monolithic substrate for medical diagnostics and environmental monitoring.

  13. Indigenous people's detection of rapid ecological change.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aswani, Shankar; Lauer, Matthew

    2014-06-01

    When sudden catastrophic events occur, it becomes critical for coastal communities to detect and respond to environmental transformations because failure to do so may undermine overall ecosystem resilience and threaten people's livelihoods. We therefore asked how capable of detecting rapid ecological change following massive environmental disruptions local, indigenous people are. We assessed the direction and periodicity of experimental learning of people in the Western Solomon Islands after a tsunami in 2007. We compared the results of marine science surveys with local ecological knowledge of the benthos across 3 affected villages and 3 periods before and after the tsunami. We sought to determine how people recognize biophysical changes in the environment before and after catastrophic events such as earthquakes and tsunamis and whether people have the ability to detect ecological changes over short time scales or need longer time scales to recognize changes. Indigenous people were able to detect changes in the benthos over time. Detection levels differed between marine science surveys and local ecological knowledge sources over time, but overall patterns of statistically significant detection of change were evident for various habitats. Our findings have implications for marine conservation, coastal management policies, and disaster-relief efforts because when people are able to detect ecological changes, this, in turn, affects how they exploit and manage their marine resources. © 2014 Society for Conservation Biology.

  14. Photocleavable DNA Barcoding Antibodies for Multiplexed Protein Analysis in Single Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ullal, Adeeti V; Weissleder, Ralph

    2015-01-01

    We describe a DNA-barcoded antibody sensing technique for single cell protein analysis in which the barcodes are photocleaved and digitally detected without amplification steps (Ullal et al., Sci Transl Med 6:219, 2014). After photocleaving the unique ~70 mer DNA barcodes we use a fluorescent hybridization technology for detection, similar to what is commonly done for nucleic acid readouts. This protocol offers a simple method for multiplexed protein detection using 100+ antibodies and can be performed on clinical samples as well as single cells.

  15. Rapid detection of Avian Influenza Virus - Towards point of care diagnosis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dhumpa, Raghuram

    barcode and fluorescent beads were also developed for rapid detection and identification of the AIV. In both methods, the detection involved sandwiching of the target AIV between monoclonal antibodies for nucleoproteins and for matrix proteins. In the fluorescent DNA barcode-based immunoassay, fluorophore...

  16. Preliminary study of visual effect of multiplex hologram

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, Huaiping; Xiong, Bingheng; Yang, Hong; Zhang, Xueguo

    2004-06-01

    The process of any movement of real object can be recorded and displayed by a multiplex holographic stereogram. An embossing multiplex holographic stereogram and a multiplex rainbow holographic stereogram have been made by us, the multiplex rainbow holographic stereogram reconstructs the dynamic 2D line drawing of speech organs, the embossing multiplex holographic stereogram reconstructs the process of an old man drinking water. In this paper, we studied the visual result of an embossing multiplex holographic stereogram made with 80 films of 2-D pictures. Forty-eight persons of aged from 13 to 67 were asked to see the hologram and then to answer some questions about the feeling of viewing. The results indicate that this kind of holograms could be accepted by human visual sense organ without any problem. This paper also discusses visual effect of the multiplex holography stereograms base on visual perceptual psychology. It is open out that the planar multiplex holograms can be recorded and present the movement of real animal and object. Not only have the human visual perceptual constancy for shape, just as that size, color, etc... but also have visual perceptual constancy for binocular parallax.

  17. Multiplex Real-Time PCR Assay Targeting Eight Parasites Customized to the Korean Population: Potential Use for Detection in Diarrheal Stool Samples from Gastroenteritis Patients.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eun Jeong Won

    Full Text Available Intestinal parasitic diseases occur worldwide and can cause diarrhea or gastroenteritis; however, their diagnosis is quite difficult, especially in low-endemism countries. We developed a multiplex real-time PCR assay for detection of eight intestinal parasites and prospectively evaluated it for patients with gastroenteritis. The assay targeted Cryptosporidium parvum, Giardia lamblia, Entamoeba histolytica, Blastocystis hominis, Dientamoeba fragilis, Clonorchis sinensis, Metagonimus yokogawai, and Gymnophalloides seoi. Performance characteristics were evaluated based on recovery after DNA extraction, analytical sensitivity, specificity, reproducibility, cross-reactivity, and interference characteristics. Clinical performance was validated against microscopy on 123 diarrheal samples. The assay demonstrated strong correlations between DNA concentrations and Ct values (R2, 0.9924-0.9998, and had a high PCR efficiency (83.3%-109.5%. Polymerase chain reactions detected as few as 10-30 copies of genomic DNA, and coefficient of variance was 0-7%. There was no cross-reactivity to the other 54 microorganisms tested. Interference occurred only in presence of high concentrations of erythrocytes or leukocytes. This assay had a higher correct identification rate (100.0% vs. 90.2% and lower incorrect ID rate (0.0% vs. 9.8% when compared to microscopy. Overall, this assay showed a higher sensitivity (100.0%; 95% confidence interval [CI] of 80.5-100.0 than microscopy (29.4%; 95% CI 10.31-55.96, and the specificity levels were comparable for both methods (100.0%; 95% CI 96.58-100.0. This newly developed multiplex real-time PCR assay offers a potential use for detecting intestinal parasitic pathogens customized to the Korean population.

