qPCR for Pathogen Identification Before Antibiotic Regimens
With awareness of global disease transmission higher than ever before, the need for proper tools to support international surveillance efforts is growing. Currently, half of all antibiotic treatment regimens are started without proper diagnosis of a pathogen, meaning an unsuitable antibiotic is used in 30-50% of infections.
Antibiotic Misuse is a Global Threat
Antibiotic misuse is both an individual and public health problem. Patients who are prescribed the wrong antibiotic might deal with worsening symptoms, reinfection, or co-infections. And on a global level, rampant antibiotic misuse and overuse contribute to antibiotic resistance – a looming threat with grave ramifications.
Antibiotic resistance currently contributes to 700,000 deaths annually, and is expected to rise to 10 million annual deaths and a global economic loss of $100T by 2050. Once antibiotic resistance begins to spread, it will be difficult to control. Current data collection methods are limited, so there is a pressing need for accurate microbial identification for data sharing, early detection, and rapid response. By establishing effective practices, health agencies throughout the world can synchronize surveillance efforts, contain outbreaks, and prevent the spread of resistant microbes.
It’s time to stop treating patients based on educated guesses and start using the tools we already have at our disposal. Leveraging the latest technology in molecular diagnostics can inform more rapid and appropriate patient care, enabling precision medicine and fighting the rise of antibiotic resistance.
qPCR Enables Molecular Diagnostics
Precise Answers to Treat Illnesses
Molecular testing is revolutionizing diagnostics and enabling a new era of advanced precision medicine. Molecular diagnostics can provide researchers with precise answers to treat illnesses, from cancer to infectious diseases – especially those with historic diagnostic challenges.
Molecular diagnostics approaches offer fast turnaround times for detecting, quantifying, and typing different microbial agents. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology is currently the gold standard for molecular diagnostics, as cultured bacteria are sources of data for antibiotic susceptibility, complete subtyping, and antigen expression.
Real-time, or quantitative PCR (qPCR) is a variation of PCR that includes an added step of reverse transcription from RNA to DNA, which allows for amplification and therefore more precise quantification of microbial targets.
Because data are collected during the reaction and no post-reaction processing is required, qPCR offers much faster turnaround times than conventional PCR, making it an ideal method for fast diagnostics. qPCR can therefore be leveraged to quickly identify specific bacteria serogroups or serotypes, which can give answers about antibiotic susceptibility and inform appropriate, timely treatment decisions.
qPCR is highly sensitive for amplifying specific, low-level DNA targets. But achieving the highest levels of sensitivity means qPCR reactions must be free of extraneous background DNA. For more accurate molecular diagnostics, the best qPCR master mix is one that reduces the risk of background noise by minimizing extraneous DNA in the reagent itself.
Thermo Fisher offers an entire ecosystem of PCR solutions, including our innovative QuantStudioTM Dx instruments. But qPCR testing can be limited in its sensitivity and reliability by the reagents used. That’s why we’ve developed a complete line of end-to-end workflow solutions designed to enhance molecular diagnostics, including our new qPCR master mix for microbial detection.
Introducing the Applied BiosystemsTM TaqPathTM BactoPureTM Microbial Detection qPCR Master Mix
TaqPath BactoPure qPCR master mix is a highly sensitive and specific solution that offers many benefits for use in molecular diagnostics applications, including:
Reproducible, sensitive detection with no background noise
- Extremely sensitive detection with clear differentiation from samples containing only 1 copy of template/m
- High detection sensitivity that is reproducible across multiple different qPCR platforms.
- Virtually free of background DNA, while some other suppliers’ mixes either show detectible background noise or fail to produce a signal.
Wide dynamic range:
- Reliable detection from as low as 1 copy/mL through 2 x108 copies/μL, even in the presence of PCR inhibitors commonly found in cell culture for more accurate diagnostics, even at low levels.
Lot-to-Lot Consistency:
- Manufactured in an ISO 13485-certified and FDA-registered facility that adheres to cGMP practices to enable exceptional lot-to-lot performance consistency and comparability for enhanced confidence in molecular detection.
Learn More
TaqPath BactoPure Microbial Detection Master Mix
» Read the white paper
TaqPath BactoPure Microbial Detection Master Mix supports low-level target detection for biopharmaceutical and molecular diagnostic applications
Molecular diagnostics methods like qPCR testing have the potential to revolutionize infectious disease testing for enhanced precision medicine and global antibiotic resistance surveillance. Leveraging the right supporting technology, including the best qPCR master mix and instruments possible, can give you the insights you need for fast and accurate results.
Ready to try the TaqPath BactoPure Master Mix?
» Request a free sample