Robert Guthrie
Encyclopedia
Dr. Robert Guthrie was an American
microbiologist
, the first to use dried blood spot testing
, which he first did in the 1960's. He originally designed it for use in neonatal circumstances, in which it continues to be used for over 95% of newborns, but its use has since spread to almost every field involving blood collection.
The Guthrie Test is still an important tool, and dried blood spots are becoming more widespread in use, with well over 90% of American newborns born since 2000 having had one taken.
Guthrie declined to patent or accept royalties for his test. As a result, the price of the test was minimized and hospitals were able to quickly implement screening for PKU
on a large scale.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
microbiologist
Microbiologist
A microbiologist is a scientist who works in the field of microbiology. Microbiologists study organisms called microbes. Microbes can take the form of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protists...
, the first to use dried blood spot testing
Dried blood spot testing
Dried blood spot testing is a method of screening for HIV infection and other conditions using DNA amplification.-History:The concept that capillary blood, obtained from pricking the heel or finger and blotted onto filter paper, could be used to screen for metabolic diseases in large populations...
, which he first did in the 1960's. He originally designed it for use in neonatal circumstances, in which it continues to be used for over 95% of newborns, but its use has since spread to almost every field involving blood collection.
The Guthrie Test is still an important tool, and dried blood spots are becoming more widespread in use, with well over 90% of American newborns born since 2000 having had one taken.
Guthrie declined to patent or accept royalties for his test. As a result, the price of the test was minimized and hospitals were able to quickly implement screening for PKU
Phenylketonuria
Phenylketonuria is an autosomal recessive metabolic genetic disorder characterized by a mutation in the gene for the hepatic enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase , rendering it nonfunctional. This enzyme is necessary to metabolize the amino acid phenylalanine to the amino acid tyrosine...
on a large scale.