PCR Detection of Microbial Pathogens

Because the number of published PCR procedures is already large and rising steadily, there is a need to critically evaluate and eventually standardize its methodology so that laboratory diagnosticians can select optimal techniques for their own work. In PCR Detection of Microbial Pathogens, hands-on laboratory experts present a set of "classic" PCR-based methods for the identification and detection of important animal and food microbial pathogens, including several zoonotic agents. Described in step-by-step detail to ensure successful experimental results, these proven techniques can be precisely applied to a wide variety of microbes, among them Campylobacter spp., chlamydiae, toxigenic clostridia, Escherichia coli (STEC), Listeria monocytogenes, mycoplasmas, salmonellae, and Yersinia enterocolitica. Additional chapters review the specificity and performance of diagnostic PCR analysis, the pre-PCR processing of samples, the critical aspects of standardizing PCR methods, and the general issues involved in using PCR technology for microbial diagnosis. Each article details a validated technique that explains the principles involved, provides stepwise instructions and a list of materials, and includes notes describing problems that may arise, as well as possible alternative procedures. Authoritative and easy-to-use, PCR Detection of Microbial Pathogens offers microbiologists, veterinary diagnosticians, and food analysts powerful state-of-the-art tools designed not only to expand their knowledge of the potential of DNA-based diagnostic methods, but also to help select those techniques best suited to their specific practical needs.