Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
5.1
3.7
Journals
Pathogens
Special Issues
Molecular Diagnostics of Emerging Pathogens
share announcement

Molecular Diagnostics of Emerging Pathogens

A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817). This special issue belongs to the section "Emerging Pathogens".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2023) | Viewed by 10661

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Chongwen Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
Interests: biosensor; molecular detection; lateral flow immunoassay; SERS; POCT
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Bing Gu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory Medicine, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou 510000, China
Interests: new detection technique; molecular detection; microbiology; virology; biosensor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent decades, human health has been facing an enormous threat due to the emergence of new pathogens, such as highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses, Ebola virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and super-resistant bacteria. For example, SARS-CoV-2 has caused massive health and economic damages worldwide, including over 5 million deaths and a heavy personal and societal healthcare burden. Early and accurate detection of emerging pathogens is essential to prevent infections from spreading and guide effective treatment to the infected individual. It is important to point out that current diagnostic methods for pathogens, such as reverse-transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and sequencing, require tedious procedures (e.g., cell lysis, DNA extraction, and predesigned primers), long processing time, and large instruments for result output. Therefore, more efficient detection methods that support the rapid, sensitive, on-site detection of pathogens on multiple specimen types are urgently needed.

FOCUS

The main focus of this Special Issue is to illustrate the rapid development and advantages of current molecular tools for emerging pathogen identification and to seek the novel molecular detection technology in solving the challenges of highly pathogenic microorganisms in the clinical, environment, and public health areas.

Both original and review articles are welcomed. Potential topics include but are not limited to:

1. Nucleic-acid-based molecular techniques (e.g., CRISPR, digital PCR, microarray assays, next-generation sequencing) for emerging pathogens or highly pathogenic microorganisms;

2. Immunoassay-based molecular techniques (e.g., antibody testing, antigen testing, biomarker testing) for emerging pathogens;

3. Point-of-care testing (POCT) techniques for emerging pathogens, such as lateral flow assay (LFA), microfluidic systems, or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA);

4. Novel molecular microbiology methods as well as the application of existing techniques in new settings.

PURPOSE

We encourage worldwide scholars to devote themselves to the development of high-performance molecular detection methods for important emerging pathogens (e.g., SARS-CoV-2, monkeypox virus, drug-resistance bacteria, Ebola virus, Fungi).

Dr. Chongwen Wang
Dr. Bing Gu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pathogens is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • PCR
  • CRISPR
  • molecular diagnostics
  • POCT
  • emerging pathogens
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • bacteria
  • sequencing
  • nucleic acid testing
  • immunoassay

Published Papers (5 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

12 pages, 3819 KiB  
Article
Electrostatic Adsorption of Dense AuNPs onto Silica Core as High-Performance SERS Tag for Sensitive Immunochromatographic Detection of Streptococcus pneumoniae
by Wanzhu Shen, Jiaxuan Li, Bo Jiang, You Nie, Yuanfeng Pang, Chongwen Wang, Rui Xiao and Rongzhang Hao
Pathogens 2023, 12(2), 327; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12020327 - 15 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2524
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) is a prominent pathogen of bacterial pneumonia and its rapid and sensitive detection in complex biological samples remains a challenge. Here, we developed a simple but effective immunochromatographic assay (ICA) based on silica-Au core-satellite (SiO2@20Au) [...] Read more.
Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) is a prominent pathogen of bacterial pneumonia and its rapid and sensitive detection in complex biological samples remains a challenge. Here, we developed a simple but effective immunochromatographic assay (ICA) based on silica-Au core-satellite (SiO2@20Au) SERS tags to sensitively and quantitatively detect S. pneumoniae. The high-performance SiO2@20Au tags with superior stability and SERS activity were prepared by one-step electrostatic adsorption of dense 20 nm AuNPs onto 180 nm SiO2 core and introduced into the ICA method to ensure the high sensitivity and accuracy of the assay. The detection limit of the proposed SERS-ICA reached 46 cells/mL for S. pneumoniae and was 100-fold more sensitive than the traditional AuNPs-based colorimetric ICA method. Further, considering its good stability, specificity, reproducibility, and easy operation, the SiO2@20Au-SERS-ICA developed here has great potential to meet the demands of on-site and accurate detection of respiratory pathogens. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Diagnostics of Emerging Pathogens)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

