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An Introduction to In Vitro Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques

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Advanced Techniques in Diagnostic Microbiology

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Abstract

A molecular microbiology detection procedure consists of three basic components: (1) nucleic acid extraction, (2) amplification, and (3) detection/identification. Over the past two decades, the development and optimization of a series of in vitro nucleic acid amplification (NAA) technologies has opened new avenues in diagnostic microbiology for the detection, identification, and characterization of pathogenic organisms [1–3]. These techniques promise to replace traditional culture-based biological replication of live microbial pathogens by enzymatic amplification of specific nucleic acid sequences. These techniques have reduced the dependency of the clinical microbiology laboratory on cultured-based methods and created new opportunities for the field of microbiology to enhance patient care.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA

    Hai**g Li

  2. Department of Laboratory Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 37212, USA

    Yi-Wei Tang

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  1. Hai**g Li
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Correspondence to Yi-Wei Tang .

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  1. Department of Laboratory Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, 10065, New York, USA

    Yi-Wei Tang

  2. Vanderbilt Clinic, Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 22nd Avenue 1301, Nashville, 37232-5310, Tennessee, USA

    Charles W. Stratton

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Li, H., Tang, YW. (2013). An Introduction to In Vitro Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques. In: Tang, YW., Stratton, C. (eds) Advanced Techniques in Diagnostic Microbiology. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3970-7_14

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