101
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Ahmed W, Simpson SL, Bertsch PM, Bibby K, Bivins A, Blackall LL, Bofill-Mas S, Bosch A, Brandão J, Choi PM, Ciesielski M, Donner E, D'Souza N, Farnleitner AH, Gerrity D, Gonzalez R, Griffith JF, Gyawali P, Haas CN, Hamilton KA, Hapuarachchi HC, Harwood VJ, Haque R, Jackson G, Khan SJ, Khan W, Kitajima M, Korajkic A, La Rosa G, Layton BA, Lipp E, McLellan SL, McMinn B, Medema G, Metcalfe S, Meijer WG, Mueller JF, Murphy H, Naughton CC, Noble RT, Payyappat S, Petterson S, Pitkänen T, Rajal VB, Reyneke B, Roman FA, Rose JB, Rusiñol M, Sadowsky MJ, Sala-Comorera L, Setoh YX, Sherchan SP, Sirikanchana K, Smith W, Steele JA, Sabburg R, Symonds EM, Thai P, Thomas KV, Tynan J, Toze S, Thompson J, Whiteley AS, Wong JCC, Sano D, Wuertz S, Xagoraraki I, Zhang Q, Zimmer-Faust AG, Shanks OC. Minimizing errors in RT-PCR detection and quantification of SARS-CoV-2 RNA for wastewater surveillance. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022. [PMID: 34818780 DOI: 10.20944/preprints202104.0481.v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater surveillance for pathogens using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is an effective and resource-efficient tool for gathering community-level public health information, including the incidence of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19). Surveillance of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) in wastewater can potentially provide an early warning signal of COVID-19 infections in a community. The capacity of the world's environmental microbiology and virology laboratories for SARS-CoV-2 RNA characterization in wastewater is increasing rapidly. However, there are no standardized protocols or harmonized quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) procedures for SARS-CoV-2 wastewater surveillance. This paper is a technical review of factors that can cause false-positive and false-negative errors in the surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater, culminating in recommended strategies that can be implemented to identify and mitigate some of these errors. Recommendations include stringent QA/QC measures, representative sampling approaches, effective virus concentration and efficient RNA extraction, PCR inhibition assessment, inclusion of sample processing controls, and considerations for RT-PCR assay selection and data interpretation. Clear data interpretation guidelines (e.g., determination of positive and negative samples) are critical, particularly when the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater is low. Corrective and confirmatory actions must be in place for inconclusive results or results diverging from current trends (e.g., initial onset or reemergence of COVID-19 in a community). It is also prudent to perform interlaboratory comparisons to ensure results' reliability and interpretability for prospective and retrospective analyses. The strategies that are recommended in this review aim to improve SARS-CoV-2 characterization and detection for wastewater surveillance applications. A silver lining of the COVID-19 pandemic is that the efficacy of wastewater surveillance continues to be demonstrated during this global crisis. In the future, wastewater should also play an important role in the surveillance of a range of other communicable diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Warish Ahmed
- CSIRO Land and Water, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, QLD 4102, Australia.
| | | | - Paul M Bertsch
- CSIRO Land and Water, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Kyle Bibby
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering & Earth Science, University of Notre Dame, 156 Fitzpatrick Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
| | - Aaron Bivins
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering & Earth Science, University of Notre Dame, 156 Fitzpatrick Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
| | - Linda L Blackall
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Sílvia Bofill-Mas
- Laboratory of Virus Contaminants of Water and Food, Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Albert Bosch
- Enteric Virus Laboratory, Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, University of Barcelona, Avda. Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - João Brandão
- Department of Environmental Health, National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Phil M Choi
- Water Unit, Health Protection Branch, Prevention Division, Queensland Health, QLD, Australia; The University of Queensland, Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, QLD, Australia
| | - Mark Ciesielski
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Institute of Marine Sciences, Morehead City, NC, United States
| | - Erica Donner
- Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, University Boulevard, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia
| | - Nishita D'Souza
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, E. Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Andreas H Farnleitner
- Institute of Chemical, Environmental & Bioscience Engineering, Research Group Environmental Microbiology and Molecular Diagnostic, 166/5/3, Technische Universität Wien, Vienna, Austria; Research Division Water Quality and Health, Department Pharmacology, Physiology and Microbiology, Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, Dr. Karl-Dorrek-Straβe 30, 3500 Krems an der Donau, Austria
| | - Daniel Gerrity
- Southern Nevada Water Authority, P.O. Box 99954, Las Vegas, NV 89193, USA
| | - Raul Gonzalez
- Hampton Roads Sanitation District, 1434 Air Rail Avenue, Virginia Beach, VA 23455, USA
| | - John F Griffith
- Southern California Coastal Water Research Project, Costa Mesa, CA 92626, USA
| | - Pradip Gyawali
- Institute of Environmental Science and Research Ltd (ESR), Porirua 5240, New Zealand
| | | | - Kerry A Hamilton
- School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment and The Biodesign Institute Center for Environmental Health Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | | | - Valerie J Harwood
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Rehnuma Haque
- Environmental Interventions Unit, Icddr,b, 68 Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Sarani, Mohakhali, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh
| | - Greg Jackson
- Water Unit, Health Protection Branch, Prevention Division, Queensland Health, QLD, Australia
| | - Stuart J Khan
- Water Research Centre, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of New South Wales, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Wesaal Khan
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Stellenbosch 7602, South Africa
| | - Masaaki Kitajima
- Division of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, North 13 West 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8628, Japan
| | - Asja Korajkic
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, 26W Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45268, USA
| | - Giuseppina La Rosa
- Department of Environment and Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Blythe A Layton
- Department of Research & Innovation, Clean Water Services, Hillsboro, OR, USA
| | - Erin Lipp
- Environmental Health Sciences Department, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Sandra L McLellan
- School of Freshwater Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Brian McMinn
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, 26W Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45268, USA
| | - Gertjan Medema
- KWR Water Research Institute, Groningenhaven 7, 3433 PE Nieuwegein, the Netherlands
| | - Suzanne Metcalfe
- CSIRO Land and Water, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Wim G Meijer
- UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Jochen F Mueller
- The University of Queensland, Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, QLD, Australia
| | - Heather Murphy
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Coleen C Naughton
- University of California Merced, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 5200 N. Lake Rd., Merced, CA 95343, USA
| | - Rachel T Noble
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Institute of Marine Sciences, Morehead City, NC, United States
| | - Sudhi Payyappat
- Sydney Water, 1 Smith Street, Parramatta, NSW 2150, Australia
| | - Susan Petterson
- Water and Health Pty Ltd., 13 Lord St, North Sydney, NSW 2060, Australia; School of Medicine, Griffith University, Parklands Drive, Gold Coast, Australia
| | - Tarja Pitkänen
- Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Expert Microbiology Unit, P.O. Box 95, FI-70701 Kuopio, Finland; University of Helsinki, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Food Hygiene and Environmental Health, P.O. Box 66, FI-00014, Finland
| | - Veronica B Rajal
- Facultad de Ingeniería and Instituto de Investigaciones para la Industria Química (INIQUI) - CONICET and Universidad Nacional de Salta, Av. Bolivia 5150, Salta, Argentina
| | - Brandon Reyneke
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Stellenbosch 7602, South Africa
| | - Fernando A Roman
- University of California Merced, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 5200 N. Lake Rd., Merced, CA 95343, USA
| | - Joan B Rose
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, E. Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Marta Rusiñol
- Institute of Environmental Assessment & Water Research (IDAEA), CSIC, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Michael J Sadowsky
- Biotechnology Institute and Department of Soil, Water, and Climate, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | - Laura Sala-Comorera
- UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Yin Xiang Setoh
- Environmental Health Institute, National Environment Agency, Singapore
| | - Samendra P Sherchan
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Tulane University, 1440 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Kwanrawee Sirikanchana
- Research Laboratory of Biotechnology, Chulabhorn Research Institute, 54 Kampangpetch 6 Road, Laksi, Bangkok 10210, Thailand
| | - Wendy Smith
- CSIRO Land and Water, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Joshua A Steele
- Southern California Coastal Water Research Project, Costa Mesa, CA 92626, USA
| | - Rosalie Sabburg
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Bioscience Precinct, St Lucia, QLD 4067, Australia
| | - Erin M Symonds
- College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, FL, USA
| | - Phong Thai
- The University of Queensland, Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, QLD, Australia
| | - Kevin V Thomas
- The University of Queensland, Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, QLD, Australia
| | - Josh Tynan
- The University of Queensland, Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, QLD, Australia
| | - Simon Toze
- CSIRO Land and Water, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Janelle Thompson
- Asian School of the Environment, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore; Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE) Singapore 637551
| | | | | | - Daisuke Sano
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, Aoba 6-6-06, Aramaki, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8597, Japan
| | - Stefan Wuertz
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE) Singapore 637551; School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798
| | - Irene Xagoraraki
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Qian Zhang
- Biotechnology Institute and Department of Soil, Water, and Climate, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | | | - Orin C Shanks
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, 26W Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45268, USA
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102
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Ahmed W, Simpson SL, Bertsch PM, Bibby K, Bivins A, Blackall LL, Bofill-Mas S, Bosch A, Brandão J, Choi PM, Ciesielski M, Donner E, D'Souza N, Farnleitner AH, Gerrity D, Gonzalez R, Griffith JF, Gyawali P, Haas CN, Hamilton KA, Hapuarachchi HC, Harwood VJ, Haque R, Jackson G, Khan SJ, Khan W, Kitajima M, Korajkic A, La Rosa G, Layton BA, Lipp E, McLellan SL, McMinn B, Medema G, Metcalfe S, Meijer WG, Mueller JF, Murphy H, Naughton CC, Noble RT, Payyappat S, Petterson S, Pitkänen T, Rajal VB, Reyneke B, Roman FA, Rose JB, Rusiñol M, Sadowsky MJ, Sala-Comorera L, Setoh YX, Sherchan SP, Sirikanchana K, Smith W, Steele JA, Sabburg R, Symonds EM, Thai P, Thomas KV, Tynan J, Toze S, Thompson J, Whiteley AS, Wong JCC, Sano D, Wuertz S, Xagoraraki I, Zhang Q, Zimmer-Faust AG, Shanks OC. Minimizing errors in RT-PCR detection and quantification of SARS-CoV-2 RNA for wastewater surveillance. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 805:149877. [PMID: 34818780 PMCID: PMC8386095 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 61.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater surveillance for pathogens using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is an effective and resource-efficient tool for gathering community-level public health information, including the incidence of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19). Surveillance of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) in wastewater can potentially provide an early warning signal of COVID-19 infections in a community. The capacity of the world's environmental microbiology and virology laboratories for SARS-CoV-2 RNA characterization in wastewater is increasing rapidly. However, there are no standardized protocols or harmonized quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) procedures for SARS-CoV-2 wastewater surveillance. This paper is a technical review of factors that can cause false-positive and false-negative errors in the surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater, culminating in recommended strategies that can be implemented to identify and mitigate some of these errors. Recommendations include stringent QA/QC measures, representative sampling approaches, effective virus concentration and efficient RNA extraction, PCR inhibition assessment, inclusion of sample processing controls, and considerations for RT-PCR assay selection and data interpretation. Clear data interpretation guidelines (e.g., determination of positive and negative samples) are critical, particularly when the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater is low. Corrective and confirmatory actions must be in place for inconclusive results or results diverging from current trends (e.g., initial onset or reemergence of COVID-19 in a community). It is also prudent to perform interlaboratory comparisons to ensure results' reliability and interpretability for prospective and retrospective analyses. The strategies that are recommended in this review aim to improve SARS-CoV-2 characterization and detection for wastewater surveillance applications. A silver lining of the COVID-19 pandemic is that the efficacy of wastewater surveillance continues to be demonstrated during this global crisis. In the future, wastewater should also play an important role in the surveillance of a range of other communicable diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Warish Ahmed
- CSIRO Land and Water, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, QLD 4102, Australia.
