Molecular Bacteriology Protocols And Clinical Applications

The enormous advances in molecular biology that have been witnessed in . Not recent years have had major impacts on many areas of the biological sciences least of these has been in the field of clinical bacteriology and infectious disease . Molecular Bacteriology: Protocols and ClinicalApplications aims to provide the reader with an insight into the role that molecular methodology has to play in modern medical bacteriology. The introductory chapter ofMolecular Bacteriology: ProtocolsandCli- cal Applications offers a personal overview by a Consultant Medical Microbio- gist of the impact and future potential offered by molecular methods. The next six chapters comprise detailed protocols for a range of such methods . We believe that the use of these protocols should allow the reader to establish the various methods described in his or her own laboratory. In selecting the methods to be included in this section, we have concentrated on those that, arguably, have greatest current relevance to reference clinical bacteriology laboratories; we have deliberately chosen not to give detailed protocols for certain methods, such as multilocus enzyme electrophoresis that, in our opinion, remain the preserve of specialist la- ratories and that are not currently suited for general use. We feel that the methods included in this section will find increasing use in diagnostic laboratories and that it is important that the concepts, advantages, and limitations of each are th- oughly understood by a wide range of workers in the field .

The field of bacterial diagnostics has seen unprecedented advances in recent years. The increased need for accurate detection and identification of bacteria in human, animal, food, and environmental samples has fueled the development of new techniques. The field has seen extensive research aided by the information from bacterial genome sequencing projects. Although traditional methods of bacterial detection and identification remain in use in laboratories around the world, there is now a growing trend toward the use of nucleic ac- based diagnostics and alternative biochemically and immunologically based formats. The ultimate goal of all diagnostic tests is the accurate detection, identification, or typing of microorganisms in samples of interest. Although the resulting information is of obvious use in the areas of patient management, animal health, and quality control, it is also of use in monitoring routes of infection and outlining strategies for infection control. There is, therefore, a need to ensure that the information being provided is of the highest standard and that any new technique is capable of delivering this.

This work presents an overview of the clinical pathology of mycobacterial and nonpathogens, data on genetically based methodologies for clinical testing, straightforward protocols for molecular manipulations, and theoretical explanations of the molecular mechanisms involved. It explains the safest and most efficient methods for detecting mycobacterium avium complex, providing the means to combat this common secondary opportunistic infection in AIDS patients.

In Clinical Applications of Capillary Electrophoresis, Stephen Palfrey brings together for first time a collection of detailed capillary electrophoresis protocols designed exclusively for clinical applications. Written by the leading scientists who have often perfected these methods in their own laboratories, the protocols furnish new and more powerful assays for many routine serum and blood tests now regularly performed in clinical laboratories, including urine protein analysis, hemoglobin separation, and the detection of CSF proteins, lipoproteins, myoglobin, cryoglobulins, HbA1c, and cathepsin. The protocols offered for DNA studies include double-stranded DNA analysis, the prenatal diagnosis of Down's syndrome, Rh D/d genotyping, the identification of mutated p53 oncogene, and the detection of microsatellite instability in cancers. Many of the methods can be automated to replace the more costly and labor-intensive tests that are currently used in most clinical laboratories. Clinical Applications of Capillary Electrophoresis demonstrates clearly the simplicity, versatility, and power of CE over conventional methods. It offers to beginning clinical investigators, as well as established laboratories new to the technique, a representative range of highly practical CE methods-assays that are not only certain to become ever more productive, but are already eminently useful today.

This volume provides a comprehensive collection of protocols on molecular diagnostics of bacteria that will suit the needs of molecular biologists, clinical laboratorians, and physician scientists alike. Chapters detail common bacterial pathogens, protocols that can be applied to diverse or even unknown pathogens, digital PCR, next generation sequencing, and bioinformatic analyses. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Diagnostic Bacteriology: Methods and Protocols delivers a wide range of assay types all on the cutting edge of diagnostic bacteriology.

Not another textbook, but a valuable tool for doctors and microbiologists wanting to know how to set up a PCR diagnostic microbiology laboratory according to current regulatory standards and perform assays supplied with patient clinical diagnostic criteria and easy to follow protocols. Whether laboratories are using commercial kits or in-house methods developed in their own laboratories or adopted from published methods, all clinical microbiology laboratories need to be able to understand, critically evaluate, perform and interpret these tests according to rigorous and clinically appropriate standards and international guidelines. The cost and effort of development and evaluation of in-house tests is considerable and many laboratories do not have the resources to do so. This compendium is a vehicle to improve and maintain the clinical relevance and high quality of diagnostic PCR. It is a unique collection of; guidelines for PCR laboratory set up and quality control, test selection criteria, methods and detailed step by step protocols for a diagnostic assays in the field of molecular microbiology. The structure of the book provides the PCR fundamentals and describes the clinical aspects and diagnosis of infectious disease. This is followed by protocols divided into; bacteria, virus, fungi and parasites, and susceptibility screens. The inclusion of medical criteria and interpretation adds value to the compendium and benefits clinicians, scientists, researchers and students of clinical diagnostic microbiology

Presenting the latest molecular diagnostic techniques in one comprehensive volume The molecular diagnostics landscape has changed dramatically since the last edition of Molecular Microbiology: Diagnostic Principles and Practice in 2011. With the spread of molecular testing and the development of new technologies and their opportunities, laboratory professionals and physicians more than ever need a resource to help them navigate this rapidly evolving field. Editors David Persing and Fred Tenover have brought together a team of experienced researchers and diagnosticians to update this third edition comprehensively, to present the latest developments in molecular diagnostics in the support of clinical care and of basic and clinical research, including next-generation sequencing and whole-genome analysis. These updates are provided in an easy-to-read format and supported by a broad range of practical advice, such as determining the appropriate type and quantity of a specimen, releasing and concentrating the targets, and eliminating inhibitors. Molecular Microbiology: Diagnostic Principles and Practice Presents the latest basic scientific theory underlying molecular diagnostics Offers tested and proven applications of molecular diagnostics for the diagnosis of infectious diseases, including point-of-care testing Illustrates and summarizes key concepts and techniques with detailed figures and tables Discusses emerging technologies, including the use of molecular typing methods for real-time tracking of infectious outbreaks and antibiotic resistance Advises on the latest quality control and quality assurance measures Explores the increasing opportunities and capabilities of information technology Molecular Microbiology: Diagnostic Principles and Practice is a textbook for molecular diagnostics courses that can also be used by anyone involved with diagnostic test selection and interpretation. It is also a useful reference for laboratories and as a continuing education resource for physicians.

This latest addition to the Methods in Molecular Medicine series, Anti- ral Methods and Protocols, is opportune because there is an increasing int- est in discovering compounds that are effective against both chronic and acute viral infections. A number of the methods described in the volume are unp- lished and their inclusion indicates the speed at which this field is moving. This volume is not a review but each chapter contains methods validated by the experts who have spent time in developing the protocols. The hallmark of this series is the comprehensive way in which the me- ods are described, which includes a list of all the reagents needed for each protocol. Of importance is the section on tips and pitfalls that the authors have discovered while developing their protocols. The manual itself is designed to be used by researchers in universities and industry who are familiar with a range of biological techniques but who want to set up quickly a novel assay system. We encourage a dialog between readers and authors, which may also result in useful collaborations.