Methods and apparatus for genetic evaluation
First Claim
1. A system, comprising:
- a) a mass spectrometer for obtaining a mass spectrum signal of a nucleic acid amplification product of an unknown bioagent, wherein said mass spectrum signal corresponds to a molecular mass of said nucleic acid amplification product, and wherein said nucleic acid amplification product is delineated by a primer set;
b) a signal processor for;
i) converting said mass spectrum signal to a base composition wherein said base composition identifies the number of, but not the nucleic acid gene sequence order of, A residues, C residues, T residues, and G residues in said amplification product,ii) comparing said base composition of said nucleic acid amplification product of said unknown bioagent with a plurality of base compositions of virtual nucleic acid amplicons of known bioagents, wherein said virtual nucleic acid amplicons are delineated by said primer set, and wherein said base compositions of said virtual nucleic acid amplicons of known bioagents identify the number of, but not the nucleic acid gene sequence order of, A residues, C residues, T residues, and G residues in said virtual nucleic acid amplicons of known bioagents, andiii) detecting a match of said base composition of said nucleic acid amplification product of said unknown bioagent with a base composition from said plurality of base compositions of virtual nucleic acid amplicons of known bioagents;
wherein said signal processor generates a report identifying said unknown bioagent based on said match.
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Abstract
Rapid and definitive bioagent detection and identification can be carried out without nucleic acid sequencing. Analysis of a variety of bioagents and samples, such as air, fluid, and body samples, can be carried out to provide information useful for industrial, medical, and environmental purposes. Nucleic acid samples of unknown or suspected bioagents may be collected, optimal primer pairs may be selected, and the nucleic acid may be amplified. Expected mass spectra signal models may be generated and selected, the actual mass spectra of the amplicons may be obtained. The expected mass spectra most closely correlating with the actual mass spectra may be determined using a joint maximum likelihood analysis, and base counts for the actual mass spectra and the expected mass spectra may be obtained. The most likely candidate bioagents may then be determined.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A system, comprising:
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a) a mass spectrometer for obtaining a mass spectrum signal of a nucleic acid amplification product of an unknown bioagent, wherein said mass spectrum signal corresponds to a molecular mass of said nucleic acid amplification product, and wherein said nucleic acid amplification product is delineated by a primer set; b) a signal processor for; i) converting said mass spectrum signal to a base composition wherein said base composition identifies the number of, but not the nucleic acid gene sequence order of, A residues, C residues, T residues, and G residues in said amplification product, ii) comparing said base composition of said nucleic acid amplification product of said unknown bioagent with a plurality of base compositions of virtual nucleic acid amplicons of known bioagents, wherein said virtual nucleic acid amplicons are delineated by said primer set, and wherein said base compositions of said virtual nucleic acid amplicons of known bioagents identify the number of, but not the nucleic acid gene sequence order of, A residues, C residues, T residues, and G residues in said virtual nucleic acid amplicons of known bioagents, and iii) detecting a match of said base composition of said nucleic acid amplification product of said unknown bioagent with a base composition from said plurality of base compositions of virtual nucleic acid amplicons of known bioagents; wherein said signal processor generates a report identifying said unknown bioagent based on said match. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification