Comprehensive assay panel for UTI, STI, wound pathogens, and ARGs
High-throughput pathogen detection for affordable assay development
Traditional culture-based pathogen detection techniques are slow, require subjective assessment, lack sensitivity and specificity, and cannot accomodate difficult-to-cultivate pathogens. To address these challenges, there is a growing demand for rapid identification of pathogens using molecular methods, such as qPCR. In addition to pathogen detection, qPCR methods can identify critical antibiotic resistance genes and multidrug-resistant organisms. However, many qPCR assays are limited by the number of pathogen targets that can be detected and high reagent volumes, which inflates the cost per sample.
Our automated, high-throughput qPCR technology—the SmartChip ND platform—uses a chip containing 5,184 nanowells, increasing the number of pathogen targets that can be detected per run. The nanoliter-scale wells reduce the volume of reagents required and, therefore, the cost of each reaction. We tested a panel designed to detect common urinary tract infection (UTI), sexually transmitted infection (STI), and wound infection pathogens on the SmartChip ND system. This panel detected a diverse range of pathogens as well as antimicrobial resistance genes to address the need to identify a broad range of pathogens in one quick and easy qPCR run. A novel spike-in control was added to this assay to improve detection precision by serving as quality control throughout the entire PCR process to prevent false positives.
Examine the data in our featured poster and talk.
Featured poster—Association for Molecular Pathology Annual Meeting & Expo 2024
Comprehensive UTI assay panel utilizing exogenous DNA spike-in control for improved detection accuracy
With this poster, Dr. Mukesh Maharjan presented a comprehensive panel for detecting UTI, STI, and wound infection pathogens that included common ARG targets. A spiked-in exogenous DNA sequence was developed and integrated with the high-density SmartChip platform to improve detection precision, distinguish true positives from contamination or nonspecific signals, and most importantly, detect false negatives.
Featured talk—Association for Molecular Pathology Annual Meeting & Expo 2024
A high-throughput qPCR system for flexible and cost-effective large panel assay testing
In this talk, Dr. Mukesh Maharjan discussed a comprehensive panel for detecting UTI, STI, and wound infection pathogens, incorporating common antibiotic-resistance gene (ARG) targets. Integrated with the high-density SmartChip system, this panel includes a spiked-in exogenous DNA sequence to enhance detection precision and minimize false negatives.
Unlock answers with nanoscale PCR
Takara Bio's SmartChip ND Real-Time PCR System allows you to flexibly design your own panels, keep costs low, and obtain results in under 3 hr. Sample dispensing and reaction mix distribution is automated for up to 5,184 reactions per chip. Customizable configurations allow 12 to 384 assays to be processed at a time, depending on the number of targets in the panel. The system also simplifies your workflow with full end-to-end software to carry out automated dispensing and qPCR analysis.
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