  18. Demonstration of hybrid orbital angular momentum multiplexing and time-division multiplexing passive optical network.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Andong; Zhu, Long; Liu, Jun; Du, Cheng; Mo, Qi; Wang, Jian

    2015-11-16

    Mode-division multiplexing passive optical network (MDM-PON) is a promising scheme for next-generation access networks to further increase fiber transmission capacity. In this paper, we demonstrate the proof-of-concept experiment of hybrid mode-division multiplexing (MDM) and time-division multiplexing (TDM) PON architecture by exploiting orbital angular momentum (OAM) modes. Bidirectional transmissions with 2.5-Gbaud 4-level pulse amplitude modulation (PAM-4) downstream and 2-Gbaud on-off keying (OOK) upstream are demonstrated in the experiment. The observed optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) penalties for downstream and upstream transmissions at a bit-error rate (BER) of 2 × 10(-3) are less than 2.0 dB and 3.0 dB, respectively.

  19. A multiplex single nucleotide polymorphism typing assay for detecting mutations that result in decreased fluoroquinolone susceptibility in Salmonella enterica serovars Typhi and Paratyphi A.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Song, Yajun

    2010-08-01

    OBJECTIVES: Decreased susceptibility to fluoroquinolones has become a major problem for the successful therapy of human infections caused by Salmonella enterica, especially the life-threatening typhoid and paratyphoid fevers. METHODS: By using Luminex xTAG beads, we developed a rapid, reliable and cost-effective multiplexed genotyping assay for simultaneously detecting 11 mutations in gyrA, gyrB and parE of S. enterica serovars Typhi and Paratyphi A that result in nalidixic acid resistance (Nal(R)) and\\/or decreased susceptibility to fluoroquinolones. RESULTS: This assay yielded unambiguous single nucleotide polymorphism calls on extracted DNA from 292 isolates of Salmonella Typhi (Nal(R) = 223 and Nal(S) = 69) and 106 isolates of Salmonella Paratyphi A (Nal(R) = 24 and Nal(S) = 82). All of the 247 Nal(R) Salmonella Typhi and Salmonella Paratyphi A isolates were found to harbour at least one of the target mutations, with GyrA Phe-83 as the most common one (143\\/223 for Salmonella Typhi and 18\\/24 for Salmonella Paratyphi A). We also identified three GyrB mutations in eight Nal(S) Salmonella Typhi isolates (six for GyrB Phe-464, one for GyrB Leu-465 and one for GyrB Asp-466), and mutations GyrB Phe-464 and GyrB Asp-466 seem to be related to the decreased ciprofloxacin susceptibility phenotype in Salmonella Typhi. This assay can also be used directly on boiled single colonies. CONCLUSIONS: The assay presented here would be useful for clinical and reference laboratories to rapidly screen quinolone-resistant isolates of Salmonella Typhi and Salmonella Paratyphi A, and decipher the underlying genetic changes for epidemiological purposes.

  20. A polarization-division multiplexing SSB-OFDM system with beat interference cancellation receivers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Peiling; Ma, Jianxin; Zhang, Junyi

    2018-06-01

    In this paper, we have proposed a polarization-division multiplexing (PDM) single-sideband optical orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (SSB-OOFDM) scheme with signal-signal beat interference cancellation receivers with balanced detection (ICRBD). This system can double channel capacity and improve spectrum efficiency (SE) with the reduced guard band (GB) due to the PDM. Multiple input multiple output (MIMO) technique is used to solve polarization mode dispersion (PMD) associated with channel estimation and equalization. By simulation, we demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed technique for a 2 ×40 Gbit/s 16-QAM SSB-PDM-OOFDM system according to the error vector magnitude (EVM) and the constellation diagrams.

