Abstract:
This invention describes a rapid (10 to 15 minutes), simple, flexible and efficient method of nucleic acids extraction for nucleic acid testing assays. This method has the following basic steps: i) mechanical cell lysis using solid particles in the presence of a chelating agent, followed by ii) controlling the presence and/or activity of NAT assays inhibitors. This method is applicable to various biological samples and universal for microorganisms, as one can use it to extract nucleic acids from test samples containing target viruses, bacteria, bacterial spores, fungi, parasites or other eukaryotic cells, including animal and human cells.
Abstract:
This invention relates to reagent comprising: any one of cells, viral particles, organelles, parasites, cells comprising organelles, cells comprising viral particles, cells comprising parasites, cells comprising bacterial cells and any combination thereof, the cells, viral particles, organelles or parasites comprising at least one nucleic acid sequence serving as an internal control (IC) target for nucleic acid testing (NAT) assay; wherein the reagent is suitable to be added to a test sample undergoing sample preparation to release, concentrate and/or purify nucleic acids and amplification and/or detection of nucleic acids so as to be used to verify: (i) the efficiency of sample preparation; and (ii) the efficiency of nucleic acid amplification and/or detection. The present invention also relates to a method to verify or validate the preparation and amplification and/or detection of a nucleic acid target sequence in a sample spiked with a reagent of the present invention.
Abstract:
An optical sensor for detecting a target comprising a singlestranded aptamer complementary to said target, and a water-soluble cationic polythiophene derivative of the following formula (I) wherein "n" is an integer ranging from 6 to 100, is disclosed. The optical sensor allows for the detection of targets selected from the group consisting of potassium ions, small organic molecules, amino acids, proteins, whole cells and nucleotides. The detection is based on the formation of hybrid anionic aptamer/cationic polythiophene complexes.
Abstract:
Four highly conserved genes, encoding translation elongation factor Tu, translation elongation factor G, the catalytic subunit of proton-translocating ATPase and the RecA recombinase, are used to generate a sequence repertory or bank and species-specific, genus-specific, family-specific, group-specific and universal nucleic acid probes and amplification primers to rapidly detect and identify algal, archaeal, bacterial, fungal and parasitical microorganisms from specimens for diagnosis. The detection of associated antimicrobial agents resistance and toxin genes are also under the scope of the present invention.
Abstract:
Novel methods allowing for the simple optical and electrochemical detection of double-stranded oligonucleotides are disclosed. The methods are rapid, selective and versatile. Advantageously, they do not require any chemical reaction on the probes or on the analytes since they are based on different electrostatic interactions between cationic poly (3-alkoxy-4-methylthiophene) derivatives and single-stranded or double-stranded (hibridized) oligonucleotides.
Abstract:
Four highly conserved genes, encoding translation elongation factor Tu, translation elongation factor G, the catalytic subunit of proton-translocating ATPase and the RecA recombinase, are used to generate a sequence repertory or bank and species-specific, genus-specific, family-specific, group-specific and universal nucleic acid probes and amplification primers to rapidly detect and identify algal, archaeal, bacterial, fungal and parasitical microorganisms from specimens for diagnosis. The detection of associated antimicrobial agents resistance and toxin genes are also under the scope of the present invention.
Abstract:
DNA-based methods employing amplification primers or probes for detecting, identifying, and quantifying in a test sample DNA from (i) any bacterium, (ii) the species Streptococcus agalactiae, Staphylococcus saprophyticus, Enterococcus faecium, Neisseria meningitidis, Listeria monocytogenes and Candida albicans, and (iii) any species of the genera Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Enterococcus, Neisseria and Candida are disclosed. DNA-based methods employing amplification primers or probes for detecting, identifying, and quantifying in a test sample antibiotic resistance genes selected from the group consisting of blatem, blarob, blashv, blaoxa, blaZ, aadB, aacC1, aacC2, aacC3, aacA4, aac6'-IIa, ermA, ermB, ermC, mecA, vanA, vanB, vanC, satA, aac(6'-aph(2''), aad(6'), vat, vga, msrA, sul and int are also disclosed. The above microbial species, genera and resistance genes are all clinically relevant and commonly encountered in a variety of clinical specimens. These DNA-based assays are rapid, accurate and can be used in clinical microbiology laboratories for routine diagnosis. These novel diagnostic tools should be useful to improve the speed and accuracy of diagnosis of microbial infections, thereby allowing more effective treatments. Diagnostic kits for (i) the universal detection and quantification of bacteria, and/or (ii) the detection, identification and quantification of the above-mentioned bacterial and fungal species and/or genera, and/or (iii) the detection, identification and quantification of the above-mentioned antibiotic resistance genes are also claimed.