PCR pratical Write-up Journal style.(VIROLOGY) Lab Report

PCR pratical Write-up Journal style.(VIROLOGY) - Lab Report Example However, no viral DNA was detected in MRC5 cell line. In conclusion, PCR is an effective tool for the detection of viral genome in infected host cells. Conventional laboratory methods of identifying disease-causing pathogens often involve morphological characterization and antigen detection (Lee et al., 2009; Nitzan et al., 2009; Cicek et al., 2007). However, the traditional morphological examination which relies heavily on culture techniques, presents a serious laggard, on top of contamination problems (Candrian 1995). The emergence of molecular diagnostic tools have circumvented and altered the limitations brought about by the conventional diagnostic techniques (Lion et al., 2006). Specifically, genome-based techniques are increasingly becoming popular due to their high specificity and sensitivity. One tool that has revolutionized the field of clinical diagnostics is polymerase chain reaction (PCR), an enzymatic procedure which amplifies a specific fragment of DNA or RNA (Lion et al., 2006). Since PCR makes use of nucleic acids to detect the presence of organisms, it is extremely useful in the identification of notoriously difficult-to-detect pathogens like viruses. It has been established that human papilloma virus (HPV) infection is a necessary precursor for the onset of cervical cancer (Stanley 2010). In fact, approximately 90% of cervical cancer cases can be accounted for by HPV types 16 and 18. Since HPV infection is very common with a lifetime risk of infection of 50-80%, its accurate diagnosis is very crucial (Stanley 2010). . The purpose of this experiment is to detect the presence of viral genome using polymerase chain reaction. Specifically, the experiment seeks to compare the genomic DNA extracted from HeLa cells, a cervical cancer cell line and MRC5 cells derived from a 14-week old fetal lung tissue in order to confirm that HeLa cells contain human papilloma virus (HPV) 18 DNA. The HeLa