The P's and Q's of qPCR
Oral Presentation
Prepared by M. Citriglia, N. Schafer
Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, 4747 East 49th Street, Cuyahoga Hts, Ohio, 44125, United States
Contact Information: [email protected]; 216-641-6000
ABSTRACT
The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD) has been using qPCR technology to analyze for E. Coli and Enterococci at three Lake Erie bathing beaches located in the Cuyahoga County, Ohio. The Analytical Services laboratory of NEORSD performed a research project comparing the performance of two qPCR assays for the analysis of E. coli in bathing beach waters. The study compared the performance of a TaqMan assay using an Fast Environmental Master Mix against the Scorpion assay that the laboratory has been using for the past four years. The laboratory analyzed over 90 samples using both assays and then evaluated using the following categories; instrument capabilities, assay optimization, cost, sensitivity, robustness, accuracy and analysis time. The goal of the study was to find an alternative qPCR method that would allow the laboratory to save time and money while performing this analysis without sacrificing accuracy. This presentation will discuss the results of this study along with how to determine if qPCR technology can be utilized to analyze samples collected at your beach. The discussion will also summarize the key quality control requirements used during this research project.
Oral Presentation
Prepared by M. Citriglia, N. Schafer
Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, 4747 East 49th Street, Cuyahoga Hts, Ohio, 44125, United States
Contact Information: [email protected]; 216-641-6000
ABSTRACT
The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD) has been using qPCR technology to analyze for E. Coli and Enterococci at three Lake Erie bathing beaches located in the Cuyahoga County, Ohio. The Analytical Services laboratory of NEORSD performed a research project comparing the performance of two qPCR assays for the analysis of E. coli in bathing beach waters. The study compared the performance of a TaqMan assay using an Fast Environmental Master Mix against the Scorpion assay that the laboratory has been using for the past four years. The laboratory analyzed over 90 samples using both assays and then evaluated using the following categories; instrument capabilities, assay optimization, cost, sensitivity, robustness, accuracy and analysis time. The goal of the study was to find an alternative qPCR method that would allow the laboratory to save time and money while performing this analysis without sacrificing accuracy. This presentation will discuss the results of this study along with how to determine if qPCR technology can be utilized to analyze samples collected at your beach. The discussion will also summarize the key quality control requirements used during this research project.
