Molecular Biology
Molecular diagnostics is a relatively new area of laboratory medicine that involves using DNA or RNA, the unique genetic code found in human cells to detect specific genes of pathogens in human body fluids and tissues, and investigating the sequences for the diagnosis of particular diseases and other genetic conditions. The Molecular Biology department provides the following diagnostic solutions:
- Paternity/Maternity DNA testing: is a DNA blood test to confirm the biological relationship between a presupposed father/mother and child/children.
- Sexual health panel Assays: a multiplex One-step real-time RT PCR assay that detects and identifies over 15 viruses, bacteria and parasites which cause sexually transmitted infections.
- Respiratory Panel Assays: Used to detect a wide range of respiratory viral and bacterial pathogens such as Influenza viruses, Respiratory syncytial viruses, Parainfluenza viruses, Coronaviruses, Adenovirus, Boca virus, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Streptococcus pneumoniae and many others.
- Gastrointestinal Panel Assays: a multiplex One-step real-time RT PCR Assay that detects and identifies 25 gastrointestinal pathogens; six (6) viruses, 13 bacteria and six (6) parasites simultaneously. Some of these gastrointestinal pathogens include Norovirus, Astrovirus, Campylobacter spp, Giardia lamblia, and E. coli O157.
- Real-time PCR HPV detection assay: for simultaneous detection, differentiation and quantification of 28 distinct HPV genotypes using DPO and TOCE technologies.
- MTB/MDR/XDRe Detection: is used for simultaneous detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and 38 mutations associated with drug-resistant tuberculosis.
- BRCA 1 & 2 Gene Mutation Detection: For qualitative detection of BRCA1 and BRCA2 variants using DNA isolated from peripheral whole blood, fresh-frozen tissue or formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples. Having a variant BRCA gene increases a woman's chance of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer. They also increase a man's chance of developing male breast cancer and prostate cancer.
- Thrombosis single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) Panel
- Leukaemia BCR/ABL Detection, etc.
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