BIO 431
HEALTH MICROBIOLOGY
II- Molecular and visual diagnostic methods
• Nucleic Acid Methods
• Diagnostic Virology
Nucleic acid hybridization
• Nucleic acid hybridization is a powerful diagnostic tool used in the diagnosis of microorganisms.
Nucleic acid hybridization
• To design a probe, a nucleic acid sequence specific to the microorganism of interest must be present. The most common use of probe- based technology is mostly seen in gene amplification (PCR) methods.
Nucleic acid hybridization
• Various DNA-based methods are used especially in clinical, food and research laboratories.
• In vitro virus production can only be achieved in tissue culture. Therefore, most diagnostic techniques in which viral diagnostics are performed are not dependent on viral development, but are routinely based on viral nucleic acid techniques and immunoassays.
Electron microscopy techniques are useful for direct monitoring of viruses in host samples.
