Overcoming the challenges of accuracy and detection in molecular assays

Sponsored by: Thermo Fisher Scientific - Invitrogen

Speaker

Peter Holden, PhD

Senior Business Development Manager, Molecular Diagnostics, Licensing and Commercial Supply-UK, Ireland and Nordics
BIOGRAPHY

Event Date & Time

DATE: January 22, 2019

TIME: 07:00am PST, 10:00am EST

Abstract

Molecular diagnostic tests are currently used for infectious disease testing due to the superior sensitivity and specificity that can be obtained. Due to the success that has been obtained with this application, molecular diagnostic testing is expected to grow into other areas such as genetic testing, prenatal testing, oncology, and pharmacogenomics. Growth in these areas will undoubtedly come with additional challenges due to the variety of the samples required, the presence of inhibitors, and low sample amounts, all of which contribute to potential false negative results due to poor amplification reactions.

In this presentation, we will demonstrate how a change in assay components can overcome these challenges. Specifically, we will address the issues that the Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT) (a commonly used diagnostic tool used for its fast turnaround and less invasive sample collection) has faced and how a change in enzyme selection impacted the overall quality and accuracy of the molecular diagnostic assay.

Learning Objectives:

Understand key challenges in nucleic acid amplification tests
Identify enzyme characteristics important for increased sensitivity, specificity, and speed
Understand how better PCR enzymes and reverse transcriptases can impact the accuracy and detection of molecular test assays