We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress
Sign In
Advertise with Us
PURITAN MEDICAL

Download Mobile App




Events

09 Apr 2024 - 12 Apr 2024
15 Apr 2024 - 17 Apr 2024
23 Apr 2024 - 26 Apr 2024

Colorimetric Test Devised for Tuberculosis in Developing Areas

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 28 Dec 2015
Print article
Image: The ND-1000 spectrophotometer (Photo courtesy of NanoDrop).
Image: The ND-1000 spectrophotometer (Photo courtesy of NanoDrop).
A rapid, sensitive and low-cost method has been devised for detecting tuberculosis (TB), a highly infectious disease and a major global health problem, especially in countries with developing health care systems.

The typical way that physicians screen for TB, which is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), is with a tuberculin skin test or an examination of a patient's sputum under a microscope. To weed out false positives, a more reliable test that involves growing Mtb cultures can be performed, but that requires weeks to complete.

Scientists at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (St Lucia, QLD, Australia) and their colleagues began with a newly created nucleic acid amplification test that does not require expensive laboratory equipment to detect Mtb, but this modified test typically uses costly fluorescence technology to read the results. The team substituted the fluorescence detector with a colorimetric assay that changes to a blue hue if the infection is present, allowing health care workers to identify positive test results right away with the naked eye.

The team employed a modified Solid Phase Reversible Immobilization (SPRI) protocol) with Guanidium-HCl lysis buffer to sample for genomic DNA (gDNA) from Mtb cells. Nucleic acid amplification was performed with the TwistAmp Basic RPA Kit (TwistDx Limited; Cambridge, UK). They devised a simple colorimetric assay that utilizes the chemical oxidation of 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) by isothermally functionalized DNA targets as a sensitive and specific biosensor for the detection of tuberculosis. Absorbance was determined with the ND-1000spectrophotometer (NanoDrop; Wilmington, DE, USA). Ampometry responses were measured on a workstation potentiostat (CH Instruments; Austin, TX, USA).

The team demonstrated how the modified diagnostic could be put on cheap, disposable electrochemical sensors for increased sensitivity, even in the field. Because the assay is inexpensive, quick and highly specific for the Mtb bacterium, the scientists say it could have a big impact in low-resource communities. The assays are inexpensive at USD 3.00, takes only 75 minutes, sensitive as approaching a single cell, and highly specific to M. tuberculosis. The study was published on November 30, 2015, in the journal ACS Sensors.

Related Links:

Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology 
TwistDx Limited 
NanoDrop


Platinum Member
COVID-19 Rapid Test
OSOM COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test
Specimen Collection & Transport
Complement 3 (C3) Test
GPP-100 C3 Kit
New
Gold Member
Magnetic Bead Separation Modules
MAG and HEATMAG

Print article

Channels

Clinical Chemistry

view channel
Image: Reaching speeds up to 6,000 RPM, this centrifuge forms the basis for a new type of inexpensive, POC biomedical test (Photo courtesy of Duke University)

POC Biomedical Test Spins Water Droplet Using Sound Waves for Cancer Detection

Exosomes, tiny cellular bioparticles carrying a specific set of proteins, lipids, and genetic materials, play a crucial role in cell communication and hold promise for non-invasive diagnostics.... Read more

Molecular Diagnostics

view channel
Image: MOF materials efficiently enrich cfDNA and cfRNA in blood through simple operational process (Photo courtesy of Science China Press)

Blood Circulating Nucleic Acid Enrichment Technique Enables Non-Invasive Liver Cancer Diagnosis

The ability to diagnose diseases early can significantly enhance the effectiveness of clinical treatments and improve survival rates. One promising approach for non-invasive early diagnosis is the use... Read more

Hematology

view channel
Image: The low-cost portable device rapidly identifies chemotherapy patients at risk of sepsis (Photo courtesy of 52North Health)

POC Finger-Prick Blood Test Determines Risk of Neutropenic Sepsis in Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy

Neutropenia, a decrease in neutrophils (a type of white blood cell crucial for fighting infections), is a frequent side effect of certain cancer treatments. This condition elevates the risk of infections,... Read more

Pathology

view channel
Image: The OvaCis Rapid Test discriminates benign from malignant epithelial ovarian cysts (Photo courtesy of INEX)

Intra-Operative POC Device Distinguishes Between Benign and Malignant Ovarian Cysts within 15 Minutes

Ovarian cysts represent a significant health issue for women globally, with up to 10% experiencing this condition at some point in their lives. These cysts form when fluid collects within a thin membrane... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2024 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.