At MicroGenDX our motto is:
“Superior Diagnostics. Targeted Treatments. Better Outcomes.”
Here’s what that means:
Superior Diagnostics
We harness the power of 21st-century breakthroughs, such as Next-Generation DNA sequencing (NGS), we pinpoint the exact culprits behind your infection. By delving into the DNA of bacteria and fungi, we diagnose with precision and speed. While some labs are stuck in the past, relying on outdated methods from centuries ago, we firmly stand in the present, committed to bringing you the most advanced diagnostic technologies available.
Targeted Treatments
By comparing the results of NGS testing to our advanced database of almost 57,000 Bacteria andFungi, we can provide your healthcare provider (aka doctor) with the answers they NEED to make the best decisions for your treatment. This empowers your providers to treat the specific microbes that may be at fault rather than guessing or relying on outdated tests.
Better Outcomes
A healthcare provider (such as a doctor)empowered with the best answers diagnostic medicine can provide can make the BEST choice of antibiotic or antifungal. MicroGenDX’s superior diagnostics help the healthcare provider deliver targeted treatments, leading to better outcomes to you the patient.
What is a KEY?
“The advantage to MicroGenDX is that it gives us the right KEY!”
Nabeel Syed, M.D. - Texas Urology Specialists At MicroGenDX, our tests are like keys that UNLCOK the hidden causes of your infection. While traditional methods, like laboratory cultures, can leave you feeling locked out of answers, our tests provide the KEY to understanding your condition fully. Imagine your infection as a locked door – with MicroGenDX, you hold the key to unlocking it and discovering what's really going on. Healthcare Providers and Patients who test with MicroGenDX are provided the keys they need to open the door to the hidden causes of infections. Don't settle for old-fashioned methods that may leave you in the dark. Choose MicroGenDX, and let our tests be the KEY that opens the door to effective treatment and relief.
PCR vs NGS vs Laboratory Culture
In order to get the right KEY to unlock the real causes of your infection you must use the right technology. When you’re facing an infection doctors will use one of three technologies to identify the organisms that may be causing it. Those technologies are Culture (aka laboratory culture), Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), or Next-Generation DNA sequencing. Read more below to learn the difference between these three:
Laboratory Culture
Laboratory culture involves growing and maintaining live cells or organisms under controlled conditions in a laboratory setting, often in a petri dish. If you have ever grown something in a glass plate in science class, you have done a culture. Imagine cultivating a garden in a controlled environment, allowing researchers to observe and study the growth and behaviour of different organisms.
These cultures rely on organisms to be extracted from your infection and then grow on the plate. This can cause cultures to fail if the bacteria are unable to grow or die before they get to the plate. Add something about the susceptibility/validity of samples. Let’s talk about how they are very time and temperature-sensitive and have to survive all that to even grow.
According to Harvard University: “scientists have been able to grow in the lab, or “culture,” less than 1% of the bacterial species on Earth.” This means that many lab cultures may not grow the right organism or even fail to grow anything at all. For instance, urine cultures often result in ”no growth” or show ”mixed flora”, which doesn't help healthcare providers decide on treatment. So, it's important to understand that lab cultures might not always provide the full picture of your infection.
PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction)
PCR is a molecular biology technique used to amplify and detect specific DNA sequences. It works by making multiple copies of a targeted DNA region, enabling researchers to detect even small amounts of DNA.
PCR is rapid, sensitive, and highly specific, making it useful for diagnosing infections, genetic disorders, and identifying DNA variations.
The main drawback for PCR is that you must know which organisms you need/want to be looking for in advance before you search. You will only ever find exactly what you arelooking for, so if the cause of your infection is something the lab does not think to look for, they will never find it.
NGS (Next-Generation Sequencing)
NGS is a cutting-edge technology that allows for the sequencing of millions of DNA fragments simultaneously.
Unlike PCR, which focuses on specific DNA sequences, NGS provides a comprehensive analysis of the genomes of the organisms in an infectious sample.
NGS is incredibly powerful for identifying genetic mutations, understanding complex diseases, and personalized medicine applications.
NGS allows us to search for the bacteria or fungi that may be causing your infection against a database of 57,000 species. MicroGenDX has its own proprietary database carefully put together and reviewed by our team of scientists.
Conclusion
NGS is the superior technology for detecting infections as it can analyze millions of DNA fragments at once, catching a wide range of pathogens without needing prior knowledge. It's fast, can test many samples together, and can find multiple bacteria and fungi in one sample. This comprehensive and unbiased approach makes NGS better suited for infection detection compared to PCR and laboratory culture.