Technology Tests for Unwanted Microorganisms
- Wednesday, 01 January 2014
Clinical and industrial instruments, clothing, gloves, and work surfaces may contain or acquire microorganisms, which flourish or grow as a function of the environment in which they are located. Such growth may lead to the proliferation of toxin- or allergen-producing pathogenic organisms. Using nucleic acids, a new technology provides a more sensitive, convenient, and less costly way to test for the presence of unwanted microorganisms.
The innovation provides a process for collecting microorganisms’ nucleic acids from a particulate sample. An aliquot of a particulate sample enrichment broth is mixed with a nucleic acid binding solution, thereby lysing the microorganisms. The elution buffer, which contains the microorganisms, is then expelled. The test costs less than 20% of commercially available kits.