NMR systems and methods for the rapid detection of analytes

A method for amplifying a target fungal nucleic acid in a whole blood sample, the method comprising:

• (a) contacting a whole blood sample suspected of containing one or more fungal cells with an erythrocyte lysis agent, thereby lysing red blood cells;
• (b) centrifuging the product of step (a) to form a supernatant and a pellet;
• (c) discarding some or all of the supernatant of step (b) and resuspending the pellet to form an extract;
• (d) combining said extract of step (c) with beads to form a mixture and agitating the mixture to form a lysate, said lysate containing both subject cell nucleic acid and fungal nucleic acid;
• and
• (e) providing the lysate of step (d) in a detection tube and amplifying fungal nucleic acids therein by PCR to form an amplified lysate solution;
• wherein ten fungal cells per milliliter of said whole blood sample is sufficient to permit amplification of said target fungal nucleic acid.