| | | | - Paul M Bertsch
- CSIRO Land and Water, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Kyle Bibby
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering & Earth Science, University of Notre Dame, 156 Fitzpatrick Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
| | - Aaron Bivins
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering & Earth Science, University of Notre Dame, 156 Fitzpatrick Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
| | - Linda L Blackall
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Sílvia Bofill-Mas
- Laboratory of Virus Contaminants of Water and Food, Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Albert Bosch
- Enteric Virus Laboratory, Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, University of Barcelona, Avda. Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - João Brandão
- Department of Environmental Health, National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Phil M Choi
- Water Unit, Health Protection Branch, Prevention Division, Queensland Health, QLD, Australia; The University of Queensland, Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, QLD, Australia
| | - Mark Ciesielski
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Institute of Marine Sciences, Morehead City, NC, United States
| | - Erica Donner
- Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, University Boulevard, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia
| | - Nishita D'Souza
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, E. Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Andreas H Farnleitner
- Institute of Chemical, Environmental & Bioscience Engineering, Research Group Environmental Microbiology and Molecular Diagnostic, 166/5/3, Technische Universität Wien, Vienna, Austria; Research Division Water Quality and Health, Department Pharmacology, Physiology and Microbiology, Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, Dr. Karl-Dorrek-Straβe 30, 3500 Krems an der Donau, Austria
| | - Daniel Gerrity
- Southern Nevada Water Authority, P.O. Box 99954, Las Vegas, NV 89193, USA
| | - Raul Gonzalez
- Hampton Roads Sanitation District, 1434 Air Rail Avenue, Virginia Beach, VA 23455, USA
| | - John F Griffith
- Southern California Coastal Water Research Project, Costa Mesa, CA 92626, USA
| | - Pradip Gyawali
- Institute of Environmental Science and Research Ltd (ESR), Porirua 5240, New Zealand
| | | | - Kerry A Hamilton
- School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment and The Biodesign Institute Center for Environmental Health Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | | | - Valerie J Harwood
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Rehnuma Haque
- Environmental Interventions Unit, Icddr,b, 68 Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Sarani, Mohakhali, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh
| | - Greg Jackson
- Water Unit, Health Protection Branch, Prevention Division, Queensland Health, QLD, Australia
| | - Stuart J Khan
- Water Research Centre, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of New South Wales, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Wesaal Khan
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Stellenbosch 7602, South Africa
| | - Masaaki Kitajima
- Division of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, North 13 West 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8628, Japan
| | - Asja Korajkic
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, 26W Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45268, USA
| | - Giuseppina La Rosa
- Department of Environment and Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Blythe A Layton
- Department of Research & Innovation, Clean Water Services, Hillsboro, OR, USA
| | - Erin Lipp
- Environmental Health Sciences Department, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Sandra L McLellan
- School of Freshwater Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Brian McMinn
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, 26W Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45268, USA
| | - Gertjan Medema
- KWR Water Research Institute, Groningenhaven 7, 3433 PE Nieuwegein, the Netherlands
| | - Suzanne Metcalfe
- CSIRO Land and Water, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Wim G Meijer
- UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Jochen F Mueller
- The University of Queensland, Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, QLD, Australia
| | - Heather Murphy
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Coleen C Naughton
- University of California Merced, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 5200 N. Lake Rd., Merced, CA 95343, USA
| | - Rachel T Noble
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Institute of Marine Sciences, Morehead City, NC, United States
| | - Sudhi Payyappat
- Sydney Water, 1 Smith Street, Parramatta, NSW 2150, Australia
| | - Susan Petterson
- Water and Health Pty Ltd., 13 Lord St, North Sydney, NSW 2060, Australia; School of Medicine, Griffith University, Parklands Drive, Gold Coast, Australia
| | - Tarja Pitkänen
- Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Expert Microbiology Unit, P.O. Box 95, FI-70701 Kuopio, Finland; University of Helsinki, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Food Hygiene and Environmental Health, P.O. Box 66, FI-00014, Finland
| | - Veronica B Rajal
- Facultad de Ingeniería and Instituto de Investigaciones para la Industria Química (INIQUI) - CONICET and Universidad Nacional de Salta, Av. Bolivia 5150, Salta, Argentina
| | - Brandon Reyneke
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Stellenbosch 7602, South Africa
| | - Fernando A Roman
- University of California Merced, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 5200 N. Lake Rd., Merced, CA 95343, USA
| | - Joan B Rose
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, E. Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Marta Rusiñol
- Institute of Environmental Assessment & Water Research (IDAEA), CSIC, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Michael J Sadowsky
- Biotechnology Institute and Department of Soil, Water, and Climate, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | - Laura Sala-Comorera
- UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Yin Xiang Setoh
- Environmental Health Institute, National Environment Agency, Singapore
| | - Samendra P Sherchan
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Tulane University, 1440 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Kwanrawee Sirikanchana
- Research Laboratory of Biotechnology, Chulabhorn Research Institute, 54 Kampangpetch 6 Road, Laksi, Bangkok 10210, Thailand
| | - Wendy Smith
- CSIRO Land and Water, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Joshua A Steele
- Southern California Coastal Water Research Project, Costa Mesa, CA 92626, USA
| | - Rosalie Sabburg
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Bioscience Precinct, St Lucia, QLD 4067, Australia
| | - Erin M Symonds
- College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, FL, USA
| | - Phong Thai
- The University of Queensland, Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, QLD, Australia
| | - Kevin V Thomas
- The University of Queensland, Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, QLD, Australia
| | - Josh Tynan
- The University of Queensland, Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, QLD, Australia
| | - Simon Toze
- CSIRO Land and Water, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Janelle Thompson
- Asian School of the Environment, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore; Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE) Singapore 637551
| | | | | | - Daisuke Sano
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, Aoba 6-6-06, Aramaki, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8597, Japan
| | - Stefan Wuertz
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE) Singapore 637551; School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798
| | - Irene Xagoraraki
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Qian Zhang
- Biotechnology Institute and Department of Soil, Water, and Climate, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | | | - Orin C Shanks
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, 26W Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45268, USA
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103
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Galani A, Aalizadeh R, Kostakis M, Markou A, Alygizakis N, Lytras T, Adamopoulos PG, Peccia J, Thompson DC, Kontou A, Karagiannidis A, Lianidou ES, Avgeris M, Paraskevis D, Tsiodras S, Scorilas A, Vasiliou V, Dimopoulos MA, Thomaidis NS. SARS-CoV-2 wastewater surveillance data can predict hospitalizations and ICU admissions. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 804:150151. [PMID: 34623953 PMCID: PMC8421077 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 44.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
We measured SARS-CoV-2 RNA load in raw wastewater in Attica, Greece, by RT-qPCR for the environmental surveillance of COVID-19 for 6 months. The lag between RNA load and pandemic indicators (COVID-19 hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) admissions) was calculated using a grid search. Our results showed that RNA load in raw wastewater is a leading indicator of positive COVID-19 cases, new hospitalization and admission into ICUs by 5, 8 and 9 days, respectively. Modelling techniques based on distributed/fixed lag modelling, linear regression and artificial neural networks were utilized to build relationships between SARS-CoV-2 RNA load in wastewater and pandemic health indicators. SARS-CoV-2 mutation analysis in wastewater during the third pandemic wave revealed that the alpha-variant was dominant. Our results demonstrate that clinical and environmental surveillance data can be combined to create robust models to study the on-going COVID-19 infection dynamics and provide an early warning for increased hospital admissions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aikaterini Galani
- Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, University Campus, Zografou, 15771, Athens, Greece
| | - Reza Aalizadeh
- Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, University Campus, Zografou, 15771, Athens, Greece
| | - Marios Kostakis
- Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, University Campus, Zografou, 15771, Athens, Greece
| | - Athina Markou
- Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, University Campus, Zografou, 15771, Athens, Greece
| | - Nikiforos Alygizakis
- Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, University Campus, Zografou, 15771, Athens, Greece
| | | | - Panagiotis G Adamopoulos
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Jordan Peccia
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - David C Thompson
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Skaggs, Aurora, CO, USA; Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Aikaterini Kontou
- Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, University Campus, Zografou, 15771, Athens, Greece
| | - Apostolos Karagiannidis
- Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, University Campus, Zografou, 15771, Athens, Greece
| | - Evi S Lianidou
- Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, University Campus, Zografou, 15771, Athens, Greece
| | - Margaritis Avgeris
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece; Laboratory of Clinical Biochemistry - Molecular Diagnostics, Second Department of Pediatrics, "P. & A. Kyriakou" Children's Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Dimitrios Paraskevis
- Department of Hygiene Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Sotirios Tsiodras
- Fourth Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University General Hospital Attikon, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
| | - Andreas Scorilas
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Vasilis Vasiliou
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | | | - Nikolaos S Thomaidis
- Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, University Campus, Zografou, 15771, Athens, Greece.
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104
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Maniego J, Pesko B, Hincks P, Taylor P, Stewart G, Proudman C, Scarth J, Ryder E. Direct sequence confirmation of qPCR products for gene doping assay validation in horses. Drug Test Anal 2022; 14:1017-1025. [PMID: 34994083 DOI: 10.1002/dta.3219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The misuse of gene therapy by the introduction of transgenes via plasmid or viral vectors as a doping agent is an increasing concern in human and animal sports, not only in consideration to fair competition but also potential detrimental effects to welfare. Doping events can be detected by PCR amplification of a transgene-specific region of DNA. The quantitative nature of real time qPCR makes it particularly suited to confirmatory investigations where precise limits of detection can be calculated. To fully validate a qPCR experiment, it is highly desirable to confirm the identity of the amplicon. Although post-PCR techniques such as melt curve and fragment size analysis can provide strong evidence that the amplicon is as expected, sequence identity confirmation may be beneficial as part of regulatory proceedings. We present here our investigation into two alternative processes for the direct assessment of qPCR products for five genes using next-generation sequencing: ligation of sequence-ready adapters to qPCR products, and qPCR assays performed with primers tailed with Illumina flow cell binding sites. To fully test the robustness of the techniques at concentrations required for gene doping detection, we also calculated a putative limit of detection for the assays. Both ligated adapters and tailed primers were successful in producing sequence data for the qPCR products without further amplification. Ligated adapters are preferred, however, as they do not require re-optimisation of existing qPCR assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jillian Maniego
- Sport and Specialised Analytical Services, LGC, Newmarket Road, Fordham, Cambridgeshire, UK
| | - Bogusia Pesko
- Sport and Specialised Analytical Services, LGC, Newmarket Road, Fordham, Cambridgeshire, UK
| | - Pamela Hincks
- Sport and Specialised Analytical Services, LGC, Newmarket Road, Fordham, Cambridgeshire, UK
| | - Polly Taylor
- Sport and Specialised Analytical Services, LGC, Newmarket Road, Fordham, Cambridgeshire, UK
| | - Graham Stewart
- School of Biosciences and Medicine, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey
| | | | - James Scarth
- Sport and Specialised Analytical Services, LGC, Newmarket Road, Fordham, Cambridgeshire, UK
| | - Edward Ryder
- Sport and Specialised Analytical Services, LGC, Newmarket Road, Fordham, Cambridgeshire, UK
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105
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Kim D, Jin B, Kim SA, Choi W, Shin S, Park J, Shim WB, Kim K, Lee JS. An Ultrasensitive Silicon-Based Electrolyte-Gated Transistor for the Detection of Peanut Allergens. BIOSENSORS 2022; 12:bios12010024. [PMID: 35049652 PMCID: PMC8773534 DOI: 10.3390/bios12010024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Revised: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 12/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The highly sensitive detection of peanut allergens (PAs) using silicon-based electrolyte-gated transistors (Si-EGTs) was demonstrated. The Si-EGT was made using a top-down technique. The fabricated Si-EGT showed excellent intrinsic electrical characteristics, including a low threshold voltage of 0.7 V, low subthreshold swing of <70 mV/dec, and low gate leakage of <10 pA. Surface functionalization and immobilization of antibodies were performed for the selective detection of PAs. The voltage-related sensitivity (SV) showed a constant behavior from the subthreshold regime to the linear regime. The current-related sensitivity (SI) was high in the subthreshold regime and then significantly decreased as the drain current increased. The limit of detection (LOD) was calculated to be as low as 25 pg/mL based on SI characteristics, which is the lowest value reported to date in the literature for various sensor methodologies. The Si-EGT showed selective detection of PA through a non-specific control test. These results confirm that Si-EGT is a high-sensitivity and low-power biosensor for PA detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donghoon Kim
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang 37673, Korea; (D.K.); (B.J.); (W.C.); (S.S.); (J.P.)
| | - Bo Jin
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang 37673, Korea; (D.K.); (B.J.); (W.C.); (S.S.); (J.P.)
- Research and Development Department, Innovative General Electronic Sensor Technology Co., Itd. (IGEST), Pohang 37673, Korea
| | - Sol-A Kim
- Division of Applied Life Science, Graduate School, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Korea;
| | - Wonyeong Choi
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang 37673, Korea; (D.K.); (B.J.); (W.C.); (S.S.); (J.P.)
| | - Seonghwan Shin
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang 37673, Korea; (D.K.); (B.J.); (W.C.); (S.S.); (J.P.)
| | - Jiwon Park
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang 37673, Korea; (D.K.); (B.J.); (W.C.); (S.S.); (J.P.)
| | - Won-Bo Shim
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Korea;
| | - Kihyun Kim
- Division of Electronics Engineering, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, Korea
- Future Semiconductor Convergence Technology Research Center and ICT Convergence Research Center, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, Korea
- Correspondence: (K.K.); (J.-S.L.)
| | - Jeong-Soo Lee
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang 37673, Korea; (D.K.); (B.J.); (W.C.); (S.S.); (J.P.)
- Correspondence: (K.K.); (J.-S.L.)
