How to Identify and Quantify Pathogens with Bacticount
The methods described in the corresponding JAMA Network Open and EBioMedicine papers give the full details for running LAMP reactions and quantifying them using Bacticount.
General Steps.
Collect specimens: Collect saliva, blood, urine, or feces specimens in appropriate collection vessels.
Lyse samples: Saliva samples can be thermally lysed to release viral RNA, and bacterial samples can be processed with alkaline lysis to release DNA.
Add reaction mix: The test uses a reaction called LAMP, which requires a special reaction solution containing enzymes and pathogen-specific probes.
Run the reactions: Use a smartphone camera and the Bacticount app to monitor the reactions. Saliva reactions take 25 minutes; other specimen reactions take 50 minutes.
Analyze data: When the reactions are complete, use the app to automatically identify and quantify pathogen load in each sample.
Disclaimer: Bacticount is a proof of concept for the scientific community, and has not been approved to diagnose or treat any disease.