  1. Rapid differentiation of Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and other coagulase-negative staphylococci and meticillin susceptibility testing directly from growth-positive blood cultures by multiplex real-time PCR.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jukes, Leanne; Mikhail, Jane; Bome-Mannathoko, Naledi; Hadfield, Stephen J; Harris, Llinos G; El-Bouri, Khalid; Davies, Angharad P; Mack, Dietrich

    2010-12-01

    This study evaluated a multiplex real-time PCR method specific for the mecA, femA-SA and femA-SE genes for rapid identification of Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and non-S. epidermidis coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS), and meticillin susceptibility testing directly in positive blood cultures that grew Gram-positive cocci in clusters. A total of 100 positive blood cultures produced: 39 S. aureus [12 meticillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), 31% of all the S. aureus]; 30 S. epidermidis (56.6% of the CoNS), 8 Staphylococcus capitis (15.1%), 3 Staphylococcus saprophyticus (5.7%), 4 Staphylococcus hominis (7.5%), 3 Staphylococcus haemolyticus (5.7%), 2 Staphylococcus warneri (3.8%), 1 Staphylococcus cohnii (1.9%) and 2 unidentified Staphylococcus spp. (3.8%); and 1 Micrococcus luteus in pure culture. Two blood cultures had no growth on subculture and five blood cultures grew mixed CoNS. For the 95 blood cultures with pure growth or no growth on subculture, there was very good agreement between real-time PCR and the BD Phoenix identification system for staphylococcal species categorization in S. aureus, S. epidermidis and non-S. epidermidis CoNS and meticillin-resistance determination (Cohen's unweighted kappa coefficient κ=0.882). All MRSA and meticillin-susceptible S. aureus were correctly identified by mecA amplification. PCR amplification of mecA was more sensitive for direct detection of meticillin-resistant CoNS in positive blood cultures than testing with the BD Phoenix system. There were no major errors when identifying staphylococcal isolates and their meticillin susceptibility within 2.5 h. Further studies are needed to evaluate the clinical benefit of using such a rapid test on the consumption of glycopeptide antibiotics and the alteration of empiric therapy in the situation of positive blood cultures growing staphylococci, and the respective clinical outcomes.

  2. Real-time multiplexed digital cavity-enhanced spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boyson, Toby K.; Dagdigian, Paul J.; Pavey, Karl D.; Fitzgerald, Nicholas J.; Spence, Thomas G.; Moore, David S.; Harb, Charles C.

    2015-01-01

    Cavity-enhanced spectroscopy is a sensitive optical absorption technique but one where the practical applications have been limited to studying small wavelength ranges. In addition, this Letter shows that wideband operation can be achieved by combining techniques usually reserved for the communications community with that of cavity-enhanced spectroscopy, producing a multiplexed real-time cavity-enhanced spectrometer. We use multiple collinear laser sources operating asynchronously and simultaneously while being detected on a single photodetector. This is synonymous with radio frequency (RF) cellular systems in which signals are detected on a single antenna but decoded uniquely. Here, we demonstrate results with spectra of methyl salicylate and show parts-per-billion per root hertz sensitivity measured in real-time

  3. Signal multiplexing scheme for LINAC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sujo, C.I.; Mohan, Shyam; Joshi, Gopal; Singh, S.K.; Karande, Jitendra

    2004-01-01

    For the proper operation of the LINAC some signals, RF (radio frequency) as well as LF (low frequency) have to be available at the Master Control Station (MCS). These signals are needed to control, calibrate and characterize the RF fields in the resonators. This can be achieved by proper multiplexing of various signals locally and then routing the selected signals to the MCS. A multiplexing scheme has been designed and implemented, which will allow the signals from the selected cavity to the MCS. High isolation between channels and low insertion loss for a given signal are important issues while selecting the multiplexing scheme. (author)

  4. Use of rapid-scan EPR to improve detection sensitivity for spin-trapped radicals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mitchell, Deborah G; Rosen, Gerald M; Tseitlin, Mark; Symmes, Breanna; Eaton, Sandra S; Eaton, Gareth R

    2013-07-16

    The short lifetime of superoxide and the low rates of formation expected in vivo make detection by standard continuous wave (CW) electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) challenging. The new rapid-scan EPR method offers improved sensitivity for these types of samples. In rapid-scan EPR, the magnetic field is scanned through resonance in a time that is short relative to electron spin relaxation times, and data are processed to obtain the absorption spectrum. To validate the application of rapid-scan EPR to spin trapping, superoxide was generated by the reaction of xanthine oxidase and hypoxanthine with rates of 0.1-6.0 μM/min and trapped with 5-tert-butoxycarbonyl-5-methyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide (BMPO). Spin trapping with BMPO to form the BMPO-OOH adduct converts the very short-lived superoxide radical into a more stable spin adduct. There is good agreement between the hyperfine splitting parameters obtained for BMPO-OOH by CW and rapid-scan EPR. For the same signal acquisition time, the signal/noise ratio is >40 times higher for rapid-scan than for CW EPR. Rapid-scan EPR can detect superoxide produced by Enterococcus faecalis at rates that are too low for detection by CW EPR. Copyright © 2013 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Rapid Detection of Salmonella enterica in Food Using a Compact Disc-Shaped Device

