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Published on: July 11, 2016
Traditional mould analysis compared to a DNA-based method of mould analysis
1United States Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati OH, USA. vesper.stephen@epa.gov
Abstract:
Traditional environmental mould analysis is based on microscopic observations and counting of mould structures collected from the air on a sticky surface or culturing of moulds on growth media for identification and quantification. These approaches have significant limitations. A DNA-based method of mould analysis called mould specific quantitative PCR (MSQPCR) was created for more than 100 moulds. Based on a national sampling and analysis by MSQPCR of dust in US homes, a scale for comparing the mould burden in homes was created called the Environmental Relative Mouldiness Index (ERMI).
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