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106
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Zhang Z, Li X, Liu H, Zamyadi A, Guo W, Wen H, Gao L, Nghiem LD, Wang Q. Advancements in detection and removal of antibiotic resistance genes in sludge digestion: A state-of-art review. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2022; 344:126197. [PMID: 34710608 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2021.126197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2021] [Revised: 10/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Sludge from wastewater treatment plants can act as a repository and crucial environmental provider of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Over the past few years, people's knowledge regarding the occurrence and removal of ARGs in sludge has broadened remarkably with advancements in molecular biological techniques. Anaerobic and aerobic digestion were found to effectively achieve sludge reduction and ARGs removal. This review summarized advanced detection and removal techniques of ARGs, in the last decade, in the sludge digestion field. The fate of ARGs due to different sludge digestion strategies (i.e., anaerobic and aerobic digestion under mesophilic or thermophilic conditions, and in combination with relevant pretreatment technologies (e.g., thermal hydrolysis pretreatment, microwave pretreatment and alkaline pretreatment) and additives (e.g., ferric chloride and zero-valent iron) were systematically summarized and compared in this review. To date, this is the first review that provides a comprehensive assessment of the state-of-the-art technologies and future recommendations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zehao Zhang
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Xuan Li
- School of Civil, Mining and Environmental Engineering, University of Wollongong, Australia.
| | - Huan Liu
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Arash Zamyadi
- Water Research Australia Limited, Melbourne & Adelaide SA 5001, Australia
| | - Wenshan Guo
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Haiting Wen
- School of Environment and Nature Resources, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, PR China
| | - Li Gao
- South East Water, 101 Wells Street, Frankston, VIC 3199, Australia
| | - Long D Nghiem
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Qilin Wang
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
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107
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A Novel Real Time PCR Method for the Detection and Quantification of Didymella pinodella in Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Plant Hosts. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 8:jof8010041. [PMID: 35049982 PMCID: PMC8780382 DOI: 10.3390/jof8010041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Didymella pinodella is the major pathogen of the pea root rot complex in Europe. This wide host range pathogen often asymptomatically colonizes its hosts, making the control strategies challenging. We developed a real-time PCR assay for the detection and quantification of D. pinodella based on the TEF-1 alpha gene sequence alignments. The assay was tested for specificity on a 54-isolate panel representing 35 fungal species and further validated in symptomatic and asymptomatic pea and wheat roots from greenhouse tests. The assay was highly consistent across separate qPCR reactions and had a quantification/detection limit of 3.1 pg of target DNA per reaction in plant tissue. Cross-reactions were observed with DNA extracts of five Didymella species. The risk of cross contamination, however, is low as the non-targets have not been associated with pea previously and they were amplified with at least 1000-fold lower sensitivity. Greenhouse inoculation tests revealed a high correlation between the pathogen DNA quantities in pea roots and pea root rot severity and biomass reduction. The assay also detected D. pinodella in asymptomatic wheat roots, which, despite the absence of visible root rot symptoms, caused wheat biomass reduction. This study provides new insights into the complex life style of D. pinodella and can assist in better understanding the pathogen survival and spread in the environment.
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108
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Padzil F, Mariatulqabtiah AR, Tan WS, Ho KL, Isa NM, Lau HY, Abu J, Chuang KP. Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) as a Promising Point-of-Care Diagnostic Strategy in Avian Virus Research. Animals (Basel) 2021; 12:ani12010076. [PMID: 35011181 PMCID: PMC8744981 DOI: 10.3390/ani12010076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Many of the existing screening methods of avian viruses depend on clinical symptoms and pathological gross examinations that still necessitate confirmatory microscopic testing. Confirmation of a virus is often conducted at centralized laboratories that are well-equipped with instruments for virus isolation, hemagglutinin inhibition, virus neutralization, ELISA, PCR and qPCR. These assays are known for their great accuracy and sensitivity, and hence are set as standard practices. Nevertheless, limitations arise due to the time, cost and on-site applicability. As the technology progresses, molecular diagnostics should be more accessible to isolated areas and even practicable for use by non-skilled personnel such as farmers and private breeders. One of the point-of-care diagnostic strategies to consider for such matters is loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP). Abstract Over the years, development of molecular diagnostics has evolved significantly in the detection of pathogens within humans and their surroundings. Researchers have discovered new species and strains of viruses, while mitigating the viral infections that occur, owing to the accessibility of nucleic acid screening methods such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR), quantitative (real-time) polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and reverse-transcription qPCR (RT-qPCR). While such molecular detection methods are widely utilized as the benchmark, the invention of isothermal amplifications has also emerged as a reliable tool to improvise on-field diagnosis without dependence on thermocyclers. Among the established isothermal amplification technologies are loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), recombinant polymerase amplification (RPA), strand displacement activity (SDA), nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA), helicase-dependent amplification (HDA) and rolling circle amplification (RCA). This review highlights the past research on and future prospects of LAMP, its principles and applications as a promising point-of-care diagnostic method against avian viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faiz Padzil
- Laboratory of Vaccine and Biomolecules, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia; (F.P.); (W.S.T.); (N.M.I.)
- Institute for Medical Research, National Institute of Health, Setia Alam, Shah Alam 40170, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Abdul Razak Mariatulqabtiah
- Laboratory of Vaccine and Biomolecules, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia; (F.P.); (W.S.T.); (N.M.I.)
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +60-297-691-938
| | - Wen Siang Tan
- Laboratory of Vaccine and Biomolecules, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia; (F.P.); (W.S.T.); (N.M.I.)
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Kok Lian Ho
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia;
| | - Nurulfiza Mat Isa
- Laboratory of Vaccine and Biomolecules, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia; (F.P.); (W.S.T.); (N.M.I.)
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Han Yih Lau
- Biotechnology and Nanotechnology Research Centre, Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI), Persiaran MARDI-UPM, Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia;
| | - Jalila Abu
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia;
| | - Kuo-Pin Chuang
- International Degree Program in Animal Vaccine Technology, International College, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung 912, Taiwan;
- Graduate Institute of Animal Vaccine Technology, College of Veterinary Medicine, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung 912, Taiwan
- School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
- Research Center for Animal Biologics, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung 912, Taiwan
- School of Dentistry, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
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109
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Pereira LA, Lapinscki BA, Debur MC, Santos JS, Petterle RR, Nogueira MB, Vidal LRR, De Almeida SM, Raboni SM. Standardization of a high-performance RT-qPCR for viral load absolute quantification of influenza A. J Virol Methods 2021; 301:114439. [PMID: 34942203 DOI: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2021.114439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Influenza is an acute viral infectious respiratory disease worldwide, presenting in different clinical forms, from influenza-like illness (ILI) to severe acute respiratory infection (SARI). Although real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) is already an important tool for both diagnosis and treatment monitoring of several viral infections, the correlation between the clinical aspects and the viral load of influenza is still unclear. This lack of clarity is primarily due to the low accuracy and reproducibility of the methodologies developed to quantify the influenza virus. Thus, this study aimed to develop and standardize a universal absolute quantification for influenza A by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), using a plasmid DNA. The assay showed efficiency (Eff%) 98.6, determination coefficient (R2) 0.998, linear range 10^1 to 10^10, limit of detection (LOD) 6.77, limit of quantification (LOQ) 20.52 copies/reaction. No inter and intra assay variability was shown, and neither was the matrix effect observed. Serial measurements of clinical samples collected at a 72h interval showed no change in viral load. By contrast, immunocompetent patients have a significantly lower viral load than immunosuppressed ones. Absolute quantification in clinical samples showed some predictors associated with increased viral load: (H1N1)pdm09 (0.045); women (p = 0.049) and asthmatics (p = 0.035). The high efficiency, precision, and previous performance in clinical samples suggest the assay can be used as an accurate universal viral load quantification of influenza A. Its applicability in predicting severity and response to antivirals needs to be evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
- L A Pereira
- Graduate Program in Internal Medicine and Health Science, Universidade Federal, do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - B A Lapinscki
- Graduate Program in Internal Medicine and Health Science, Universidade Federal, do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - M C Debur
- Public Health Laboratory, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - J S Santos
- Virology Laboratory, Hospital de Clínicas, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Brazil
| | - R R Petterle
- Sector of Health Sciences, Medical School, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - M B Nogueira
- Virology Laboratory, Hospital de Clínicas, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Brazil
| | - L R R Vidal
- Virology Laboratory, Hospital de Clínicas, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Brazil
| | - S M De Almeida
- Virology Laboratory, Hospital de Clínicas, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Brazil
| | - S M Raboni
- Virology Laboratory, Hospital de Clínicas, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Brazil; Infectious Diseases Division, Hospital de Clínicas, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Brazil.
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110
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Perelman ZE, Takahashi MK, Hundermark EL, Parenzan C. An eDNA-Based Assessment of the Impact of a 207,000-Liter Gasoline Spill on Local Populations of Eastern Hellbenders (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis), an Imperiled Giant Salamander. Northeast Nat (Steuben) 2021. [DOI: 10.1656/045.028.0406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Carol Parenzan
- (Former) Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper, Sunbury, PA 17801
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111
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Zübert C, Kube M. Application of TaqMan Real-Time PCR for Detecting ' Candidatus Arsenophonus Phytopathogenicus' Infection in Sugar Beet. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10111466. [PMID: 34832621 PMCID: PMC8625364 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10111466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Revised: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The γ-proteobacterium ‘Candidatus Arsenophonus phytopathogenicus’ is assigned as the major pathogen of “Syndrome des basses richesses”, a sugar beet disease characterised by a reduction in the sugar content of taproots and biomass yield. Despite the economic impact of this bacteriosis, diagnostics for this important pathogen currently rely on end-point PCR detection. Herein, we introduce a TaqMan qPCR for diagnostics of the agent targeting genes encoding a heat shock protein of the Hsp20 family and mannose-6-phosphate isomerase. Quantitation with synthetic oligonucleotides as standard showed that the developed TaqMan qPCR assays enable the detection of up to 100 target copies. A comparison between the TaqMan qPCR and end-point PCR for ‘Ca. A. phytopathogenicus’ detection was carried out on 78 sugar beet samples from different locations in southern Germany. The newly developed assays enable the fast, reliable and sensitive detection of ‘Ca. A. phytopathogenicus’ in sugar beet.
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112
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Braun P, Nguyen MDT, Walter MC, Grass G. Ultrasensitive Detection of Bacillus anthracis by Real-Time PCR Targeting a Polymorphism in Multi-Copy 16S rRNA Genes and Their Transcripts. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:12224. [PMID: 34830105 PMCID: PMC8618755 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222212224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The anthrax pathogen Bacillus anthracis poses a significant threat to human health. Identification of B. anthracis is challenging because of the bacterium's close genetic relationship to other Bacillus cereus group species. Thus, molecular detection is founded on species-specific PCR targeting single-copy genes. Here, we validated a previously recognized multi-copy target, a species-specific single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) present in 2-5 copies in every B. anthracis genome analyzed. For this, a hydrolysis probe-based real-time PCR assay was developed and rigorously tested. The assay was specific as only B. anthracis DNA yielded positive results, was linear over 9 log10 units, and was sensitive with a limit of detection (LoD) of 2.9 copies/reaction. Though not exhibiting a lower LoD than established single-copy PCR targets (dhp61 or PL3), the higher copy number of the B. anthracis-specific 16S rRNA gene alleles afforded ≤2 unit lower threshold (Ct) values. To push the detection limit even further, the assay was adapted for reverse transcription PCR on 16S rRNA transcripts. This RT-PCR assay was also linear over 9 log10 units and was sensitive with an LoD of 6.3 copies/reaction. In a dilution series of experiments, the 16S RT-PCR assay achieved a thousand-fold higher sensitivity than the DNA-targeting assays. For molecular diagnostics, we recommend a real-time RT-PCR assay variant in which both DNA and RNA serve as templates (thus, no requirement for DNase treatment). This can at least provide results equaling the DNA-based implementation if no RNA is present but is superior even at the lowest residual rRNA concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Gregor Grass
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology (IMB), 80937 Munich, Germany; (P.B.); (M.D.-T.N.); (M.C.W.)