9 pages, 1622 KiB  
Article
Comparison of Analytical Sensitivity (Limit of Detection) of Xpert MTB/RIF and Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra for Non-Sputum Specimens
by Marisa C. Nielsen, Paula Clarner, Ruchi Paroha, Sunhee Lee, Phyu M. Thwe and Ping Ren
Pathogens 2023, 12(2), 157; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12020157 - 18 Jan 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1865
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB) is a significant public health threat and has remained a leading cause of death in many parts of the world. Rapid and accurate testing and timely diagnosis can improve treatment efficacy and reduce new exposures. The Cepheid Xpert® MTB/RIF tests have [...] Read more.
Tuberculosis (TB) is a significant public health threat and has remained a leading cause of death in many parts of the world. Rapid and accurate testing and timely diagnosis can improve treatment efficacy and reduce new exposures. The Cepheid Xpert® MTB/RIF tests have two marketed products (US-IVD and Ultra) that are widely accepted for diagnosis of TB but have not yet been approved for non-sputum specimens. Despite numerous studies in the literature, no data for the analytical sensitivity of these two products on the non-sputum samples are available to date. This is the first study that systematically determined the analytical sensitivities of both US-IVD and Ultra tests on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), tissue, and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). The limits of detection (LoDs) on the US-IVD test for both Mycobacterium tuberculosis and rifampin resistance in CFU/mL, respectively, were as follows: CSF (3.3 and 4.6), tissue (15 and 23), and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) (45 and 60), and on the Ultra test: CSF (0.16 and 2.7), tissue (0.11 and 12), and BAL (0.65, and 7.5). Overall, the analytical sensitivities of the Ultra test were substantially better than US-IVD for all sample types tested. This study provided a foundation for using either the US-IVD or Ultra test for the early detection of both pulmonary and extrapulmonary (EP) TB. Furthermore, using Ultra could result in higher TB case detection rates in subjects with paucibacillary TB and EP TB, positively impacting WHO goals to eradicate TB. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Diagnostics of Emerging Pathogens)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 1357 KiB  
Article
Clinical Evaluation of a Multiplex PCR Assay for Simultaneous Detection of 18 Respiratory Pathogens in Patients with Acute Respiratory Infections
by Wenmin Li, Xiaoxiao Wang, Wenhao Cui, Leyong Yuan and Xuejiao Hu
Pathogens 2023, 12(1), 21; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12010021 - 23 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1776
Abstract
Reliable diagnostics are necessary to identify influenza infections, and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) highlights the need to develop highly specific and sensitive viral detection methods to distinguish severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and other respiratory pathogens to prevent their further spread. [...] Read more.
Reliable diagnostics are necessary to identify influenza infections, and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) highlights the need to develop highly specific and sensitive viral detection methods to distinguish severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and other respiratory pathogens to prevent their further spread. In this prospective study, 1070 clinical respiratory samples were collected from patients with acute respiratory infections from January 2019 to February 2021 to evaluate the diagnostic performance of a multiplex probe amplification (MPA) assay, designed to screen 18 pathogens, mainly those causing acute respiratory infections. Ninety-six positive samples and twenty negative samples for the 18 respiratory pathogens defined by the MPA assay and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT–PCR) were further confirmed by reference next-generation sequencing (NGS). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of the MPA assay were 95.00%, 93.75%, 98.96% and 75.00%, respectively. Additionally, the co-infection rate for these positive samples were 25% (24/95). The MPA assay demonstrated a highly concordant diagnostic performance with NGS in the diagnosis of 18 respiratory pathogens and might play an important role in clinical respiratory pathogen diagnosis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Diagnostics of Emerging Pathogens)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 652 KiB  
Article
Whole-Genome Sequencing of Six Neglected Arboviruses Circulating in Africa Using Sequence-Independent Single Primer Amplification (SISPA) and MinION Nanopore Technologies
