quantitative methods
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyAssessment of In Vitro and In Silico Protocols for Sequence-Based Characterization of the Human Vaginal MicrobiomeThe vaginal microbiome has been connected to various aspects of host health, including susceptibility to sexually transmitted infections as well as gynecological cancers and pregnancy outcomes. This has led to a thriving research environment but also to conflicting available methodologies, including many studies that do not report their molecular biological and bioinformatic methods in sufficient detail to be considered reproducible....
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyHERQ-9 Is a New Multiplex PCR for Differentiation and Quantification of All Nine Human HerpesvirusesBy adulthood, almost all humans become infected by at least one herpesvirus (HHV). The maladies inflicted by these microbes extend beyond the initial infection, as they remain inside our cells for life and can reactivate, causing severe diseases. The diagnosis of active infection by these ubiquitous pathogens includes the detection of DNA with sensitive and specific assays. We developed the first quantitative PCR assay (HERQ-9) designed...
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyMultilaboratory Comparison of Pneumococcal Multiplex Immunoassays Used in Immunosurveillance of Streptococcus pneumoniae across EuropeSerology of Streptococcus pneumoniae is challenging due to existence of multiple clinically relevant serotypes and the introduction of multivalent vaccines in national immunization programs. Multiplex immunoassays (MIAs) are applied as high-throughput cost-effective methods for serosurveillance, and yet laboratories use their own protocols. The aims of this study were...