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113
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Hutchins PR, Simantel LN, Sepulveda AJ. Time to get real with qPCR controls: The frequency of sample contamination and the informative power of negative controls in environmental DNA studies. Mol Ecol Resour 2021; 22:1319-1329. [PMID: 34752687 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Environmental (e)DNA methods have enabled rapid, sensitive and specific inferences of taxa presence throughout diverse fields of ecological study. However, use of eDNA results for decision-making has been impeded by uncertainties associated with false positive tests putatively caused by sporadic or systemic contamination. Sporadic contamination is a process that is inconsistent across samples and systemic contamination occurs consistently over a group of samples. Here, we used empirical data and laboratory experiments to (i) estimate the sporadic contamination rate for each stage of a common, targeted eDNA workflow employing best practice quality control measures under simulated conditions of rare and common target DNA presence, (ii) determine the rate at which negative controls (i.e., "blanks") detect varying concentrations of systemic contamination, and (iii) estimate the effort that would be required to consistently detect sporadic and systemic contamination. Sporadic contamination rates were very low across all eDNA workflow steps, and, therefore, an intractably high number of negative controls (>100) would be required to determine occurrence of sporadic contamination with any certainty. Contrarily, detection of intentionally introduced systemic contamination was more consistent; therefore, very few negative controls (<5) would be needed to consistently alert to systemic contamination. These results have considerable implications to eDNA study design when resources for sample analyses are constrained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick R Hutchins
- U.S. Geological Survey Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Bozeman, Montana, USA
| | - Leah N Simantel
- U.S. Geological Survey Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Bozeman, Montana, USA
| | - Adam J Sepulveda
- U.S. Geological Survey Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Bozeman, Montana, USA
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114
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Babeli I, Puiggalí-Jou A, Roa JJ, Ginebra MP, García-Torres J, Alemán C. Hybrid conducting alginate-based hydrogel for hydrogen peroxide detection from enzymatic oxidation of lactate. Int J Biol Macromol 2021; 193:1237-1248. [PMID: 34742851 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.10.169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
A conducting nanocomposite hydrogel is developed for the detection of L-lactate. The hydrogel is based on a mixture of alginate (Alg) and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT), which is loaded with gold nanoparticles (GNP). In this novel hydrogel, Alg provides 3D structural support and flexibility, PEDOT confers conductivity and sensing capacity, and GNP provides signal amplification with respect to simple voltammetric and chronoamperometric response. The synergistic combination of the properties provided by each component results in a new flexible nanocomposite with outstanding capacity to detect hydrogen peroxide, which has been used to detect the oxidation of L-lactate. The hydrogel detects hydrogen peroxide with linear response and limits of detection of 0.91 μM and 0.02 μM by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry, respectively. The hydrogel is functionalized with lactate oxidase, which catalyzes the oxidation of L-lactate to pyruvate, forming hydrogen peroxide. For L-lactate detection, the functionalized biosensor works in two linear regimes, one for concentrations lower than 5 mM with a limit of detection of 0.4 mM, and the other for concentrations up to 100 mM with a limit of detection of 3.5 mM. Because of its linear range interval, the developed biosensor could be suitable for a wide number of biological fluids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ismael Babeli
- Departament d'Enginyeria Química, EEBE, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, C/ Edueard Maristany, 10-14, 08019 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anna Puiggalí-Jou
- Departament d'Enginyeria Química, EEBE, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, C/ Edueard Maristany, 10-14, 08019 Barcelona, Spain; Barcelona Research Center in Multiscale Science and Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 08930 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Joan Josep Roa
- Barcelona Research Center in Multiscale Science and Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 08930 Barcelona, Spain; Center for Research in Structural Integrity, Reliability and Micromechanics of Materials, Departament de Ciència i Enginyeria de Materials, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 08030 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maria-Pau Ginebra
- Barcelona Research Center in Multiscale Science and Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 08930 Barcelona, Spain; Biomaterials, Biomechanics and Tissue Engineering Group, Departament de Ciència i Enginyeria de Materials, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), 08930 Barcelona, Spain; Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Baldiri Reixac 10-12, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jose García-Torres
- Barcelona Research Center in Multiscale Science and Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 08930 Barcelona, Spain; Biomaterials, Biomechanics and Tissue Engineering Group, Departament de Ciència i Enginyeria de Materials, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), 08930 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Carlos Alemán
- Departament d'Enginyeria Química, EEBE, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, C/ Edueard Maristany, 10-14, 08019 Barcelona, Spain; Barcelona Research Center in Multiscale Science and Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 08930 Barcelona, Spain; Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Baldiri Reixac 10-12, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
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115
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Manjula N, Vinothkumar V, Chen SM. Synthesis and characterization of iron-cobalt oxide/polypyrrole nanocomposite: An electrochemical sensing platform of anti-prostate cancer drug flutamide in human urine and serum samples. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2021.127367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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116
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Melvin RG, Hendrickson EN, Chaudhry N, Georgewill O, Freese R, Schacker TW, Simmons GE. A novel wastewater-based epidemiology indexing method predicts SARS-CoV-2 disease prevalence across treatment facilities in metropolitan and regional populations. Sci Rep 2021; 11:21368. [PMID: 34725394 PMCID: PMC8560786 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-00853-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a need for wastewater based epidemiological (WBE) methods that integrate multiple, variously sized surveillance sites across geographic areas. We developed a novel indexing method, Melvin's Index, that provides a normalized and standardized metric of wastewater pathogen load for qPCR assays that is resilient to surveillance site variation. To demonstrate the utility of Melvin's Index, we used qRT-PCR to measure SARS-CoV-2 genomic RNA levels in influent wastewater from 19 municipal wastewater treatment facilities (WWTF's) of varying sizes and served populations across the state of Minnesota during the Summer of 2020. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected at each WWTF during the 20-week sampling period at a mean concentration of 8.5 × 104 genome copies/L (range 3.2 × 102-1.2 × 109 genome copies/L). Lag analysis of trends in Melvin's Index values and clinical COVID-19 cases showed that increases in indexed wastewater SARS-CoV-2 levels precede new clinical cases by 15-17 days at the statewide level and by up to 25 days at the regional/county level. Melvin's Index is a reliable WBE method and can be applied to both WWTFs that serve a wide range of population sizes and to large regions that are served by multiple WWTFs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard G Melvin
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth, MN, USA
| | - Emily N Hendrickson
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth, MN, USA
| | - Nabiha Chaudhry
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth, MN, USA
| | - Onimitein Georgewill
- National Summer Undergraduate Research Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Rebecca Freese
- Biostatistical Design and Analysis Center, Clinical and Translational Science Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Timothy W Schacker
- Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Glenn E Simmons
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth, MN, USA.
- Carcinogenesis and Chemoprevention Program, Masonic Cancer Center, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
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117
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LoopTag FRET Probe System for Multiplex qPCR Detection of Borrelia Species. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11111163. [PMID: 34833039 PMCID: PMC8624210 DOI: 10.3390/life11111163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Revised: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Laboratory diagnosis of Lyme borreliosis refers to some methods with known limitations. Molecular diagnostics using specific nucleic acid probes may overcome some of these limitations. Methods: We describe the novel reporter fluorescence real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) probe system LoopTag for detection of Borrelia species. Advantages of the LoopTag system include having cheap conventional fluorescence dyes, easy primer design, no restrictions for PCR product lengths, robustness, high sequence specificity, applicability for multiplex real-time PCRs, melting curve analysis (single nucleotide polymorphism analysis) over a large temperature range, high sensitivity, and easy adaptation of conventional PCRs. Results: Using the LoopTag probe system we were able to detect all nine tested European species belonging to the Borrelia burgdorferi (sensu lato) complex and differentiated them from relapsing fever Borrelia species. As few as 10 copies of Borrelia in one PCR reaction were detectable. Conclusion: We established a novel multiplex probe real-time PCR system, designated LoopTag, that is simple, robust, and incorporates melting curve analysis for the detection and in the differentiation of European species belonging to the Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. complex.
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118
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Nouri R, Jiang Y, Tang Z, Lian XL, Guan W. Detection of SARS-CoV-2 with Solid-State CRISPR-Cas12a-Assisted Nanopores. NANO LETTERS 2021; 21:8393-8400. [PMID: 34542296 PMCID: PMC8491552 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.1c02974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Revised: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 caused the disease COVID-19 to spread globally. Specific and sensitive detection of SARS-CoV-2 facilitates early intervention and prevents the disease from spreading. Here, we present a solid-state CRISPR-Cas12a-assisted nanopore (SCAN) sensing strategy for the specific detection of SARS-CoV-2. We introduced a nanopore-sized counting method to measure the cleavage ratio of reporters, which is used as a criterion for positive/negative classification. A kinetic cleavage model was developed and validated to predict the reporter size distributions. The model revealed the trade-offs between sensitivity, turnaround time, and false-positive rate of the SARS-CoV-2 SCAN. With preamplification and a 30 min CRISPR Cas12a assay, we achieved excellent specificity against other common human coronaviruses and a limit of detection of 13.5 copies/μL (22.5 aM) of viral RNA at a confidence level of 95%. These results suggested that the SCAN could provide a rapid, sensitive, and specific analysis of SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reza Nouri
- Department of Electrical Engineering,
Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania
16802, United States
| | - Yuqian Jiang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering,
Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania
16802, United States
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences,
Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania
16802, United States
| | - Zifan Tang
- Department of Electrical Engineering,
Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania
16802, United States
| | - Xiaojun Lance Lian
- Department of Biomedical Engineering,
Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania
16802, United States
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences,
Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania
16802, United States
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State
University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United
States
| | - Weihua Guan
- Department of Electrical Engineering,
Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania
16802, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering,
Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania
16802, United States
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119
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Caron K, Craw P, Richardson MB, Bodrossy L, Voelcker NH, Thissen H, Sutherland TD. The Requirement of Genetic Diagnostic Technologies for Environmental Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance. SENSORS 2021; 21:s21196625. [PMID: 34640944 PMCID: PMC8513014 DOI: 10.3390/s21196625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is threatening modern medicine. While the primary cost of AMR is paid in the healthcare domain, the agricultural and environmental domains are also reservoirs of resistant microorganisms and hence perpetual sources of AMR infections in humans. Consequently, the World Health Organisation and other international agencies are calling for surveillance of AMR in all three domains to guide intervention and risk reduction strategies. Technologies for detecting AMR that have been developed for healthcare settings are not immediately transferable to environmental and agricultural settings, and limited dialogue between the domains has hampered opportunities for cross-fertilisation to develop modified or new technologies. In this feature, we discuss the limitations of currently available AMR sensing technologies used in the clinic for sensing in other environments, and what is required to overcome these limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karine Caron
- CSIRO Health & Biosecurity, Canberra, ACT 2602, Australia;
| | - Pascal Craw
- CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Hobart, TAS 7004, Australia; (P.C.); (L.B.)
| | - Mark B. Richardson
- CSIRO Manufacturing, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia; (M.B.R.); (N.H.V.); (H.T.)
| | - Levente Bodrossy
- CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Hobart, TAS 7004, Australia; (P.C.); (L.B.)
| | - Nicolas H. Voelcker
- CSIRO Manufacturing, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia; (M.B.R.); (N.H.V.); (H.T.)
- Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication, Victorian Node of the Australian National Fabrication Facility, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
- Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Helmut Thissen
- CSIRO Manufacturing, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia; (M.B.R.); (N.H.V.); (H.T.)
| | - Tara D. Sutherland
- CSIRO Health & Biosecurity, Canberra, ACT 2602, Australia;
- Correspondence:
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120
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Vinothkumar V, Abinaya M, Chen SM. Ultrasonic assisted preparation of CoMoO4 nanoparticles modified electrochemical sensor for chloramphenicol determination. J SOLID STATE CHEM 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jssc.2021.122392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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121
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Zucha D, Kubista M, Valihrach L. Tutorial: Guidelines for Single-Cell RT-qPCR. Cells 2021; 10:cells10102607. [PMID: 34685587 PMCID: PMC8534298 DOI: 10.3390/cells10102607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) has delivered significant insights in understanding the gene expression landscape. Thanks to its precision, sensitivity, flexibility, and cost effectiveness, RT-qPCR has also found utility in advanced single-cell analysis. Single-cell RT-qPCR now represents a well-established method, suitable for an efficient screening prior to single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-Seq) experiments, or, oppositely, for validation of hypotheses formulated from high-throughput approaches. Here, we aim to provide a comprehensive summary of the scRT-qPCR method by discussing the limitations of single-cell collection methods, describing the importance of reverse transcription, providing recommendations for the preamplification and primer design, and summarizing essential data processing steps. With the detailed protocol attached in the appendix, this tutorial provides a set of guidelines that allow any researcher to perform scRT-qPCR measurements of the highest standard.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Zucha
- Laboratory of Gene Expression, Institute of Biotechnology CAS, 252 50 Vestec, Czech Republic; (D.Z.); (M.K.)
- Department of Informatics and Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical Technology, University of Chemistry and Technology, 166 28 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Mikael Kubista
- Laboratory of Gene Expression, Institute of Biotechnology CAS, 252 50 Vestec, Czech Republic; (D.Z.); (M.K.)
- TATAA Biocenter AB, 411 03 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Lukas Valihrach
- Laboratory of Gene Expression, Institute of Biotechnology CAS, 252 50 Vestec, Czech Republic; (D.Z.); (M.K.)
- Correspondence:
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122
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Wang D, Wang Z, Gao Y, Wu X, Dong L, Dai X, Gao Y. Validation of the analytical performance of nine commercial RT-qPCR kits for SARS-CoV-2 detection using certified reference material. J Virol Methods 2021; 298:114285. [PMID: 34520809 PMCID: PMC8434693 DOI: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2021.114285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has become a public health emergency. Although many reverse-transcription PCR (RT-PCR) assays have been developed, their performance, especially sensitivity assessment, has been insufficiently tested. In this study, a preliminary comparison of the analytical sensitivity of nine RT-qPCR kits from different manufacturers was first conducted using a certified reference material derived from the genomic RNA of SARS-CoV-2 as the template. Subsequently, three of the nine kits, comprising two highly sensitive kits (DAAN, Huirui) and one less sensitive kit (Geneodx), were selected for further sensitivity and specificity validation. The results revealed variations in the performance between kits of the two groups. For the two highly sensitive kits, the limits of detection at 95 % probability (LOD95%) were 5.6 copies of the N gene and 3.5 copies of the ORF 1ab per reaction (DAAN), and 6.4 (N) and 4.6 (ORF 1ab) copies per reaction (Huirui). These LOD95% values were approximately 3 to 4-fold better than those of the Geneodx Kit. However, none of these three Kits showed cross-reactivity against 6 other types of human coronaviruses or respiratory viruses. Because most of these commercial kits are approved as in vitro diagnostics (testing specimens without direct human contact), it would be beneficial for their manufacturers to improve the diagnostic capability of these kits and thus reduce the clinical risks associated with false-negative results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Wang
- Center for Advanced Measurement Science, National Institute of Metrology, Beijing, China
| | - Zhidong Wang
- Center for Advanced Measurement Science, National Institute of Metrology, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Gao
- Center for Advanced Measurement Science, National Institute of Metrology, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao Wu
- Center for Advanced Measurement Science, National Institute of Metrology, Beijing, China
| | - Lianhua Dong
- Center for Advanced Measurement Science, National Institute of Metrology, Beijing, China
| | - Xinhua Dai
- Center for Advanced Measurement Science, National Institute of Metrology, Beijing, China
| | - Yunhua Gao
- Center for Advanced Measurement Science, National Institute of Metrology, Beijing, China.