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shunsuke Furutani

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Rapid detection of food-borne pathogens is essential to public health and the food industry. Although the conventional culture method is highly sensitive, it takes at least a few days to detect food-borne pathogens. Even though polymerase chain reaction (PCR can detect food-borne pathogens in a few hours, it is more expensive and unsatisfactorily sensitive relative to the culture method. We have developed a method to rapidly detect Salmonella enterica by using a compact disc (CD-shaped device that can reduce reagent consumption in conventional PCR. The detection method, which combines culture and PCR, is more rapid than the conventional culture method and is more sensitive and cheaper than PCR. In this study, we also examined a sample preparation method that involved collecting bacterial cells from food. The bacteria collected from chicken meat spiked with S. enterica were mixed with PCR reagents, and PCR was performed on the device. At a low concentration of S. enterica, the collected S. enterica was cultured before PCR for sensitive detection. After cultivation for 4 h, S. enterica at 1.7 × 104 colony-forming units (CFUs·g−1 was detected within 8 h, which included the time needed for sample preparation and detection. Furthermore, the detection of 30 CFUs·g−1 of S. enterica was possible within 12 h including 8 h for cultivation.

  6. Use of Tethered Enzymes as a Platform Technology for Rapid Analyte Detection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cohen, Roy; Lata, James P.; Lee, Yurim; Hernández, Jean C. Cruz; Nishimura, Nozomi; Schaffer, Chris B.; Mukai, Chinatsu; Nelson, Jacquelyn L.; Brangman, Sharon A.; Agrawal, Yash; Travis, Alexander J.

    2015-01-01

    Background Rapid diagnosis for time-sensitive illnesses such as stroke, cardiac arrest, and septic shock is essential for successful treatment. Much attention has therefore focused on new strategies for rapid and objective diagnosis, such as Point-of-Care Tests (PoCT) for blood biomarkers. Here we use a biomimicry-based approach to demonstrate a new diagnostic platform, based on enzymes tethered to nanoparticles (NPs). As proof of principle, we use oriented immobilization of pyruvate kinase (PK) and luciferase (Luc) on silica NPs to achieve rapid and sensitive detection of neuron-specific enolase (NSE), a clinically relevant biomarker for multiple diseases ranging from acute brain injuries to lung cancer. We hypothesize that an approach capitalizing on the speed and catalytic nature of enzymatic reactions would enable fast and sensitive biomarker detection, suitable for PoCT devices. Methods and findings We performed in-vitro, animal model, and human subject studies. First, the efficiency of coupled enzyme activities when tethered to NPs versus when in solution was tested, demonstrating a highly sensitive and rapid detection of physiological and pathological concentrations of NSE. Next, in rat stroke models the enzyme-based assay was able in minutes to show a statistically significant increase in NSE levels in samples taken 1 hour before and 0, 1, 3 and 6 hours after occlusion of the distal middle cerebral artery. Finally, using the tethered enzyme assay for detection of NSE in samples from 20 geriatric human patients, we show that our data match well (r = 0.815) with the current gold standard for biomarker detection, ELISA—with a major difference being that we achieve detection in 10 minutes as opposed to the several hours required for traditional ELISA. Conclusions Oriented enzyme immobilization conferred more efficient coupled activity, and thus higher assay sensitivity, than non-tethered enzymes. Together, our findings provide proof of concept for using

  7. Modified DNA extraction for rapid PCR detection of methicillin-resistant staphylococci

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Japoni, A.; Alborzi, A.; Rasouli, M.; Pourabbas, B.

