Melting Curve Analysis of Bacterial Pathogens in Blood
“[Researchers] from the University of California San Diego have . . . . developed a microfluidic chip on which a small blood sample is deposited and then heated to a temperature of 50 to 90 ºC (122 to 194 ºF). If any bacteria are present in the fluid, the heat causes their DNA molecules to melt. As those molecules disintegrate, their double-helix strands unwind in a telltale pattern which is unique to their sequence of nucleotides. In order to ascertain that pattern, a special dye is added to the sample. It causes the unwinding process to produce fluorescent light. By analyzing the properties of that light, a signature known as a melting curve is obtained. That melting curve is then compared to others that are already known to be those of specific bacteria. . . . . The whole process takes no more than six hours.” MORE
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