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123
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Development of a Quantitative PCR Assay for Four Salmon Species Inhabiting the Yangyangnamdae River Using Environmental DNA. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:biology10090899. [PMID: 34571776 PMCID: PMC8471574 DOI: 10.3390/biology10090899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2021] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Regular surveys provide essential information to establish strategies for the effective conservation of salmon resources. As an alternative to conventional fish surveys, which are costly and laborious, quantitative PCR (qPCR) assays were established for the analysis of four salmon species inhabiting the Korean Peninsula. We designed four species-specific primer sets that showed high specificity and sensitivity in both tissue and environmental DNA (eDNA) samples collected from the Yangyangnamdae River. After normalization for PCR inhibition in each sample, the established qPCR assays produced standardized and realistic eDNA profiles for the four salmon species, suggesting that the newly developed qPCR assays are a useful tool for the management of Oncorhynchus resources in Korean waters. Abstract A species-specific quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay using environmental DNA (eDNA) is a promising tool for both qualitative and quantitative analyses of target species directly from water samples. Despite its reliability, an eDNA-based qPCR assay pipeline has not yet developed to monitor salmon species inhabiting Korean waters, which have been rapidly decreasing. We designed species-specific primers for four Oncorhynchus species inhabiting the eastern coastal waters along the Korean Peninsula. These include primers for two native species (Oncorhynchus keta and O. masou) and two that were introduced (O. mykiss and O. kisutch). The limit of detection and limit of quantification for the four qPCR assays ranged from 4.11 to 10.38 copies and from 30 to 81 copies, respectively, indicating a high sensitivity and specificity across all four species. Following optimization, the qPCR assays were used for the quantitative analyses of the four Oncorhynchus species in the Yangyangnamdae River during the spawning and non-spawning seasons in the year 2019–2020, one of the main rivers where salmon migrate during the spawning season in Korea. The raw copy numbers in all of the examined samples were normalized by PCR inhibition rates to standardize and compare with other studies. Among the four Oncorhynchus species examined, the eDNA concentration of O. keta increased significantly (63.60-fold, p < 0.0001) during the spawning season (November) compared with that in the non-spawning season (March), suggesting that O. keta is the main salmon species migrating through the Yangyangnamdae River. In contrast, we did not detect any differences in eDNA concentration for the other three Oncorhynchus species between the spawning and non-spawning seasons, indicating that their presence does not alter during the year. Their eDNA concentration is also relatively low compared to O. keta, which suggests that small numbers of these three species are present in the river. Overall, these newly developed qPCR assays represent useful monitoring tools for the management of four salmon species in Korean waters.
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124
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Jiang Z, Haughan J, Moss KL, Stefanovski D, Ortved KF, Robinson MA. A quantitative PCR screening method for adeno-associated viral vector 2-mediated gene doping. Drug Test Anal 2021; 14:963-972. [PMID: 34412153 DOI: 10.1002/dta.3152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Revised: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Gene therapy is currently prohibited in human and equine athletes and novel analytical methods are needed for its detection. Most in vivo products use non-integrating, recombinant viral vectors derived from adeno-associated virus (AAV) to deliver transgenes into cells, where they are transcribed and translated into functional proteins. Although the majority of wild-type AAV (WTAAV) DNA is removed from recombinant AAV (rAAV) vectors, some sequences are conserved. The goal of this study was to develop a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (QPCR) screening test targeting conserved AAV sequences to enable theoretical detection of all rAAV gene therapy products, regardless of encoded transgenes while excluding the presence of WTAAV DNA in horses. Primer sets were developed and validated to target an AAV2 sequence highly conserved across rAAV viral vectors and a sequence only found in wild type AAV2 (WTAAV2). Six horses were administered an intra-articular injection of rAAV. Plasma and synovial fluid were collected on days 0, 1, 2, 4, 7, 14, 28, 56, and 84. Using QPCR, rAAV was detected in plasma for up to 2-4 days in all horses. rAAV DNA was detected for 28 days in synovial fluid from two horses for which synovial fluid samples were available. No WTAAV2 DNA was detected in any sample. This is the first study to develop a QPCR test capable of screening for rAAV vectors that may be used for gene doping in horses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zibin Jiang
- Department of Clinical Studies, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, New Bolton Center, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Joanne Haughan
- Department of Clinical Studies, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, New Bolton Center, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Kaitlyn L Moss
- Department of Clinical Studies, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, New Bolton Center, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Darko Stefanovski
- Department of Clinical Studies, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, New Bolton Center, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Kyla F Ortved
- Department of Clinical Studies, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, New Bolton Center, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Mary A Robinson
- Department of Clinical Studies, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, New Bolton Center, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, USA.,Pennsylvania Equine Toxicology and Research Laboratory, West Chester University, West Chester, Pennsylvania, USA
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125
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A New Molecular Detection System for Canine Distemper Virus Based on a Double-Check Strategy. Viruses 2021; 13:v13081632. [PMID: 34452496 PMCID: PMC8402888 DOI: 10.3390/v13081632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to changing distemper issues worldwide and to inadequate results of an inter-laboratory study in Germany, it seems sensible to adapt and optimize the diagnostic methods for the detection of the canine distemper virus (CDV) to the new genetic diversity of virus strains. The goal of the project was the development, establishment and validation of two independent one-step reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) methods for the safe detection of CDV in domestic and wild animals. For this purpose, an existing CDV-RT-qPCR was decisively adapted and, in addition, a completely new system was developed. Both CDV-RT-qPCR systems are characterized by a very high, comparable analytical and diagnostic sensitivity and specificity and can be mutually combined with inhibition or extraction controls. The reduction in the master mix used allows for the parallel implementation of both CDV-RT-qPCR systems without significant cost increases. For validation of the new CDV-RT-qPCR duplex assays, a panel comprising 378 samples derived from Germany, several European countries and one African country were tested. A sensitivity of 98.9% and a specificity of 100% were computed for the new assays, thus being a reliable molecular diagnostic tool for the detection of CDV in domestic and wild animals.
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126
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Schang C, Crosbie ND, Nolan M, Poon R, Wang M, Jex A, John N, Baker L, Scales P, Schmidt J, Thorley BR, Hill K, Zamyadi A, Tseng CW, Henry R, Kolotelo P, Langeveld J, Schilperoort R, Shi B, Einsiedel S, Thomas M, Black J, Wilson S, McCarthy DT. Passive Sampling of SARS-CoV-2 for Wastewater Surveillance. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:10432-10441. [PMID: 34264643 PMCID: PMC8291133 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c01530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Revised: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
The shedding of pathogens by infected humans enables the use of sewage monitoring to conduct wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE). Although most WBE studies use data from large sewage treatment plants, timely data from smaller catchments are needed for targeted public health action. Traditional sampling methods, like autosamplers or grab sampling, are not conducive to quick ad hoc deployments and high-resolution monitoring at these smaller scales. This study develops and validates a cheap and easily deployable passive sampler unit, made from readily available consumables, with relevance to the COVID-19 pandemic but with broader use for WBE. We provide the first evidence that passive samplers can be used to detect SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater from populations with low prevalence of active COVID-19 infections (0.034 to 0.34 per 10,000), demonstrating their ability for early detection of infections at three different scales (lot, suburb, and city). A side by side evaluation of passive samplers (n = 245) and traditionally collected wastewater samples (n = 183) verified that the passive samplers were sensitive at detecting SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater. On all 33 days where we directly compared traditional and passive sampling techniques, at least one passive sampler was positive when the average SARS-CoV-2 concentration in the wastewater equaled or exceeded the quantification limit of 1.8 gene copies per mL (n = 7). Moreover, on 13 occasions where wastewater SARS-CoV-2 concentrations were less than 1.8 gene copies per mL, one or more passive samplers were positive. Finally, there was a statistically significant (p < 0.001) positive relationship between the concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater and the levels found on the passive samplers, indicating that with further evaluation, these devices could yield semi-quantitative results in the future. Passive samplers have the potential for wide use in WBE with attractive feasibility attributes of cost, ease of deployment at small-scale locations, and continuous sampling of the wastewater. Further research will focus on the optimization of laboratory methods including elution and extraction and continued parallel deployment and evaluations in a variety of settings to inform optimal use in wastewater surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christelle Schang
- Environmental and Public Health Microbiology Lab (EPHM
Lab), Department of Civil Engineering, Monash University,
Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Nicolas D. Crosbie
- Melbourne Water Corp., 990
La Trobe St., Docklands, Victoria 3001, Australia
| | - Monica Nolan
- Department of Health, Victoria Department
of Health and Human Services, 50 Lonsdale St., Melbourne, Victoria 3000,
Australia
| | - Rachael Poon
- Department of Health, Victoria Department
of Health and Human Services, 50 Lonsdale St., Melbourne, Victoria 3000,
Australia
| | - Miao Wang
- Environmental and Public Health Microbiology Lab (EPHM
Lab), Department of Civil Engineering, Monash University,
Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Aaron Jex
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of
Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria 3052,
Australia
- The University of
Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Nijoy John
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of
Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria 3052,
Australia
- The University of
Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Louise Baker
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of
Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria 3052,
Australia
- The University of
Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Peter Scales
- The University of
Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | | | - Bruce R. Thorley
- Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory,
Royal Melbourne Hospital at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and
Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
| | - Kelly Hill
- Water Research Australia,
Adelaide Office, Level 2, 250 Victoria Square, Adelaide 5000, South
Australia
| | - Arash Zamyadi
- Water Research Australia,
Melbourne Office, 990 La Trobe St., Docklands, Victoria 3001,
Australia
| | - Chi-Wen Tseng
- Environmental and Public Health Microbiology Lab (EPHM
Lab), Department of Civil Engineering, Monash University,
Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Rebekah Henry
- Environmental and Public Health Microbiology Lab (EPHM
Lab), Department of Civil Engineering, Monash University,
Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Peter Kolotelo
- Environmental and Public Health Microbiology Lab (EPHM
Lab), Department of Civil Engineering, Monash University,
Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Jeroen Langeveld
- Department of Water Management, TU
Delft, Delft, CN 2628, The Netherlands
- Partners4UrbanWater, Nijmegen
6532 ZV, The Netherlands
| | | | - Baiqian Shi
- Environmental and Public Health Microbiology Lab (EPHM
Lab), Department of Civil Engineering, Monash University,
Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Steve Einsiedel
- ALS Hydrographics, 22
Dalmore Drive, Scoresby, Victoria 3179, Australia
| | - Michael Thomas
- Barwon Water, 55-67 Ryrie
St., Geelong, Victoria 3220, Australia
| | - James Black
- Department of Health, Victoria Department
of Health and Human Services, 50 Lonsdale St., Melbourne, Victoria 3000,
Australia
| | - Simon Wilson
- Melbourne Water Corp., 990
La Trobe St., Docklands, Victoria 3001, Australia
| | - David T. McCarthy
- Environmental and Public Health Microbiology Lab (EPHM
Lab), Department of Civil Engineering, Monash University,
Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
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127
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Vinothkumar V, Kesavan G, Chen SM. Highly selective voltammetric detection of antipsychotic drug thioridazine hydrochloride based on NiO@Gd2O3 modified screen printed carbon electrode. J Electroanal Chem (Lausanne) 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jelechem.2021.115535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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128
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A qPCR Assay for the Fast Detection and Quantification of Colletotrichum lupini. PLANTS 2021; 10:plants10081548. [PMID: 34451593 PMCID: PMC8401954 DOI: 10.3390/plants10081548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Revised: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
White lupin (Lupinus albus) represents an important legume crop in Europe and other parts of the world due to its high protein content and potential for low-input agriculture. However, most cultivars are susceptible to anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum lupini, a seed- and air-borne fungal pathogen that causes severe yield losses. The aim of this work was to develop a C. lupini-specific quantitative real-time TaqMan PCR assay that allows for quick and reliable detection and quantification of the pathogen in infected seed and plant material. Quantification of C. lupini DNA in dry seeds allowed us to distinguish infected and certified (non-infected) seed batches with DNA loads corresponding to the disease score index and yield of the mother plants. Additionally, C. lupini DNA could be detected in infected lupin shoots and close to the infection site, thereby allowing us to study the disease cycle of this hemibiotrophic pathogen. This qPCR assay provides a useful diagnostic tool to determine anthracnose infection levels of white lupin seeds and will facilitate the use of seed health assessments as a strategy to reduce the primary infection source and spread of this disease.
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A Quantitative Metagenomic Sequencing Approach for High-Throughput Gene Quantification and Demonstration with Antibiotic Resistance Genes. Appl Environ Microbiol 2021; 87:e0087121. [PMID: 34085862 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00871-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Comprehensive microbial risk assessment requires high-throughput quantification of diverse microbial risks in the environment. Current metagenomic next-generation sequencing approaches can achieve high-throughput detection of genes indicative of microbial risks but lack quantitative capabilities. This study developed and tested a quantitative metagenomic next-generation sequencing (qmNGS) approach. Numerous xenobiotic synthetic internal DNA standards were used to determine the sequencing yield (Yseq) of the qmNGS approach, which can then be used to calculate absolute concentration of target genes in environmental samples based on metagenomic sequencing results. The qmNGS approach exhibited excellent linearity as indicated by a strong linear correlation (r2 = 0.98) between spiked and detected concentrations of internal standards. High-throughput capability of the qmNGS approach was demonstrated with artificial Escherichia coli mixtures and cattle manure samples, for which 95 ± 3 and 208 ± 4 types of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) were detected and quantified simultaneously. The qmNGS approach was further compared with quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and demonstrated comparable levels of accuracy and less variation for the quantification of six target genes (16S, tetO, sulI, tetM, ermB, and qnrS). IMPORTANCE Monitoring and comprehensive assessment of microbial risks in the environment require high-throughput gene quantification. The quantitative metagenomic NGS (qmNGS) approach developed in this study incorporated numerous xenobiotic and synthetic DNA internal standard fragments into metagenomic NGS workflow, which are used to determine a new parameter called sequencing yield that relates sequence base reads to absolute concentration of target genes in the environmental samples. The qmNGS approach demonstrated excellent method linearity and comparable performance as the qPCR approach with high-throughput capability. This new qmNGS approach can achieve high-throughput and accurate gene quantification in environmental samples and has the potential to become a useful tool in monitoring and comprehensively assessing microbial risks in the environment.