    2004-01-01

    Nosocomial infection caused by methicillin-resistant staphylococci poses a serious problem in many countries. The aim of this study was to rapidly and reliably detect methicillin-resistant-staphylococci in order to suggest appropriate therapy. The presence or absence of the methicillin-resistance gene in 115 clinical isolates of staphylococcus aureus and 50 isolates of coagulase negative staphylococci was examined by normal PCR. DNA extraction for PCR performance was then modified by omission of achromopeptadiase and proteinase K digestion, phenol/chloroform extraction and ethanol precipitation. All isolates with Mic>8 μ g/ml showed positive PCR. No differences in PCR detection have been observed when normal and modified DNA extractions have been performed. Our modified DNA extraction can quickly detect methicillin-resistant staphylococci by PCR. The advantage of rapid DNA extraction extends to both reduction of time and cost of PCR performance. This modified DNA extraction is suitable for different PCR detection, when staphylococci are the subject of DNA analysis

  8. Rapid and specific detection of Asian- and African-lineage Zika viruses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chotiwan, Nunya; Brewster, Connie D; Magalhaes, Tereza; Weger-Lucarelli, James; Duggal, Nisha K; Rückert, Claudia; Nguyen, Chilinh; Garcia Luna, Selene M; Fauver, Joseph R; Andre, Barb; Gray, Meg; Black, William C; Kading, Rebekah C; Ebel, Gregory D; Kuan, Guillermina; Balmaseda, Angel; Jaenisch, Thomas; Marques, Ernesto T A; Brault, Aaron C; Harris, Eva; Foy, Brian D; Quackenbush, Sandra L; Perera, Rushika; Rovnak, Joel

    2017-05-03

    Understanding the dynamics of Zika virus transmission and formulating rational strategies for its control require precise diagnostic tools that are also appropriate for resource-poor environments. We have developed a rapid and sensitive loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay that distinguishes Zika viruses of Asian and African lineages. The assay does not detect chikungunya virus or flaviviruses such as dengue, yellow fever, or West Nile viruses. The assay conditions allowed direct detection of Zika virus RNA in cultured infected cells; in mosquitoes; in virus-spiked samples of human blood, plasma, saliva, urine, and semen; and in infected patient serum, plasma, and semen samples without the need for RNA isolation or reverse transcription. The assay offers rapid, specific, sensitive, and inexpensive detection of the Asian-lineage Zika virus strain that is currently circulating in the Western hemisphere, and can also detect the African-lineage Zika virus strain using separate, specific primers. Copyright © 2017, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

  9. Rapid and specific detection of Asian- and African-lineage Zika viruses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chotiwan, Nunya; Brewster, Connie D.; Magalhaes, Tereza; Weger-Lucarelli, James; Duggal, Nisha K.; Rückert, Claudia; Nguyen, Chilinh; Garcia Luna, Selene M.; Fauver, Joseph R.; Andre, Barb; Gray, Meg; Black, William C.; Kading, Rebekah C.; Ebel, Gregory D.; Kuan, Guillermina; Balmaseda, Angel; Jaenisch, Thomas; Marques, Ernesto T. A.; Brault, Aaron C.; Harris, Eva; Foy, Brian D.; Quackenbush, Sandra L.; Perera, Rushika; Rovnak, Joel

    2017-01-01

    Understanding the dynamics of Zika virus transmission and formulating rational strategies for its control require precise diagnostic tools that are also appropriate for resource-poor environments. We have developed a rapid and sensitive loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay that distinguishes Zika viruses of Asian and African lineages. The assay does not detect chikungunya virus or flaviviruses such as dengue, yellow fever, or West Nile viruses. The assay conditions allowed direct detection of Zika virus RNA in cultured infected cells; in mosquitoes; in virus-spiked samples of human blood, plasma, saliva, urine, and semen; and in infected patient serum, plasma, and semen samples without the need for RNA isolation or reverse transcription. The assay offers rapid, specific, sensitive, and inexpensive detection of the Asian-lineage Zika virus strain that is currently circulating in the Western hemisphere, and can also detect the African-lineage Zika virus strain using separate, specific primers. PMID:28469032

  10. Comparison of Real-Time Multiplex Human Papillomavirus (HPV) PCR Assays with INNO-LiPA HPV Genotyping Extra Assay▿

    OpenAIRE

    Else, Elizabeth A.; Swoyer, Ryan; Zhang, Yuhua; Taddeo, Frank J.; Bryan, Janine T.; Lawson, John; Van Hyfte, Inez; Roberts, Christine C.

    2011-01-01

    Real-time type-specific multiplex human papillomavirus (HPV) PCR assays were developed to detect HPV DNA in samples collected for the efficacy determination of the quadrivalent HPV (type 6, 11, 16, and 18) L1 virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine (Gardasil). Additional multiplex (L1, E6, and E7 open reading frame [ORF]) or duplex (E6 and E7 ORF) HPV PCR assays were developed to detect high-risk HPV types, including HPV type 31 (HPV31), HPV33, HPV35, HPV39, HPV45, HPV51, HPV52, HPV56, HPV58, and H...

