PCR-Based Molecular Platform to Enable Drastically Faster Bacterial Infection Diagnosis

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 08 Jun 2023

Image: Molecular Culture® technique enables drastically faster and more accurate bacterial diagnostics (Photo courtesy of inbiome)

A new novel PCR-based molecular platform provides a significant advancement in diagnosing bacterial infections by offering an alternative to traditional culture methods and outperforming newer methods such as sequencing on the time and cost front, while also matching the scope of other PCR tests.

Inbiome’s (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) Molecular Culture technique significantly speeds up and improves the precision of bacterial diagnostics compared to traditional culture. This revolutionary diagnostic technique has the capability to identify the vast majority of bacterial species through a single test. It is particularly tailored to deliver accurate results from invasively collected samples, such as cerebrospinal fluid, pus, and joint aspirates. Unlike culture or traditional PCR-based methods, Molecular Culture is not selective, which means medical professionals don't need to decide in advance which bacteria to search for. Since it is based on DNA detection, it can easily identify or detect bacteria that are unknown, uncultivable or have been treated with antibiotics.

Compared to conventional tests, Molecular Culture is more sensitive and precise. It accurately diagnoses almost double the number of positive samples, significantly reducing the prevalence of false negatives often associated with traditional testing. This leads directly to more informed treatment decisions, consequently improving patient outcomes. Moreover, the diagnostic process is quick, efficient, and simple. It delivers reliable and actionable results within four hours without the need for specialized equipment or bioinformatics pipelines. This means patients recover more quickly, complications are minimized, and the duration of hospital stays is substantially reduced. Currently, Molecular Culture is being utilized in several hospitals in the Netherlands, demonstrating exceptional results.

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