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130
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Voss T, Ullius A, Schönborn M, Oelmüller U. Sensitivity assessment of workflows detecting rare circulating cell-free DNA targets: A study design proposal. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0253401. [PMID: 34228726 PMCID: PMC8260181 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0253401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The field of liquid biopsy has seen extensive growth in recent decades, making it one of the most promising areas in molecular diagnostics. Circulating cell-free DNA (ccfDNA) especially is used as an analyte in a growing number of diagnostic assays. These assays require specified preanalytical workflows delivering ccfDNA in qualities and quantities that facilitate correct and reliable results. As each step and component used in the preanalytical process has the potential to influence the assay sensitivity and other performance characteristics, it is key to find an unbiased experimental setup to test these factors in diagnostic or research laboratories. We defined one such setup by using blood from healthy subjects and commercially available products for blood collection, spike-in material, ccfDNA isolation, and qPCR assays. As the primary read-out, we calculated the probit model-based LOD95 (limit of detection of the 95th percentile) from the qPCR assay results. In a proof of principle study we tested two different but widely used blood ccfDNA profile stabilization technologies in blood collection tubes, the Cell-Free DNA BCT and the PAXgene Blood ccfDNA Tube. We tested assays for three different EGFR gene mutations and one BRAF gene mutation. The study design revealed differences in performance between the two tested technologies for all four mutations. In conclusion, we successfully established a blueprint for a test procedure capable of verifying and validating a liquid biopsy workflow from blood collection to the analytical result.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thorsten Voss
- R&D Department, QIAGEN GmbH, Hilden, Germany
- * E-mail:
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131
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von Stillfried S, Villwock S, Bülow RD, Djudjaj S, Buhl EM, Maurer A, Ortiz‐Brüchle N, Celec P, Klinkhammer BM, Wong DW, Cacchi C, Braunschweig T, Knüchel‐Clarke R, Dahl E, Boor P. SARS-CoV-2 RNA screening in routine pathology specimens. Microb Biotechnol 2021; 14:1627-1641. [PMID: 33993637 PMCID: PMC8209898 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.13828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Virus detection methods are important to cope with the SARS-CoV-2 pandemics. Apart from the lung, SARS-CoV-2 was detected in multiple organs in severe cases. Less is known on organ tropism in patients developing mild or no symptoms, and some of such patients might be missed in symptom-indicated swab testing. Here, we tested and validated several approaches and selected the most reliable RT-PCR protocol for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in patients' routine diagnostic formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) specimens available in pathology, to assess (i) organ tropism in samples from COVID-19-positive patients, (ii) unrecognized cases in selected tissues from negative or not-tested patients during a pandemic peak, and (iii) retrospectively, pre-pandemic lung samples. We identified SARS-CoV-2 RNA in seven samples from confirmed COVID-19 patients, in two gastric biopsies, one small bowel and one colon resection, one lung biopsy, one pleural resection and one pleural effusion specimen, while all other specimens were negative. In the pandemic peak cohort, we identified one previously unrecognized COVID-19 case in tonsillectomy samples. All pre-pandemic lung samples were negative. In conclusion, SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection in FFPE pathology specimens can potentially improve surveillance of COVID-19, allow retrospective studies, and advance our understanding of SARS-CoV-2 organ tropism and effects.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sophia Villwock
- Institute of PathologyRWTH Aachen University HospitalAachenGermany
| | - Roman D. Bülow
- Institute of PathologyRWTH Aachen University HospitalAachenGermany
| | - Sonja Djudjaj
- Institute of PathologyRWTH Aachen University HospitalAachenGermany
| | - Eva M. Buhl
- Institute of PathologyRWTH Aachen University HospitalAachenGermany
- Electron Microscopy FacilityRWTH Aachen University HospitalAachenGermany
| | - Angela Maurer
- Institute of PathologyRWTH Aachen University HospitalAachenGermany
| | | | - Peter Celec
- Institute of VirologyBiomedical Research CenterSlovak Academy of SciencesBratislavaSlovakia
- Institute of PathophysiologyFaculty of MedicineComenius UniversityBratislavaSlovakia
- Department of Molecular BiologyFaculty of Natural SciencesComenius UniversityBratislavaSlovakia
| | | | | | - Claudio Cacchi
- Institute of PathologyRWTH Aachen University HospitalAachenGermany
| | | | | | - Edgar Dahl
- Institute of PathologyRWTH Aachen University HospitalAachenGermany
- RWTH Centralized Biomaterial Bank (RWTH cBMB)RWTH Aachen University HospitalAachenGermany
| | - Peter Boor
- Institute of PathologyRWTH Aachen University HospitalAachenGermany
- Electron Microscopy FacilityRWTH Aachen University HospitalAachenGermany
- Department of NephrologyRWTH Aachen University HospitalAachenGermany
- Department of ImmunologyRWTH Aachen University HospitalAachenGermany
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132
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Neuberger EWI, Brahmer A, Ehlert T, Kluge K, Philippi KFA, Boedecker SC, Weinmann-Menke J, Simon P. Validating quantitative PCR assays for cfDNA detection without DNA extraction in exercising SLE patients. Sci Rep 2021; 11:13581. [PMID: 34193884 PMCID: PMC8245561 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-92826-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) has been investigated as a screening tool for many diseases. To avoid expensive and time-consuming DNA isolation, direct quantification PCR assays can be established. However, rigorous validation is required to provide reliable data in the clinical and non-clinical context. Considering the International Organization for Standardization, as well as bioanalytical method validation guidelines, we provide a comprehensive procedure to validate assays for cfDNA quantification from blood plasma without DNA isolation. A 90 and 222 bp assay was validated to study the kinetics of cfDNA after exercise in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The assays showed ultra-low limit of quantification (LOQ) with 0.47 and 0.69 ng/ml, repeatability ≤ 11.6% (95% CI 8.1-20.3), and intermediate precision ≤ 12.1% (95% CI 9.2-17.7). Incurred sample reanalysis confirmed the precision of the procedure. The additional consideration of pre-analytical factors shows that centrifugation speed and temperature do not change cfDNA concentrations. In SLE patients cfDNA increases ~ twofold after a walking exercise, normalizing after 60 min of rest. The established assays allow reliable and cost-efficient quantification of cfDNA in minute amounts of plasma in the clinical setting. Additionally, the assay can be used as a tool to determine the impact of pre-analytical factors and validate cfDNA quantity and quality of isolated samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elmo W I Neuberger
- Department of Sports Medicine, Rehabilitation and Disease Prevention, University of Mainz, Albert-Schweitzer Str. 22, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Alexandra Brahmer
- Department of Sports Medicine, Rehabilitation and Disease Prevention, University of Mainz, Albert-Schweitzer Str. 22, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Tobias Ehlert
- Department of Sports Medicine, Rehabilitation and Disease Prevention, University of Mainz, Albert-Schweitzer Str. 22, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Katrin Kluge
- Department of Sports Medicine, Rehabilitation and Disease Prevention, University of Mainz, Albert-Schweitzer Str. 22, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Keito F A Philippi
- Department of Sports Medicine, Rehabilitation and Disease Prevention, University of Mainz, Albert-Schweitzer Str. 22, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Simone C Boedecker
- Department of Rheumatology and Nephrology, University Medical Center Mainz, Langenbeckstr. 1, 55131, Mainz, Germany
| | - Julia Weinmann-Menke
- Department of Rheumatology and Nephrology, University Medical Center Mainz, Langenbeckstr. 1, 55131, Mainz, Germany
| | - Perikles Simon
- Department of Sports Medicine, Rehabilitation and Disease Prevention, University of Mainz, Albert-Schweitzer Str. 22, 55128, Mainz, Germany.
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133
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Chung YD, Liu TH, Liang YL, Lin CN, Hsu KF, Lee GB. An integrated microfluidic platform for detection of ovarian clear cell carcinoma mRNA biomarker FXYD2. LAB ON A CHIP 2021; 21:2625-2632. [PMID: 34013940 DOI: 10.1039/d1lc00177a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
In this work we developed an integrated microfluidic system for automatically detecting the ovarian clear cell carcinoma (OCCC) biomarker FXYD2. Dealing with ascites from ovarian cancer patients, capture of cancer cells, isolation of messenger RNA, and quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction were integrated into a single microfluidic chip and carried out on-chip automatically. OCCC is a subtype of ovarian cancer with a high mortality risk, and a high FXYD2 gene expression level was shown to be closely associated with OCCC. The lowest limit of quantification using a benchtop protocol of this system could be as low as 100 copies per sample. By normalizing the expression to a housekeeping gene, GAPDH, a simple cycle threshold ratio index could distinguish high FXYD2 expression cells from the low-expression ones. This developed platform may therefore facilitate future OCCC diagnosis and/or prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Da Chung
- Department of Power Mechanical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan.
| | - Ting-Hang Liu
- Department of Power Mechanical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan.
| | - Yu-Ling Liang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70403, Taiwan.
| | - Chang-Ni Lin
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70403, Taiwan.
| | - Keng-Fu Hsu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70403, Taiwan.
| | - Gwo-Bin Lee
- Department of Power Mechanical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan. and Institute of NanoEngineering and MicroSystems, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
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134
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Jeong S, González-Grandío E, Navarro N, Pinals RL, Ledesma F, Yang D, Landry MP. Extraction of Viral Nucleic Acids with Carbon Nanotubes Increases SARS-CoV-2 Quantitative Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction Detection Sensitivity. ACS NANO 2021; 15:10309-10317. [PMID: 34105936 PMCID: PMC8204751 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.1c02494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
The global SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic has led to a surging demand for rapid and efficient viral infection diagnostic tests, generating a supply shortage in diagnostic test consumables including nucleic acid extraction kits. Here, we develop a modular method for high-yield extraction of viral single-stranded nucleic acids by using "capture" ssDNA sequences attached to carbon nanotubes. Target SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA can be captured by ssDNA-nanotube constructs via hybridization and separated from the liquid phase in a single-tube system with minimal chemical reagents, for downstream quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) detection. This nanotube-based extraction method enables 100% extraction yield of target SARS-CoV-2 RNA from phosphate-buffered saline in comparison to ∼20% extraction yield when using a commercial silica-column kit. Notably, carbon nanotubes enable extraction of nucleic acids directly from 50% human saliva with a similar efficiency as achieved with commercial DNA/RNA extraction kits, thereby bypassing the need for further biofluid purification and avoiding the use of commercial extraction kits. Carbon nanotube-based extraction of viral nucleic acids facilitates high-yield and high-sensitivity identification of viral nucleic acids such as the SARS-CoV-2 viral genome with a reduced reliance on reagents affected by supply chain obstacles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanghwa Jeong
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- School of Biomedical Convergence Engineering, Pusan National University, Yangsan, 50612, Republic of Korea
| | - Eduardo González-Grandío
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Nicole Navarro
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Rebecca L Pinals
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Francis Ledesma
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Darwin Yang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Markita P Landry
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Innovative Genomics Institute (IGI), Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, QB3, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
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135
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Simultaneous Detection and Differentiation of Clinically Relevant Relapsing Fever Borrelia with Semimultiplex Real-Time PCR. J Clin Microbiol 2021; 59:e0298120. [PMID: 33910966 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.02981-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial vector-borne diseases, including Borrelia species, present a significant diagnostic, clinical, and public health challenge due to their overlapping symptoms and the breadth of causative agents and arthropod vectors. The relapsing fever (RF) borreliae encompass both established and emerging pathogens and are transmitted to humans by soft ticks, hard ticks, or lice. We developed a real-time semimultiplex PCR assay that detects multiple RF borreliae causing human illness and classifies them into one of three groups. The groups are based on genetic similarity and include agents of soft-tick relapsing fever (Borrelia hermsii and others), the emerging hard-tick-transmitted pathogen B. miyamotoi, and the agent of louse-borne relapsing fever (B. recurrentis). The real-time PCR assay uses a single primer pair designed to amplify all known pathogenic RF borreliae and multiple TaqMan probes to allow the detection of and differentiation among the three groups. The assay detects all RF borreliae tested, with an analytical limit of detection below 15 genome equivalents per reaction. Thirty isolates of RF borreliae encompassing six species were accurately identified. Thirty-nine of 41 residual specimens (EDTA whole blood, serum, or plasma) from patients with RF were detected and correctly classified. None of 42 clinical samples from patients with other infections and 46 culture specimens from non-RF bacteria were detected. The development of a single-assay real-time PCR approach will help to improve the diagnosis of RF by simplifying the selection of tests to aid in the clinical management of acutely ill RF patients.
