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Virology Down Under

Facts, data, info, expert opinion and a reasonable, occasionally grumpy, voice on viruses: what they are, how they tick and the illnesses they may cause.

Category: Laboratory methods

Putting PCR into real-time

Posted onJanuary 2, 2021January 2, 20211 Comment

Three letters have been very busy in 2020: P. C. and R. The Polymerase Chain Reaction. It’s a tiny, thermally controlled, cyclical, enzyme-driven, chemical reaction which lets scientists identify the Read More …

CategoriesLaboratory methods, PCRTagsMicrobiology, Pathology laboratory

The mechanics of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)…a primer

Posted onDecember 28, 2020December 28, 2020Leave a comment

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a technique for copying a piece of DNA a billion-fold. As the name suggests, the process creates a chain of many pieces, in this Read More …

CategoriesDNA, Laboratory methods, PCRTagsdiagnostics, DNA Down Under (DDU)

Yes, PCR tests can detect “the COVID virus”

Posted onAugust 4, 2020September 14, 2020111 Comments

I was asked to write some comments for a fact check article about some of the myths going around about PCR-based testing and whether PCR tests can detect “the COVID Read More …

CategoriesCommunication, Debunking, DNA, Laboratory methods, PCR, SARS-CoV-2TagsRT-PCR, RT-rPCR

And another thing…on false positives

Posted onJune 29, 2020June 29, 202025 Comments

Sometimes the full story can’t fit into a media article. A lot of words can be said during an interview with a journalist but sometimes it’s just really hard to Read More …

CategoriesCoronavirus, COVID-19, Laboratory methods, PCR

Kits and reagents and viruses

Posted onApril 12, 2020October 30, 202012 Comments

The COVID-19 pandemic has driven use of the words “kit” and “reagent”. I completely feel for you if you still have no real idea of what is meant by these Read More …

CategoriesCOVID-19, Laboratory methods, PCR, SARS-CoV-2

Viral pneumonia cluster in Wuhan, central China: 44 cases and counting

Posted onJanuary 3, 2020January 4, 20205 Comments

Welcome to 2020 in which we already have reports of our first cluster of viral-pneumonia-of-unknown-cause cases, generating worldwide media and evoking memories of the sudden acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus Read More …

CategoriesCluster, outbreak, emergence, Laboratory methods, Virus discoveryTagsChina, Hubei, Viral pneumonia, Wuhan

The 2019 Flunami was more than just increased testing

Posted onAugust 15, 2019August 16, 2019Leave a comment

The Flunami (see a definition here before you decide upon your own dear reader) has been a rising tide of influenza cases. It was more than just increased testing though. Read More …

CategoriesInfluenza, Laboratory methodsTags131K, A/H3N2, Australia, flu season, flunami, H1N1, H1N1pdmo09, H3N2, phylogeny

PCR primers…a primer!

Posted onMay 5, 2015September 14, 2020Leave a comment

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR, described here) works mainly because of two components – a heat-stable DNA polymerase enzyme (adds new nucleotides to a chain of nucleotides) and a pair Read More …

CategoriesLaboratory methods, PCRTagsmismatch, PCR, polymerase chain reaction, primers, RT-PCR

Recent Posts

  • Putting PCR into real-time January 2, 2021
  • The mechanics of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)…a primer December 28, 2020
  • The Swiss cheese infographic that went viral December 26, 2020
  • Happy Festive Season to all who read this…. December 24, 2020
  • The “false-positive PCR” problem is not a problem November 22, 2020
  • More testing shows more iceberg October 29, 2020
  • Sigh, yes, the ‘COVID virus’ is real October 6, 2020
  • Yes, PCR tests can detect “the COVID virus” August 4, 2020
  • And another thing…on false positives June 29, 2020
  • Rhinovirus rampant or testing triumphant? June 27, 2020
  • We don’t yet know the origin story for SARS-CoV-2 May 4, 2020
  • Kits and reagents and viruses April 12, 2020
  • COVID-19 cases slow a little in Australia March 27, 2020
  • COVID-19 is not a virus, but SARS-CoV-2 is March 21, 2020
  • Politically infectious period March 20, 2020

All opinions are my own and do not represent medical advice or the views of any institution.

All graphics made by me are free-to-use. Please just cite the particular page, blog and me. A heads-up would be nice, but that can happen later.

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Regular reads…

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  • Crawford Kilian’s infectious disease blog
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  • HealthMap
  • STAT News
  • CIDRAP-timely infectious disease reporting
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  • Kai Kupferschmidt
  • Martin Enserink
  • EpiRamblings

 

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