  11. Evaluation of a real-time PCR assay for detection and quantification of bacterial DNA directly in blood of preterm neonates with suspected late-onset sepsis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van den Brand, Marre; van den Dungen, Frank A M; Bos, Martine P; van Weissenbruch, Mirjam M; van Furth, A Marceline; de Lange, Annemieke; Rubenjan, Anna; Peters, Remco P H; Savelkoul, Paul H M

    2018-04-22

    Rapid and accurate diagnosis of neonatal sepsis is highly warranted because of high associated morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of a novel multiplex PCR assay for diagnosis of late-onset sepsis and to investigate the value of bacterial DNA load (BDL) determination as a measure of infection severity. This cross-sectional study was conducted in a neonatal intensive care unit. Preterm and/or very low birth weight infants suspected for late-onset sepsis were included. Upon suspicion of sepsis, a whole blood sample was drawn for multiplex PCR to detect the eight most common bacteria causing neonatal sepsis, as well as for blood culture. BDL was determined in episodes with a positive multiplex PCR. In total, 91 episodes of suspected sepsis were investigated, and PCR was positive in 53 (58%) and blood culture in 60 (66%) episodes, yielding no significant difference in detection rate (p = 0.17). Multiplex PCR showed a sensitivity of 77%, specificity of 81%, positive predictive value of 87%, and negative predictive value of 68% compared with blood culture. Episodes with discordant results of PCR and blood culture included mainly detection of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS). C-reactive protein (CRP) level and immature to total neutrophil (I/T) ratio were lower in these episodes, indicating less severe disease or even contamination. Median BDL was high (4.1 log 10 cfu Eq/ml) with a wide range, and was it higher in episodes with a positive blood culture than in those with a negative blood culture (4.5 versus 2.5 log 10 cfu Eq/ml; p PCR provides a powerful assay to enhance rapid identification of the causative pathogen in late-onset sepsis. BDL measurement may be a useful indicator of severity of infection.

  12. Comparison between specific and multiplex reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction for detection of hepatitis A virus, poliovirus and rotavirus in experimentally seeded oysters

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C Coelho

    2003-06-01

    Full Text Available Outbreaks of gastroenteritis have occurred among consumers of raw or undercooked shellfish harvested from faecally polluted waters. A multiplex reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR was applied for the simultaneous detection of hepatitis A virus (HAV, poliovirus (PV and simian rotavirus (RV-SA11 and compared with specific primers for each genome sequence. Three amplified DNA products representing HAV (192 bp, PV (394 bp and RV (278 bp were identified when positive controls were used. However, when tested on experimentally contaminated raw oysters, this method was not able to detect the three viruses simultaneously. This is probably due to the low concentration of viral RNAs present in oyster extract which were partially lost during the extracts preparation.

  13. Multiplex PCR detection of Cryptosporidium sp, Giardia lamblia and Entamoeba histolytica directly from dried stool samples from Guinea-Bissauan children with diarrhoea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mero, Sointu; Kirveskari, Juha; Antikainen, Jenni; Ursing, Johan; Rombo, Lars; Kofoed, Poul-Erik; Kantele, Anu

    2017-09-01

    In developing countries, diarrhoea is the most common cause of death for children under five years of age, with Giardia lamblia, Cryptosporidium and Entamoeba histolytica as the most frequent pathogenic parasites. Traditional microscopy for stool parasites has poor sensitivity and specificity, while new molecular methods may provide more accurate diagnostics. In poor regions with sample storage hampered by uncertain electricity supply, research would benefit from a method capable of analysing dried stools. A real-time multiplex PCR method with internal inhibition control was developed for detecting Giardia lamblia, Cryptosporidium hominis/parvum and Entamoeba histolytica directly from stool specimens. Applicability to dried samples was checked by comparing with fresh ones in a small test material. Finally, the assay was applied to dried specimens collected from Guinea-Bissauan children with diarrhoea. The PCR's analytical sensitivity limit was 0.1 ng/ml for G. lamblia DNA, 0.01 ng/ml for E. histolytica DNA and 0.1 ng/ml for Cryptosporidium sp. In the test material, the assay performed similarly with fresh and dried stools. Of the 52 Guinea-Bissauan samples, local microscopy revealed a parasite in 15%, while PCR detected 62% positive for at least one parasite: 44% of the dried samples had Giardia, 23% Cryptosporidium and 0% E. histolytica. Our new multiplex real-time PCR for protozoa presents a sensitive method applicable to dried samples. As proof of concept, it worked well on stools collected from Guinea-Bissauan children with diarrhoea. It provides an epidemiological tool for analysing dried specimens from regions poor in resources.