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136
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Recombination efficiency measurement by real-time PCR: A strategy to evaluate ParA-mediated minicircle production. Anal Biochem 2021; 628:114285. [PMID: 34118213 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2021.114285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Minicircles (MCs) are DNA molecules that are produced in Escherichia coli by replicating a parental plasmid (PP) and inducing its site-specific intramolecular recombination into miniplasmid (MP; containing the prokaryotic backbone) and MC molecules (comprised by the eukaryotic cassette). The determination of the recombination efficiency and the monitoring of PP, MC and MP species during processing and in the final product are critical aspects of MC manufacturing. This work describes a real-time PCR method for the specific identification of PP, MP or MC that uses sets of primers specific for each species. The method was evaluated using artificial mixtures of (i) PP and MP, (ii) PP and MC and (iii) MP and MC that were probed for all three DNA molecules. The ratio of molecules of each DNA species in these mixtures were determined with differences lower than 10% relatively to the expected ratio of the species in 90% of the mixtures. Next, the recombination efficiency was successfully estimated by analysing pre-purified DNA samples obtained from cell cultures. A standard deviation < 2% was obtained between replicas and results closely correlated with those obtained by densitometry analysis of agarose gels. Further optimization is required to determine recombination efficiency directly from whole cells.
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137
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Yoo HM, Kim IH, Kim S. Nucleic Acid Testing of SARS-CoV-2. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:6150. [PMID: 34200331 PMCID: PMC8201071 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22116150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused a large global outbreak. It is accordingly important to develop accurate and rapid diagnostic methods. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based method including reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is the most widely used assay for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Along with the RT-PCR method, digital PCR has emerged as a powerful tool to quantify nucleic acid of the virus with high accuracy and sensitivity. Non-PCR based techniques such as reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) and reverse transcription recombinase polymerase amplification (RT-RPA) are considered to be rapid and simple nucleic acid detection methods and were reviewed in this paper. Non-conventional molecular diagnostic methods including next-generation sequencing (NGS), CRISPR-based assays and nanotechnology are improving the accuracy and sensitivity of COVID-19 diagnosis. In this review, we also focus on standardization of SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid testing and the activity of the National Metrology Institutes (NMIs) and highlight resources such as reference materials (RM) that provide the values of specified properties. Finally, we summarize the useful resources for convenient COVID-19 molecular diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hee Min Yoo
- Microbiological Analysis Team, Biometrology Group, Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS), Daejeon 34113, Korea; (H.M.Y.); (I.-H.K.)
- Department of Bio-Analytical Science, University of Science & Technology (UST), Daejeon 34113, Korea
| | - Il-Hwan Kim
- Microbiological Analysis Team, Biometrology Group, Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS), Daejeon 34113, Korea; (H.M.Y.); (I.-H.K.)
| | - Seil Kim
- Microbiological Analysis Team, Biometrology Group, Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS), Daejeon 34113, Korea; (H.M.Y.); (I.-H.K.)
- Department of Bio-Analytical Science, University of Science & Technology (UST), Daejeon 34113, Korea
- Convergent Research Center for Emerging Virus Infection, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon 34114, Korea
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138
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Evaluation method for asymmetric uncertainty of quantitative polymerase chain reaction measurements of deoxyribonucleic acids with low copy number. Sci Rep 2021; 11:11550. [PMID: 34078977 PMCID: PMC8172552 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-90959-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently, in food safety and various other fields, qualitative and quantitative gene analysis using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method has become increasingly popular. The limit of detection (LOD) and quantifiable range for these measurements depends on the range and precision of DNA calibrators’ concentrations. Low-copy-number nucleic acid reference materials with low uncertainty produced by an inkjet system have been developed to allow for precise measurements in a low-copy-number region. However, when using a calibrator with a low copy number near one, the copy number distribution is asymmetric. Consequently, the confidence intervals of estimated copy numbers can include negative values when conventional methods of uncertainty estimation are used. A negative confidence interval is irrelevant in the context of copy number, which is always positive value or zero. Here, we propose a method to evaluate the uncertainty of real-time PCR measurements with representative values and an asymmetric 95% confidence interval. Moreover, we use the proposed method for the actual calculation of uncertainty of real-time PCR measurement results for low-copy-number DNA samples and demonstrate that the proposed method can evaluate the precision of real-time PCR measurements more appropriately in a low-copy-number region.
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139
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Çubuk S, Kök Yetimoğlu E, Çalışkan A, Vezir Kahraman M. A novel polymer based fluorimetric sensor for fast and selective determination of chlorpyrifos. Microchem J 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.microc.2021.106098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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140
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Use and Misuse of C q in qPCR Data Analysis and Reporting. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11060496. [PMID: 34072308 PMCID: PMC8229287 DOI: 10.3390/life11060496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In the analysis of quantitative PCR (qPCR) data, the quantification cycle (Cq) indicates the position of the amplification curve with respect to the cycle axis. Because Cq is directly related to the starting concentration of the target, and the difference in Cq values is related to the starting concentration ratio, the only results of qPCR analysis reported are often Cq, ΔCq or ΔΔCq values. However, reporting of Cq values ignores the fact that Cq values may differ between runs and machines, and, therefore, cannot be compared between laboratories. Moreover, Cq values are highly dependent on the PCR efficiency, which differs between assays and may differ between samples. Interpreting reported Cq values, assuming a 100% efficient PCR, may lead to assumed gene expression ratios that are 100-fold off. This review describes how differences in quantification threshold setting, PCR efficiency, starting material, PCR artefacts, pipetting errors and sampling variation are at the origin of differences and variability in Cq values and discusses the limits to the interpretation of observed Cq values. These issues can be avoided by calculating efficiency-corrected starting concentrations per reaction. The reporting of gene expression ratios and fold difference between treatments can then easily be based on these starting concentrations.
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141
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Rodríguez-Ezpeleta N, Zinger L, Kinziger A, Bik HM, Bonin A, Coissac E, Emerson BC, Lopes CM, Pelletier TA, Taberlet P, Narum S. Biodiversity monitoring using environmental DNA. Mol Ecol Resour 2021; 21:1405-1409. [PMID: 34032015 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Lucie Zinger
- Département de biologie, Institut de Biologie de l'ENS (IBENS, École normale supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, Paris, France
| | - Andrew Kinziger
- Department of Fisheries Biology, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA, USA
| | - Holly M Bik
- Department of Marine Sciences and Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Aurélie Bonin
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Eric Coissac
- Univ. Grenoble-Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LECA, Grenoble, France
| | - Brent C Emerson
- Island Ecology and Evolution Research Group, Institute of Natural Products and Agrobiology (IPNA-CSIC, La Laguna, Spain
| | - Carla Martins Lopes
- Departamento de Biodiversidade, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP, Rio Claro, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Pierre Taberlet
- Univ. Grenoble-Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LECA, Grenoble, France.,The Arctic University Museum of Norway, UiT the Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Shawn Narum
- Hagerman Genetics Laboratory, Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, University of Idaho, Hagerman, ID, USA
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Faller AC, Shanmughanandhan D, Ragupathy S, Zhang Y, Lu Z, Chang P, Swanson G, Newmaster SG. Validation of a Triplex Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay for Detection and Quantification of Traditional Protein Sources, Pisum sativum L. and Glycine max (L.) Merr., in Protein Powder Mixtures. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:661770. [PMID: 34108980 PMCID: PMC8183462 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.661770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Several botanicals have been traditionally used as protein sources, including the leguminous Pisum sativum L. and Glycine max (L.) Merr. While a rich history exists of cultivating these plants for their whole, protein-rich grain, modern use as powdered supplements present a new challenge in material authentication. The absence of clear morphological identifiers of an intact plant and the existence of long, complex supply chains behoove industry to create quick, reliable analytical tools to identify the botanical source of a protein product (many of which contain multiple sources). The utility of molecular tools for plant-based protein powder authentication is gaining traction, but few validated tools exist. Multiplex quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) can provide an economical means by which sources can be identified and relative proportions quantified. We followed established guidelines for the design, optimization, and validation of qPCR assay, and developed a triplex qPCR assay that can amplify and quantify pea and soy DNA targets, normalized by a calibrator. The assay was evaluated for analytical specificity, analytical sensitivity, efficiency, precision, dynamic range, repeatability, and reproducibility. We tested the quantitative ability of the assay using pea and soy DNA mixtures, finding exceptional quantitative linearity for both targets - 0.9983 (p < 0.0001) for soy and 0.9915 (p < 0.0001) for pea. Ratios based on mass of protein powder were also tested, resulting in non-linear patterns in data that suggested the requirement of further sample preparation optimization or algorithmic correction. Variation in fragment size within different lots of commercial protein powder samples was also analyzed, revealing low SD among lots. Ultimately, this study demonstrated the utility of qPCR in the context of protein powder mixtures and highlighted key considerations to take into account for commercial implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam C. Faller
- Natural Health Product Research Alliance, College of Biological Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Dhivya Shanmughanandhan
- Natural Health Product Research Alliance, College of Biological Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Subramanyam Ragupathy
- Natural Health Product Research Alliance, College of Biological Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Yanjun Zhang
- Herbalife International, Torrance, CA, United States
| | - Zhengfei Lu
- Herbalife International, Torrance, CA, United States
| | - Peter Chang
- Herbalife International, Torrance, CA, United States
| | - Gary Swanson
- Herbalife International, Torrance, CA, United States
| | - Steven G. Newmaster
- Natural Health Product Research Alliance, College of Biological Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
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143
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Ruijter JM, Barnewall RJ, Marsh IB, Szentirmay AN, Quinn JC, van Houdt R, Gunst QD, van den Hoff MJB. Efficiency Correction Is Required for Accurate Quantitative PCR Analysis and Reporting. Clin Chem 2021; 67:829-842. [PMID: 33890632 DOI: 10.1093/clinchem/hvab052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Quantitative PCR (qPCR) aims to measure the DNA or RNA concentration in diagnostic and biological samples based on the quantification cycle (Cq) value observed in the amplification curves. Results of qPCR experiments are regularly calculated as if all assays are 100% efficient or reported as just Cq, ΔCq, or ΔΔCq values. CONTENTS When the reaction shows specific amplification, it should be deemed to be positive, regardless of the observed Cq. Because the Cq is highly dependent on amplification efficiency that can vary among targets and samples, accurate calculation of the target quantity and relative gene expression requires that the actual amplification efficiency be taken into account in the analysis and reports. PCR efficiency is frequently derived from standard curves, but this approach is affected by dilution errors and hampered by properties of the standard and the diluent. These factors affect accurate quantification of clinical and biological samples used in diagnostic applications and collected in challenging conditions. PCR efficiencies determined from individual amplification curves avoid these confounders. To obtain unbiased efficiency-corrected results, we recommend absolute quantification with a single undiluted calibrator with a known target concentration and efficiency values derived from the amplification curves of the calibrator and the unknown samples. SUMMARY For meaningful diagnostics or biological interpretation, the reported results of qPCR experiments should be efficiency corrected. To avoid ambiguity, the Minimal Information for Publications on Quantitative Real-Time PCR Experiments (MIQE) guidelines checklist should be extended to require the methods that were used (1) to determine the PCR efficiency and (2) to calculate the reported target quantity and relative gene expression value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan M Ruijter
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam University Medical Centres, Location Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Rebecca J Barnewall
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW, Australia.,NSW Department of Primary Industries), Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW, Australia
| | - Ian B Marsh
- New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute, Narellan, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Jane C Quinn
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW, Australia.,NSW Department of Primary Industries), Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW, Australia
| | - Robin van Houdt
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Amsterdam University Medical Centres, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Quinn D Gunst
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam University Medical Centres, Location Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Maurice J B van den Hoff
- Department of Medical Biology, Amsterdam University Medical Centres, Location Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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144
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Forés E, Bofill-Mas S, Itarte M, Martínez-Puchol S, Hundesa A, Calvo M, Borrego CM, Corominas LL, Girones R, Rusiñol M. Evaluation of two rapid ultrafiltration-based methods for SARS-CoV-2 concentration from wastewater. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 768:144786. [PMID: 33429117 PMCID: PMC7789912 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Quantitative measurements of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in raw wastewater have been implemented worldwide since the beginning of the pandemic. Recent efforts are being made to evaluate different viral concentration methodologies to overcome supplier shortages during lockdowns. A set of 22-wastewater samples seeded with murine hepatitis virus (MHV), a member of the Coronaviridae family, and the bacteriophage MS2, were used to characterize and compare two ultrafiltration-based methods: a centrifugal ultrafiltration device (Centricon® Plus-70) and the automated concentrating pipette CP-Select™. Based on the recovery efficiencies, significant differences were observed for MHV, with Centricon® Plus-70 (24%) being the most efficient method. Nevertheless, concentrations of naturally occurring SARS-CoV-2, Human adenoviruses and JC polyomaviruses in these samples did not result in significant differences between methods suggesting that testing naturally occurring viruses may complement the evaluation of viral concentration methodologies. Based on the virus adsorption to solids and the necessity of a pre-centrifugation step to remove larger particles and avoid clogging when using ultrafiltration methods, we assessed the percentage of viruses not quantified after ultrafiltration. Around 23% of the detected SARS-CoV-2 would be discarded during the debris removal step. The CP-Select™ provided the highest concentration factor (up to 333×) and the lowest LoD (6.19 × 103 GC/l) for MHV and proved to be fast, automatic, highly reproducible and suitable to work under BSL-2 measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Forés
- Section of Microbiology, Virology and Biotechnology, Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, University of Barcelona, Spain; The Water Institute of the University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - S Bofill-Mas
- Section of Microbiology, Virology and Biotechnology, Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, University of Barcelona, Spain; The Water Institute of the University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - M Itarte
- Section of Microbiology, Virology and Biotechnology, Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, University of Barcelona, Spain; The Water Institute of the University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - S Martínez-Puchol
- Section of Microbiology, Virology and Biotechnology, Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, University of Barcelona, Spain; The Water Institute of the University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - A Hundesa
- Section of Microbiology, Virology and Biotechnology, Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - M Calvo
- Section of Statistics, Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - C M Borrego
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Scientific and Technological Park of the University of Girona, Emili Grahit 101, E-17003 Girona, Spain; Group of Molecular Microbial Ecology, Institute of Aquatic Ecology, University of Girona, E-17003 Girona, Spain
| | - L L Corominas
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Scientific and Technological Park of the University of Girona, Emili Grahit 101, E-17003 Girona, Spain; University of Girona, E-17003 Girona, Spain
| | - R Girones
- Section of Microbiology, Virology and Biotechnology, Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, University of Barcelona, Spain; The Water Institute of the University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - M Rusiñol
- Institute of Environmental Assessment & Water Research (IDAEA), CSIC, Barcelona, Spain.
