Additional Information
Level of instruction: Intermediate
Intended audience: Medical laboratory scientists, medical technologists, and technicians, working in the microbiology section of the laboratory. This course is also appropriate for clinical laboratory science students and pathology residents.
Author information: Catherine Dragoni, MT(ASCP)SM received her BS degree in medical technology from the State University of New York, Upstate Medical Center, Syracuse. She began her career as a bench microbiologist at Maine Medical Center, Portland, Maine. Currently she is the Assistant Chief Technologist of Microbiology and Molecular Pathology at NorDx Laboratories, Scarborough, Maine.
Reviewer information: Dawn Morong, BS, MT(ASCP), CLS(NCA) received her BS degree from the University of New England, Biddeford, Maine. She is currently a Senior Medical Technologist at NorDx Laboratories in Scarborough, Maine.
Michele Marshall, MT(ASCP) received her BS degree in Medical Technology from the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, NY after performing a one year internship at Region’s (St. Paul Ramsey Medical Center) Hospital in St. Paul, MN. Michele worked for many years as a generalist before making the transition to her real passion in microbiology. Currently, she is the Laboratory Coordinator and the Microbiology Lead Technologist at Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick, Maine.
Course description: This course offers a historical look at the progression of molecular methods used in the clinical laboratory. The advantages of these molecular methods over traditional microbiology are discussed, along with the requirements and challenges faced during implementation in a routine clinical setting. Basic methods and molecular techniques are described, including the principle reactions of some assays of current interest for infectious diseases.