  14. Disposable inkjet-printed electrochemical platform for detection of clinically relevant HER-2 breast cancer biomarker.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carvajal, Susanita; Fera, Samantha N; Jones, Abby L; Baldo, Thaisa A; Mosa, Islam M; Rusling, James F; Krause, Colleen E

    2018-05-01

    Rapidly fabricated, disposable sensor platforms hold tremendous promise for point-of-care detection. Here, we present an inexpensive (Receptor 2 (HER-2). Capture antibodies were bound to a chemically modified surface on the WEA and placed into a microfluidic device. A full sandwich immunoassay was constructed following a simultaneous injection of target protein, biotinylated antibody, and polymerized horseradish peroxide labels into the microfluidic device housing the WEA. With an ultra fast assay time, of only 15mins a clinically relevant limit of detection of 12pgmL -1 was achieved. Excellent reproducibility and sensitivity were observed through recovery assays preformed in human serum with recoveries ranging from 76% to 103%. These easily fabricated and scalable electrochemical sensor platforms can be readily adapted for multiplex detection following this rapid assay protocol for cancer diagnostics. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Simultaneous Detection of Key Bacterial Pathogens Related to Pneumonia and Meningitis Using Multiplex PCR Coupled With Mass Spectrometry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chi Zhang

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Pneumonia and meningitis continue to present an enormous public health burden and pose a major threat to young children. Among the causative organisms of pneumonia and meningitis, bacteria are the most common causes of serious disease and deaths. It is challenging to accurately and rapidly identify these agents. To solve this problem, we developed and validated a 12-plex PCR coupled with matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS method (bacterial pathogen-mass spectrometry, BP-MS that can be used to simultaneously screen for 11 key bacterial pathogens related to pneumonia and meningitis. Forty-six nasopharyngeal swabs and 12 isolates were used to determine the specificity of the method. The results showed that, using the BP-MS method, we could accurately identify the expected bacteria without cross-reactivity with other pathogens. For the 11 target bacterial pathogens, the analytical sensitivity of the BP-MS method was as low as 10 copies/reaction. To further evaluate the clinical effectiveness of this method, 204 nasopharyngeal swabs from hospitalized children with suspected pneumonia were tested using this method. In total, 81.9% (167/204 of the samples were positive for at least one of the 11 target pathogens. Among the 167 bacteria-positive samples, the rate of multiple infections was 55.7% (93/167, and the most frequent combination was Streptococcus pneumoniae with Haemophilus influenzae, representing 46.2% (43/93 two-pathogen mixed infections. We used real-time PCR and nested PCR to confirm positive results, with identical results obtained for 81.4% (136/167 of the samples. The BP-MS method is a sensitive and specific molecular detection technique in a multiplex format and with high sample throughput. Therefore, it will be a powerful tool for pathogen screening and antibiotic selection at an early stage of disease.

  16. Rapid antemortem detection of CWD prions in deer saliva.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Davin M Henderson

    Full Text Available Chronic wasting disease (CWD is an efficiently transmitted prion disease of cervids, now identified in 22 United States, 2 Canadian provinces and Korea. One hallmark of CWD is the shedding of infectious prions in saliva, as demonstrated by bioassay in deer. It is also clear that the concentration of prions in saliva, blood, urine and feces is much lower than in the nervous system or lymphoid tissues. Rapid in vitro detection of CWD (and other prions in body fluids and excreta has been problematic due to the sensitivity limits of direct assays (western blotting, ELISA and the presence of inhibitors in these complex biological materials that hamper detection. Here we use real-time quaking induced conversion (RT-QuIC to demonstrate CWD prions in both diluted and prion-enriched saliva samples from asymptomatic and symptomatic white-tailed deer. CWD prions were detected in 14 of 24 (58.3% diluted saliva samples from CWD-exposed white-tailed deer, including 9 of 14 asymptomatic animals (64.2%. In addition, a phosphotungstic acid enrichment enhanced the RT-QuIC assay sensitivity, enabling detection in 19 of 24 (79.1% of the above saliva samples. Bioassay in Tg[CerPrP] mice confirmed the presence of infectious prions in 2 of 2 RT-QuIC-positive saliva samples so examined. The modified RT-QuIC analysis described represents a non-invasive, rapid ante-mortem detection of prions in complex biologic fluids, excreta, or environmental samples as well as a tool for exploring prion trafficking, peripheralization, and dissemination.

