A point-of-care diagnostic for tuberculosis

Alzeer, Suzan Abdullah A. 2025. A point-of-care diagnostic for tuberculosis. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University. Item availability restricted.

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Abstract

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a significant global health concern, requiring rapid and accurate detection methods for effective diagnosis and prompt treatment. This research builds on previous studies to advance the development of a point-of-care (POC) assay for the rapid identification of M. tuberculosis, employing the BCG strain of M. bovis as a surrogate model. A microwave-assisted DNA extraction technique was optimised to rapidly release DNA from M. bovis suspended in water and in simulated sputum containing methylcellulose to mimic the viscosity of respiratory samples. DNA probes specific for the IS6110 and IS1081 gene targets were developed, attached to magnetic nanoparticles, and assessed for their ability to capture target DNA in different sample volumes. The sensitivity and specificity of the assay were optimised, resulting in a reduction in the time taken to identify M. bovis positively. The sensitivity of the approach was further enhanced by increasing the sample volume from 200 μL to 10,000 μL. This microwave-based method yielded faster results than conventional methods, such as culture and PCR. Our results suggest that there is potential to further increase assay sensitivity and reduce detection time, ultimately leading to the development of a rapid, sensitive assay for the detection of M. bovis and M. tuberculosis.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Date Type:	Completion
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Schools > Pharmacy
Subjects:	Q Science > Q Science (General)
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	23 June 2025
Last Modified:	23 Jun 2025 14:02
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/179253

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