Cases of a threatening superbug, nicknamed the “phantom menace,” are rising in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The phantom menace superbug produces OXA-48-like carbapenemases and has been observed most frequently in Enterobacteriaceae isolates. This type of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), however, has a lower level of resistance than other strains of CRE. As a result, these isolates have not been tested for and identified as frequently as other CREs and have widely escaped detection by health officials, earning it the nickname “phantom menace.”
Getting Ready for Flu Season
The fall season brings Americans cooler weather, football, pumpkin spice lattes, and, also, the dreaded flu. The seasonal flu vaccine protects against the influenza viruses that research indicates will be most common during the upcoming season. All of the available vaccine options this year were designed to protect against the following:
Luminex® miRNA Analysis Made Easy with a Multiplex miRNA Probe Design Tool
While a number of PCR based assays may be used for miRNA analysis, few are suitable for the economic analysis of large numbers of miRNAs in one reaction. Those that are capable of multiplexed analysis often lack the single base resolution needed to distinguish a number of miRNAs that differ by only one nucleotide base. The miRNA Chimeric Probe Design Tool will automatically assemble probe sequences in a near ready to order format. Of the 13 tabs in the file, the user only needs to use four of these tabs.
Nanosphere Receives FDA Clearance for Verigene RP Flex Test
Nanosphere announced this week that is has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administratio…
Has Norovirus Gone Viral?
Norovirus often finds itself in the spotlight when it is the cause of a food-borne disease outbreak on a cruise ship; however, norovirus can be found lurking just about anywhere. With an estimated 20 million cases per year, norovirus is the most common cause of acute gastroenteritis in the US, leading to 71,000 hospitalizations and 800 deaths.
Multi-center Study Demonstrates Exceptional Performance of Verigene BC-GN
A recently published manuscript in the peer-reviewed Journal of Clinical Microbiology illustrates the exceptional accuracy of the Verigene® Gram-Negative Blood Culture Test (BC-GN). This multi-center study was conducted at 13 different healthcare institutions across the United States and evaluated over 1,800 gram-negative blood cultures across seven different types of aerobic culture media. Performance of BC-GN was compared to standard bacterial culture and biochemical identification with nucleic acid sequence confirmation of resistance determinants.
Nanosphere Recognized at White House Forum on Antibiotic Stewardship
Last week, the Obama Administration held a White House Forum on Antibiotic Stewardship as part of its ongoing effort to combat antibiotic resistance. At the forum, Nanosphere was recognized as an “All Committed” diagnostic company that is making strides to improve antibiotic use and slow the rise of antibiotic-resistant infections threatening modern medicine.
扱いが難しいタンパク質をLuminex xMAP® マイクロビーズにカップリングする新しい選択肢
At times, scientists using Luminex® xMAP® Technology may encounter proteins that are difficult to couple to microspheres using traditional EDC-NHS chemistry. There are many reasons why this happens, from protein incompatibility with covalent attachment to sub-optimal conditions during the coupling process. Mix&Go™ Technology for multiplex microspheres helps overcome difficulty in coupling by creating an activated surface that gently yet strongly binds proteins using metal chelation rather than covalent chemistry.
How Do You Know if You’ve Been Vaccinated Against Measles?
Figure from http://www.cdc.gov/measles/cases-outbreaks.html In 2015, over 84 cases (as of January 29th, 2015) …
UNC Study Demonstrates Clinical Impact of Verigene® BC-GP
A study from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill published online last week in the peer-reviewed Journal of Clinical Microbiology illustrates the impact of the Verigene® Gram-Positive Blood Culture Test (BC-GP) on treatment optimization for patients with streptococcal and enterococcal bacteremia. It is the first study to investigate the clinical impact of a rapid blood culture test on patients with streptococcal bacteremia.