  17. Laguerre Gaussian beam multiplexing through turbulence

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Trichili, A

    2014-08-17

    Full Text Available We analyze the effect of atmospheric turbulence on the propagation of multiplexed Laguerre Gaussian modes. We present a method to multiplex Laguerre Gaussian modes using digital holograms and decompose the resulting field after encountering a...

  18. Multifunctional Nanotechnology-Enabled Sensors for Rapid Capture and Detection of Pathogens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mustafa, Fatima; Hassan, Rabeay Y A; Andreescu, Silvana

    2017-09-15

    Nanomaterial-based sensing approaches that incorporate different types of nanoparticles (NPs) and nanostructures in conjunction with natural or synthetic receptors as molecular recognition elements provide opportunities for the design of sensitive and selective assays for rapid detection of contaminants. This review summarizes recent advancements over the past ten years in the development of nanotechnology-enabled sensors and systems for capture and detection of pathogens. The most common types of nanostructures and NPs, their modification with receptor molecules and integration to produce viable sensing systems with biorecognition, amplification and signal readout are discussed. Examples of all-in-one systems that combine multifunctional properties for capture, separation, inactivation and detection are also provided. Current trends in the development of low-cost instrumentation for rapid assessment of food contamination are discussed as well as challenges for practical implementation and directions for future research.

  19. The application of automatic chemiluminescence machine in rapid immune detection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lin Aizhen; Li Xuanwei; Chen Binhong; Li Zhenqian; Chen Zhaoxuan

    2004-01-01

    Objective: To provide high-quality, rapid and dependable result for clinical practice, and give satisfactory service to patients of different economical status by supplementation with other labeling immune examination. With an innovative attitude, we carried out efficient technical reform on ACS180 automatic chemiluminescence machine, making it possible for patients to complete the whole process including examination, check-out, diagnosis and getting drugs. The reported will be issued within an hour, thus a rapid immune detection service was established in out-patients department. Methods: 1. ACS-180 automatic chemiluminescence machine is used based on the principle of chemiluminescence immune methods. 2. The reagents are provided by Ciba-Comig Company of USA, composed of anti acridinium ester antibody of liquid phase and particulate antigen of solid phase wrapped in magnetic powder. 3. Calibration and quality control: high and low concentration are set for each calibration fluid with attached standard curve. Product for quality controlling includes three concentration of low, moderate and high. Results: 1. rapid machine detection for sample: serum is replaced with plasma coagulated by heparin, and comparison among series of methods using serum or plasma suggest no significant difference exists. 2. The problem about fasting detection: chemiluminescence machine measure optical density directly, with the results hardly being influenced by turbidity. But attention should be paid to the treatment of lipid turbid samples. 3. Other innovations: (1) direct placement of sample tube on machine: a cushion is placed on sample plate to transfer sample to machine directly after centrifugation, saving time and reducing the accident in sample transference. (2) for HCG quantification in blood and urine, 'gold criteria' is used firstly in screening to determine approximately the dilution range, with an advantage of saving time and reagent as well as accuracy. (3) we design a

  20. High-throughput screening of cellulase F mutants from multiplexed plasmid sets using an automated plate assay on a functional proteomic robotic workcell

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qureshi Nasib

    2006-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The field of plasmid-based functional proteomics requires the rapid assay of proteins expressed from plasmid libraries. Automation is essential since large sets of mutant open reading frames are being cloned for evaluation. To date no integrated automated platform is available to carry out the entire process including production of plasmid libraries, expression of cloned genes, and functional testing of expressed proteins. Results We used a functional proteomic assay in a multiplexed setting on an integrated plasmid-based robotic workcell for high-throughput screening of mutants of cellulase F, an endoglucanase from the anaerobic fungus Orpinomyces PC-2. This allowed us to identify plasmids containing optimized clones expressing mutants with improved activity at lower pH. A plasmid library of mutagenized clones of the celF gene with targeted variations in the last four codons was constructed by site-directed PCR mutagenesis and transformed into Escherichia coli. A robotic picker integrated into the workcell was used to inoculate medium in a 96-well deep well plate, combining the transformants into a multiplexed set in each well, and the plate was incubated on the workcell. Plasmids were prepared from the multiplexed culture on the liquid handler component of the workcell and used for in vitro transcription/translation. The multiplexed expressed recombinant proteins were screened for improved activity and stability in an azo-carboxymethylcellulose plate assay. The multiplexed wells containing mutants with improved activity were identified and linked back to the corresponding multiplexed cultures stored in glycerol. Spread plates were prepared from the glycerol stocks and the workcell was used to pick single colonies from the spread plates, prepare plasmid, produce recombinant protein, and assay for activity. The screening assay and subsequent deconvolution of the multiplexed wells resulted in identification of improved Cel