New Technology for the Diagnosis of Infectious Disease

Over the past two decades there has been an enormous advancement in molecular technology. We have witnessed the development of numerous new molecular biological techniques that are dramatically impacting the fields of biology and medicine. The developments in recombinant DNA technology and molecular hybridization techniques provide innovative tools and concepts that are opening up new fields of medical research (Young 1987; Fenoglio-Preiser and Willman 1987; Wolfe 1988; Smith 1989; Linder 1992). Similarly, advances in the field of immunology, such as the introduction of hybridoma technology, have literally revolutionized our understanding of the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and classification of many diseases at the cellular level (Edberg 1985; Smith et al. 1993). Together, immunological and molecular probes facilitate the identification and localization of a wide variety of antigens and nucleic acids, including structural proteins, hormones, specific receptors, and a variety of infectious agents. Many scientific disciplines are applying these achievement of biotechnology (Lowe 1986; Pfaller 1990; Narayanan 1992). The diagnosis and study of infectious diseases is one of the cardinal fields in which this technology is proving to be invaluable. Infectious diseases continue to produce extensive morbidity and mortality throughout the world, necessitating faster and more accurate technical methods for diagnosing, monitoring, and treatment.