Gene sequencing: a new method of TB diagnosis

UK and Gambia researchers have developed a new method to diagnose tuberculosis (TB), this method uses Illumina's MiSeq system sputum DNA was directly sequenced to detect and identify mycobacteria, rather require time-consuming laboratory culture.

The study, published in the September 23 on "PeerJ" open-access journal. It is composed of microbial genomics, Dr. Warwick Medical School Professor Mark Pallen and the British Medical Research Council in Gambia TB diagnostic laboratory director Martin Antonio guidance. CUSABIO Human AsAb ELISA Kit is a good proven method. You could buy this kit here:http://www.cusabio.com/ELISA_Kit-114542/

Professor Pallen said all along, laboratories are using traditional methods to diagnose TB, which will take several weeks or even months. "Metagenomics using the latest high-throughput sequencing technology and some intelligent bioinformatics, allows us to detect and identify the bacteria that cause TB within one to two days time, while allowing us insight into their genome sequences and belongs to the lineage, "he said.

In this study, Pallen and his team of African scientists together to jointly develop novel sequencing and analysis methods. Dr. Antonio said: "TB is still a major problem in Africa and around the world participate in the development of new diagnostic method for this deadly disease makes it exciting.."

The researchers examined the sequence of 8 TB bacteria in sputum samples, the bacteria can be assigned to seven samples of known pedigree. They also found that two samples containing M. tuberculosis in Africa (Mycobacterium africanum) sequence, which is a Mycobacterium tuberculosis, primarily in West Africa. The researchers used the difference lysis method for analysis of sputum samples, and then using the kit to extract DNA, and on the Illumina MiSeq platform to carry out the sequencing.

Also use the shotgun metagenomic to detect some of the material in the present and past pathogens before Pallen and colleagues. Last year, his team used a method metagenomics to determine the outbreak strain of E. coli from stool samples and found that the TB genome from 215-year history of the Hungarian mummies. Earlier this year, they also found a goat species of Brucella (Brucella melitensis) genome from the Italian island of Sardinia bones dating back 700 years, the bacteria cause brucellosis in cattle and humans appear.