by Ansgar Schulz, Balal Sadeghi, Franziska Stoek, Jacqueline King, Kerstin Fischer, Anne Pohlmann, Martin Eiden and Martin H. Groschup
Pathogens 2022, 11(12), 1502; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens11121502 - 08 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2110
Abstract
On the African continent, a large number of arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) with zoonotic potential have been described, and yet little is known of most of these pathogens, including their actual distribution or genetic diversity. In this study, we evaluated as a proof-of-concept the [...] Read more.
On the African continent, a large number of arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) with zoonotic potential have been described, and yet little is known of most of these pathogens, including their actual distribution or genetic diversity. In this study, we evaluated as a proof-of-concept the effectiveness of the nonspecific sequencing technique sequence-independent single primer amplification (SISPA) on third-generation sequencing techniques (MinION sequencing, Oxford Nanopore Technologies, Oxford, UK) by comparing the sequencing results from six different samples of arboviruses known to be circulating in Africa (Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV), Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV), Dugbe virus (DUGV), Nairobi sheep disease virus (NSDV), Middleburg virus (MIDV) and Wesselsbron virus (WSLV)). All sequenced samples were derived either from previous field studies or animal infection trials. Using this approach, we were able to generate complete genomes for all six viruses without the need for virus-specific whole-genome PCRs. Higher Cq values in diagnostic RT-qPCRs and the origin of the samples (from cell culture or animal origin) along with their quality were found to be factors affecting the success of the sequencing run. The results of this study may stimulate the use of metagenomic sequencing approaches, contributing to a better understanding of the genetic diversity of neglected arboviruses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Diagnostics of Emerging Pathogens)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 7920 KiB  
Article
Recombinase Polymerase Amplification Combined with Fluorescence Immunochromatography Assay for On-Site and Ultrasensitive Detection of SARS-CoV-2
by Guangyu Wang, Xingsheng Yang, Hao Dong, Zhijie Tu, Yong Zhou, Zhen Rong and Shengqi Wang
Pathogens 2022, 11(11), 1252; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens11111252 - 28 Oct 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1719
Abstract
This study established a portable and ultrasensitive detection method based on recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) combined with high-sensitivity multilayer quantum dot (MQD)-based immunochromatographic assay (ICA) to detect the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The RPA-MQD-based ICA method is reported for the [...] Read more.
This study established a portable and ultrasensitive detection method based on recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) combined with high-sensitivity multilayer quantum dot (MQD)-based immunochromatographic assay (ICA) to detect the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The RPA-MQD-based ICA method is reported for the first time and has the following advantages: (i) RPA is free from the constraints of instruments and can be promoted in point-of-care testing (POCT) scenarios, (ii) fluorescence ICA enhances the portability of detection operation so that the entire operation time is controlled within 1 h, and (iii) compared with common colorimetric-based RPA-ICA, the proposed assay used MQD to provide strong and quantifiable fluorescence signal, thus enhancing the detection sensitivity. With this strategy, the proposed RPA-MQD-based ICA can amplify and detect the SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid on-site with a sensitivity of 2 copies/reaction, which is comparable to the sensitivity of commercial reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) kits. Moreover, the designed primers did not cross-react with other common respiratory viruses, including adenovirus, influenza virus A, and influenza virus B, suggesting high specificity. Thus, the established portable method can sensitively detect SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid without relying on equipment, having good application prospects in SARS-CoV-2 detection scenarios under non-lab conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Diagnostics of Emerging Pathogens)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-5
Back to TopTop