Volume 21, Issue 46 p. 16359-16363
Communication

Fluorescence Polarization Based Nucleic Acid Testing for Rapid and Cost-Effective Diagnosis of Infectious Disease

Dr. Ki Soo Park

Dr. Ki Soo Park

Center for Systems Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114 (USA)

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Prof. Richelle C. Charles

Prof. Richelle C. Charles

Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114 (USA)

Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114 (USA)

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Prof. Edward T. Ryan

Prof. Edward T. Ryan

Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114 (USA)

Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114 (USA)

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Prof. Ralph Weissleder

Corresponding Author

Prof. Ralph Weissleder

Center for Systems Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114 (USA)

Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115 (USA)

Center for Systems Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114 (USA)Search for more papers by this author
Prof. Hakho Lee

Corresponding Author

Prof. Hakho Lee

Center for Systems Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114 (USA)

Center for Systems Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114 (USA)Search for more papers by this author
First published: 30 September 2015
Citations: 17

Graphical Abstract

Nucleic acid testing: Detection probes that regulate DNA polymerase activity were rationally designed for a rapid and cost-effective diagnosis of infectious disease. This assay system was successfully utilized to detect and sub-type Salmonella bacteria with sensitivities down to a single bacterium in relatively short periods of time (see scheme).

Abstract

A new nucleic acid detection method was developed for a rapid and cost-effective diagnosis of infectious disease. This approach relies on the three unique elements: 1) detection probes that regulate DNA polymerase activity in response to the complementary target DNA; 2) universal reporters conjugated with a single fluorophore; and 3) fluorescence polarization (FP) detection. As a proof-of-concept, the assay was used to detect and sub-type Salmonella bacteria with sensitivities down to a single bacterium in less than three hours.