Diagnostic microbiology using real-time PCR based on FRET technology

Molecular amplification of specific nucleic acid-based targets associated with microbial organisms has advanced our existing tools in infectious diseases diagnosis (Fredricks, 1999; Louie, 2000; Peruski, 2003; Yang, 2004). Laboratory diagnosis of infectious diseases in the past has relied on cultivation of the microorganisms in vitro. Hence the viability of the organisms and the laboratory conditions used to mimic the in vivo environment ultimately dictates the successfulness of in vitro amplification of the intact organism(s) outside of the infected host. Nucleic acid-based technologies allow detection by amplification of specific microbial genetic material irrespective of viability or integrity of the organism (Nissen, 2002; Gulliken, 2004; Mackay, 2004).