VLD 421: Veterinary Clinical Biochemistry and Laboratory Diagnosis-II (0+1)

Molecular techniques based Bacterial Identification.

BACTERIAL IDENTIFICATION

• The phenotypic procedures for the detection and characterization of bacteria is having some limitations. The molecular techniques have proven beneficial in overcoming some limitations of traditional phenotypic procedures.. Real time PCR and microarrays are currently, the most commonly employed molecular techniques.

Real Time PCR Based Bacterial Identification

• In recent years, real-time PCR methods have been developed and described for the rapid detection and identification of several bacterial strains. Real time PCR is highly sensitive and allows quantitation of bacteria at a species level.
• Using a DNA based assay, one can easily detect bacterial strains directly from clinical samples or from small amounts of cultured bacterial cells. PCR has been particularly useful in this regard, which relies on primer sequences designed to facilitate bacterial identification at any level of specificity, strain, species or genus.

Microarray Based Bacterial Identification

• Microarray based bacterial identification relies on the hybridization of preamplified bacterial DNA sequences to arrayed species-specific oligonucleotides. Each probe is tagged with a different colored dye which fluoresces upon hybridization. This method is versatile and makes it possible to detect and discriminate different bacterial samples on a single slide.