BacLite® RapiTECT GN™ Used for Rapid, Sensitive Detection of Gram Negatives
John Wain of The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute’s Molecular Microbiology Team is employing the Acolyte BacLite® RapiTECT GN™ assay in work investigating the genetic diversity of the natural populations of human bacterial pathogens.
As part of the evaluation of genetic mechanisms involved in the spread of antimicrobial resistance, John Wain’s team has been using plasmids to incorporate resistance genes into model cell lines. The time consuming and labour intensive element of the work has then been to characterise and profile the cells produced through growth studies.
In recognising the potential of Acolyte’s Adenylate Kinase (AK) technology, John Wain’s team were able to demonstrate dramatic reductions in time and effort needed to deliver their results, typically producing growth curves in one or two hours.
The BacLite® RapiTECT GN assay uses Adenylate Kinase as a highly sensitive marker to detect cell numbers. Unlike ATP, AK is present at constant levels in all bacterial cells irrespective of the organism’s metabolic state. The amplification of the conversion of ADP to ATP gives sensitivities up to 100 times those of standard ATP bioluminescence and up to 1 million times those of optical measurements.
John Wain said "Our current research is directed towards investigating antimicrobial chemotherapy and vaccine use in the developing world. We have been forging links with regions of the world where the infectious disease burden is greatest and believe this collaboration will directly benefit infectious disease research globally."
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