MycoLight(TM) vPCR Star

MycoLight(TM) vPCR Star is the first commercial non-light-activated reagent that can be used to eliminate the false signal caused by dead cells in the PCR-based detection of viable bacterial and viral samples. It is effective and extremely convenient to use. Unlike Propidium monoazide (PMA), its activity does not require UV-light activation. MycoLight(TM) vPCR Star only penetrates cells with compromised cell membranes (non-viable cells) and reacts with DNA, rendering the DNA of dead cells unable to be amplified by PCR. MycoLight(TM) vPCR Star-based PCR has been shown to differentiate between non-viable and viable bacteria. It has been used to overcome the low selectivity in detecting bacteria and viruses based on its cell permeability. PMA is regularly used in vPCR detection of bacterial and viral samples. However, PMA's effectiveness requires strong UV irradiation of samples. UV irradiation is known to cause DNA damage and other detrimental effects to biological samples to be analyzed, thus resulting in inaccurate results (M. Kuick et al, Int J Mol Sci, 2020, 21(19), 7264, S. Kaur et al, Anal Chem, 2024, 2914-2921). In addition, UV irradiation requires operations carried out in the dark, which makes the sample analysis tedious and inconvenient with low throughput.