MassTag-PCR
Encyclopedia
MassTag PCR is a new technology PCR based on Mass Spectrometric detection of end product. This technology is pioneered by scientist from Center for Infection and Immunity (CII) of Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University
, USA.
from any of the agent of primer panel is present, it will be amplified. Each amplified product will carry its specific Masscodes.
After PCR the PCR product are purified with to remove unbound primers, dNTPs, enzyme and other impurities. Finally, the purified PCR products are subject of UV as the chemical bond with nucleic acid and primers are photolabile. As the Masscodes are liberated from PCR products they are detected with a Mass Spectrometer.Presence of specific MassCode indicates the presence of specific pathogen.
. MassTag PCR is a more comprehensive and sensitive diagnostic technique, CII was able to determine the cause of this illness for 26 out of 79 previously unknown cases. MassTag PCR demonstrated its tripartite value as a tool for surveillance, outbreak detection, and epidemiology
.
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, USA.
Principles
Like conventional PCR MassTag PCR also use primer pairs. The difference is primers used for MassTag PCR are tagged with molecules of known masses or MassCodes. Instead of single pair of primers this technology uses a number of primers, making it a multiplex system. Unlike, conventional Multiplex PCR system, in MassTag PCR more than 15 primer pairs could be used. If DNADNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
from any of the agent of primer panel is present, it will be amplified. Each amplified product will carry its specific Masscodes.
After PCR the PCR product are purified with to remove unbound primers, dNTPs, enzyme and other impurities. Finally, the purified PCR products are subject of UV as the chemical bond with nucleic acid and primers are photolabile. As the Masscodes are liberated from PCR products they are detected with a Mass Spectrometer.Presence of specific MassCode indicates the presence of specific pathogen.
Applications
This technique has been found to detect a previously uncharacterized clade of rhinovirusRhinovirus
Human rhinoviruses are the most common viral infective agents in humans and are the predominant cause of the common cold. Rhinovirus infection proliferates in temperatures between 33–35 °C , and this may be why it occurs primarily in the nose...
. MassTag PCR is a more comprehensive and sensitive diagnostic technique, CII was able to determine the cause of this illness for 26 out of 79 previously unknown cases. MassTag PCR demonstrated its tripartite value as a tool for surveillance, outbreak detection, and epidemiology
Epidemiology
Epidemiology is the study of health-event, health-characteristic, or health-determinant patterns in a population. It is the cornerstone method of public health research, and helps inform policy decisions and evidence-based medicine by identifying risk factors for disease and targets for preventive...
.