Biomaterial Database

Diagnostic molecular microbiology. Current challenges and future directions. 1993

D H Persing

Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905.

The advent of nucleic acid amplification techniques for the clinical laboratory provides not only new diagnostic opportunities but new responsibilities as well. Problems associated with the introduction of this technology include contamination with the products of amplification reactions, and difficulty in interpreting test results. Eventually, however, many of these problems will be overcome, and new applications of diagnostic molecular microbiology such as sequence-based microbial identification will become established. Clinical microbiologists will successfully negotiate the transition to tests based on nucleic acid chemistry if they are willing to educate and become educated in the new technology.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007239	Infections	Invasion of the host organism by microorganisms or their toxins or by parasites that can cause pathological conditions or diseases.	Infection,Infection and Infestation,Infections and Infestations,Infestation and Infection,Infestations and Infections
D007757	Laboratory Infection	Accidentally acquired infection in laboratory workers.	Infection, Laboratory,Infections, Laboratory,Laboratory Infections
D008828	Microbiological Techniques	Techniques used in microbiology.	Microbiologic Technic,Microbiologic Technics,Microbiologic Technique,Microbiological Technics,Technic, Microbiologic,Technics, Microbiological,Technique, Microbiologic,Techniques, Microbiologic,Microbiologic Techniques,Microbiological Technic,Microbiological Technique,Technic, Microbiological,Technics, Microbiologic,Technique, Microbiological,Techniques, Microbiological
D008967	Molecular Biology	A discipline concerned with studying biological phenomena in terms of the chemical and physical interactions of molecules.	Biochemical Genetics,Biology, Molecular,Genetics, Biochemical,Genetics, Molecular,Molecular Genetics,Biochemical Genetic,Genetic, Biochemical,Genetic, Molecular,Molecular Genetic
D004247	DNA	A deoxyribonucleotide polymer that is the primary genetic material of all cells. Eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms normally contain DNA in a double-stranded state, yet several important biological processes transiently involve single-stranded regions. DNA, which consists of a polysugar-phosphate backbone possessing projections of purines (adenine and guanine) and pyrimidines (thymine and cytosine), forms a double helix that is held together by hydrogen bonds between these purines and pyrimidines (adenine to thymine and guanine to cytosine).	DNA, Double-Stranded,Deoxyribonucleic Acid,ds-DNA,DNA, Double Stranded,Double-Stranded DNA,ds DNA
D005189	False Positive Reactions	Positive test results in subjects who do not possess the attribute for which the test is conducted. The labeling of healthy persons as diseased when screening in the detection of disease. (Last, A Dictionary of Epidemiology, 2d ed)	False Positive Reaction,Positive Reaction, False,Positive Reactions, False,Reaction, False Positive,Reactions, False Positive
D005784	Gene Amplification	A selective increase in the number of copies of a gene coding for a specific protein without a proportional increase in other genes. It occurs naturally via the excision of a copy of the repeating sequence from the chromosome and its extrachromosomal replication in a plasmid, or via the production of an RNA transcript of the entire repeating sequence of ribosomal RNA followed by the reverse transcription of the molecule to produce an additional copy of the original DNA sequence. Laboratory techniques have been introduced for inducing disproportional replication by unequal crossing over, uptake of DNA from lysed cells, or generation of extrachromosomal sequences from rolling circle replication.	Amplification, Gene
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012313	RNA	A polynucleotide consisting essentially of chains with a repeating backbone of phosphate and ribose units to which nitrogenous bases are attached. RNA is unique among biological macromolecules in that it can encode genetic information, serve as an abundant structural component of cells, and also possesses catalytic activity. (Rieger et al., Glossary of Genetics: Classical and Molecular, 5th ed)	RNA, Non-Polyadenylated,Ribonucleic Acid,Gene Products, RNA,Non-Polyadenylated RNA,Acid, Ribonucleic,Non Polyadenylated RNA,RNA Gene Products,RNA, Non Polyadenylated
D016045	Human Genome Project	A coordinated effort of researchers to map (CHROMOSOME MAPPING) and sequence (SEQUENCE ANALYSIS, DNA) the human GENOME.	Genome Project, Human,Human Genome Diversity Project,Human Genome Mapping Project,Genome Projects, Human,Human Genome Projects,Project, Human Genome,Projects, Human Genome