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145
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TB-QUICK: CRISPR-Cas12b-assisted rapid and sensitive detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. J Infect 2021; 83:54-60. [PMID: 33951419 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinf.2021.04.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2021] [Revised: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the public health problems worldwide. Rapid, sensitive and cost-effective diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) is critical for TB control. METHODS We developed a novel M.tb DNA detection platform (nominated as TB-QUICK) which combined loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and CRISPR-Cas12b detection. TB-QUICK was performed on pulmonary or plasma samples collected from 138 pulmonary TB (PTB) patients, 21 non-TB patients and 61 close contacts to TB patients. Acid-fast bacillus (AFB) smear, M.tb culture and GeneXpert MTB/RIF (Xpert) assays were routinely conducted in parallel. RESULTS By targeting M.tb IS6110, TB-QUICK platform could detect as low as 1.3 copy/μL M.tb DNA within 2 h. In pulmonary TB samples, TB-QUICK exhibited improved overall sensitivity of 86.8% over M.tb culture (66.7%) and Xpert (70.4%), with the specificity of 95.2%. More significantly, TB-QUICK exhibited a superior sensitivity in AFB-negative samples (80.5%) compared to Xpert (57.1%) and M.tb culture (46.2%). In the detection of plasma M.tb DNA by TB-QUICK, 41.2% sensitivity for AFB-positive and 31.7% for AFB-negative patients were achieved. CONCLUSION In conclusion, TB-QUICK exhibits rapidity and sensitivity for M.tb DNA detection with the superiority in smear-negative paucibacillary TB patients. The clinical application of TB-QUICK in TB diagnosis needs to be further validated in larger cohort.
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146
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Rahimi H, Salehiabar M, Barsbay M, Ghaffarlou M, Kavetskyy T, Sharafi A, Davaran S, Chauhan SC, Danafar H, Kaboli S, Nosrati H, Yallapu MM, Conde J. CRISPR Systems for COVID-19 Diagnosis. ACS Sens 2021; 6:1430-1445. [PMID: 33502175 PMCID: PMC7860143 DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.0c02312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The emergence of the new coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) was first seen in December 2019, which has spread rapidly and become a global pandemic. The number of cases of COVID-19 and its associated mortality have raised serious concerns worldwide. Early diagnosis of viral infection undoubtedly allows rapid intervention, disease management, and substantial control of the rapid spread of the disease. Currently, the standard approach for COVID-19 diagnosis globally is the RT-qPCR test; however, the limited access to kits and associated reagents, the need for specialized lab equipment, and the need for highly skilled personnel has led to a detection slowdown. Recently, the development of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-based diagnostic systems has reshaped molecular diagnosis. The benefits of the CRISPR system such as speed, precision, specificity, strength, efficiency, and versatility have inspired researchers to develop CRISPR-based diagnostic and therapeutic methods. With the global COVID-19 outbreak, different groups have begun to design and develop diagnostic and therapeutic programs based on the efficient CRISPR system. CRISPR-based COVID-19 diagnostic systems have advantages such as a high detection speed (i.e., 30 min from raw sample to reach a result), high sensitivity and precision, portability, and no need for specialized laboratory equipment. Here, we review contemporary studies on the detection of COVID-19 based on the CRISPR system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hossein Rahimi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of
Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan,
Iran
- Zanjan Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Research Center,
Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan,
Iran
| | - Marziyeh Salehiabar
- Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz
University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box 51656-65811, Tabriz,
Iran
- Joint Ukraine−Azerbaijan
International Research and Education Center of Nanobiotechnology and Functional
Nanosystems, Drohobych, Ukraine; Baku, Azerbaijan
| | - Murat Barsbay
- Hacettepe University,
Department of Chemistry, Beytepe, Ankara 06800, Turkey
| | | | - Taras Kavetskyy
- Joint Ukraine−Azerbaijan
International Research and Education Center of Nanobiotechnology and Functional
Nanosystems, Drohobych, Ukraine; Baku, Azerbaijan
- Department of Surface Engineering, The
John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, 20-950 Lublin,
Poland
- Drohobych Ivan Franko State Pedagogical
University, 82100 Drohobych, Ukraine
| | - Ali Sharafi
- Zanjan Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Research Center,
Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan,
Iran
- Joint Ukraine−Azerbaijan
International Research and Education Center of Nanobiotechnology and Functional
Nanosystems, Drohobych, Ukraine; Baku, Azerbaijan
| | - Soodabeh Davaran
- Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz
University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box 51656-65811, Tabriz,
Iran
- Joint Ukraine−Azerbaijan
International Research and Education Center of Nanobiotechnology and Functional
Nanosystems, Drohobych, Ukraine; Baku, Azerbaijan
| | - Subhash C. Chauhan
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, School of
Medicine, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, McAllen, Texas
78504, United States
- South Texas Center of Excellence in Cancer Research,
School of Medicine, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley,
McAllen, Texas 78504, United States
| | - Hossein Danafar
- Zanjan Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Research Center,
Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan,
Iran
- Joint Ukraine−Azerbaijan
International Research and Education Center of Nanobiotechnology and Functional
Nanosystems, Drohobych, Ukraine; Baku, Azerbaijan
| | - Saeed Kaboli
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of
Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan,
Iran
| | - Hamed Nosrati
- Zanjan Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Research Center,
Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan,
Iran
- Joint Ukraine−Azerbaijan
International Research and Education Center of Nanobiotechnology and Functional
Nanosystems, Drohobych, Ukraine; Baku, Azerbaijan
| | - Murali M. Yallapu
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, School of
Medicine, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, McAllen, Texas
78504, United States
- South Texas Center of Excellence in Cancer Research,
School of Medicine, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley,
McAllen, Texas 78504, United States
| | - João Conde
- NOVA Medical School, Faculdade de Ciências
Médicas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisboa,
Portugal
- Centre for Toxicogenomics and Human Health (ToxOmics),
Genetics, Oncology and Human Toxicology, NOVA Medical School, Faculdade de Ciências
Médicas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisboa,
Portugal
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147
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Wind L, Krometis LA, Hession WC, Pruden A. Cross-comparison of methods for quantifying antibiotic resistance in agricultural soils amended with dairy manure and compost. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 766:144321. [PMID: 33477102 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/05/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Agricultural soils are often amended with livestock manure, making them a key reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Given that soils are among the most microbially-diverse environments on the planet; effective characterization and quantification of the effects of manure-derived amendments on soil resistomes is a major challenge. This study examined the effects of dairy manure-derived amendments on agricultural soils via two strategies: quantification of anthropogenic ARG markers via qPCR and shotgun metagenomic resistome profiling; and these strategies were compared to a previously published antibiotic resistant fecal coliform dataset. Soil samples were collected throughout a 120 day complete block field experiment to compare the effects of amendment type on antibiotic resistance. Results of all three measurements were consistent with the hypothesis that the application of composted manure reduced antibiotic resistance in soil relative to the application of raw manure, although some differences were noted in comparing the patterns of the three measurements with time. Raw dairy manure-amended soils yielded high sul1 and tet(W) relative abundances on Day 0 (following amendment application), but significantly decreased to background levels by Day 67 (harvest) and Day 120 (study completion). Shotgun metagenomics similarly detected a decrease in the relative abundances of sulfonamide and tetracycline-associated ARGs over time in the raw manure- and compost-amended soils; however, these levels were significantly lower than those estimated by qPCR. Interestingly, although patterns of sulfonamide and tetracycline resistance among culturable fecal coliforms echoed those observed via qPCR and metagenomics; erythromycin resistant coliforms were directly recovered by culture in amended soils, but corresponding ARGs were not detected by qPCR or metagenomics. This study supports both composting and time restrictions as means of reducing the potential for antibiotic resistance in manure to spread via soil application. Results suggest some differences in finer conclusions drawn depending on which antibiotic resistance monitoring target is selected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Wind
- Department of Biological Systems Engineering, Virginia Tech, 155 Ag. Quad Lane, Seitz Hall RM 200, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
| | - Leigh-Anne Krometis
- Department of Biological Systems Engineering, Virginia Tech, 155 Ag. Quad Lane, Seitz Hall RM 200, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - W Cully Hession
- Department of Biological Systems Engineering, Virginia Tech, 155 Ag. Quad Lane, Seitz Hall RM 200, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Amy Pruden
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, 1145 Perry St, Durham Hall RM 403, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
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148
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Wang CYT, Ballard EL, Pava Z, Marquart L, Gaydon J, Murphy SC, Whiley D, O'Rourke P, McCarthy JS. Analytical validation of a real-time hydrolysis probe PCR assay for quantifying Plasmodium falciparum parasites in experimentally infected human adults. Malar J 2021; 20:181. [PMID: 33838672 PMCID: PMC8035755 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-021-03717-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Volunteer infection studies have become a standard model for evaluating drug efficacy against Plasmodium infections. Molecular techniques such as qPCR are used in these studies due to their ability to provide robust and accurate estimates of parasitaemia at increased sensitivity compared to microscopy. The validity and reliability of assays need to be ensured when used to evaluate the efficacy of candidate drugs in clinical trials. Methods A previously described 18S rRNA gene qPCR assay for quantifying Plasmodium falciparum in blood samples was evaluated. Assay performance characteristics including analytical sensitivity, reportable range, precision, accuracy and specificity were assessed using experimental data and data compiled from phase 1 volunteer infection studies conducted between 2013 and 2019. Guidelines for validation of laboratory-developed molecular assays were followed. Results The reportable range was 1.50 to 6.50 log10 parasites/mL with a limit of detection of 2.045 log10 parasites/mL of whole blood based on a parasite diluted standard series over this range. The assay was highly reproducible with minimal intra-assay (SD = 0.456 quantification cycle (Cq) units [0.137 log10 parasites/mL] over 21 replicates) and inter-assay (SD = 0.604 Cq units [0.182 log10 parasites/mL] over 786 qPCR runs) variability. Through an external quality assurance program, the QIMR assay was shown to generate accurate results (quantitative bias + 0.019 log10 parasites/mL against nominal values). Specificity was 100% after assessing 164 parasite-free human blood samples. Conclusions The 18S rRNA gene qPCR assay is specific and highly reproducible and can provide reliable and accurate parasite quantification. The assay is considered fit for use in evaluating drug efficacy in malaria clinical trials. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12936-021-03717-y.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Y T Wang
- Centre for Children's Health Research, Children's Health Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. .,Child Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
| | - Emma L Ballard
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Zuleima Pava
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Louise Marquart
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Jane Gaydon
- Centre for Children's Health Research, Children's Health Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.,Child Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Sean C Murphy
- Departments of Laboratory Medicine and Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Center for Emerging and Re-Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - David Whiley
- Centre for Children's Health Research, Children's Health Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.,UQ Centre for Clinical Research, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Peter O'Rourke
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia
| | - James S McCarthy
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia.,School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
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149
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qPCR Validation on the Basis of the Listeria monocytogenes prfA Assay. Methods Mol Biol 2021. [PMID: 32975765 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0982-8_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
Abstract
Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) is one of the most used molecular methods. There are numerous qPCR assays on the market, some of them for pathogen detection, and the development of new assays still continues. However, what methods are suitable for assay performance validation and which information do they provide? For conclusions based on qPCR data, it is essential to know which capacities and limitations an assay has. This chapter gives an overview of methods for qPCR assay performance validation and the respective insights and how to combine them. Most of those validation methods have been published in connection with the prfA assay, which specifically detects Listeria monocytogenes. Thereby, it could be demonstrated that this assay reliably quantifies even a single copy of the prfA gene and is thus suitable for detection of Listeria monocytogenes.
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150
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Application of One-Step Reverse Transcription Droplet Digital PCR for Dengue Virus Detection and Quantification in Clinical Specimens. Diagnostics (Basel) 2021; 11:diagnostics11040639. [PMID: 33916081 PMCID: PMC8066273 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics11040639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Detection and quantification of viruses in laboratory and clinical samples are standard assays in dengue virus (DENV) studies. The quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) is considered to be the standard for DENV detection and quantification due to its high sensitivity. However, qRT-PCR offers only quantification relative to a standard curve and consists of several "in-house" components resulting in interlaboratory variations. We developed and optimized a protocol for applying one-step RT-droplet digital PCR (RT-ddPCR) for DENV detection and quantification. The lower limit of detection (LLOD95) and the lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) for RT-ddPCR were estimated to be 1.851 log10-copies/reaction and 2.337 log10-copies/reaction, respectively. The sensitivity of RT-ddPCR was found to be superior to qRT-PCR (94.87% vs. 90.38%, p = 0.039) while no false positives were detected. Quantification of DENV in clinical samples was independently performed in three laboratories showing interlaboratory variations with biases <0.5 log10-copies/mL. The RT-ddPCR protocol presented here could help harmonize DENV quantification results and improve findings in the field such as identifying a DENV titer threshold correlating with disease severity.
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