Methods and systems for rapid detection of microorganisms using infectious agents
AssigneeLaboratory Corporation of America Holdings
InventorsDwight Lyman Anderson, Jose S. Gil, Ben Barrett Hopkins, Stephen Erickson
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Abstract
Disclosed herein are methods and systems for rapid detection of microorganisms in a sample, without culturing for enrichment of the microorganism. A modified bacteriophage is also disclosed which comprises a non-native indicator gene in the late gene region. The indicator product is not a fusion protein. The specificity of infectious agents allows a specific microorganism to be targeted, and an indicator signal may be amplified to optimize assay sensitivity.
Claims11
A method for detecting a bacterium of interest in a sample, the method comprising the steps of:
- incubating at least one bacterium with a plurality of a bacteriophage genetically engineered to have an indicator gene inserted into a late gene region of the bacteriophage, wherein the indicator gene encodes a luciferase protein such that the luciferase protein is expressed during the replication of the bacteriophage and the luciferase protein does not form a fusion protein with a native gene product, and wherein the incubating step is performed at a temperature that is at least 37 degrees Celsius and no greater than 45 degrees Celsius;
- and
- detecting the luciferase protein,
- wherein detection of the luciferase protein indicates that the bacterium is present in the sample.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.