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Assays for the Identification of Novel Antivirals against Bluetongue Virus
Published on: October 11, 2013
Application of CGE to virus identification.
Julia A Fruetel1, Victoria A VanderNoot
1Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA, USA. jfruet@sandia.gov
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|September 15, 2012
Summary
We developed a rapid microfluidic chip gel electrophoresis method for identifying viruses by analyzing unique viral protein profiles. This technique quickly distinguishes between different viruses and even closely related strains.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Analytical Chemistry
- Virology
Background:
- Protein profiling aids in characterizing protein populations and identifying microorganisms.
- Traditional methods like 2D gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry are often used for microbial identification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a rapid method for identifying viruses using microfluidic chip gel electrophoresis (CGE).
- To generate unique viral protein profiles for classification and discrimination.
Main Methods:
- Viral proteins were solubilized and fluorescently labeled.
- Analysis was performed using the μChemLab™ CGE system, taking approximately 10 minutes.
- A Bayesian classification approach was employed for data analysis.
Main Results:
- Reproducible and visually distinct protein profiles were generated for various viruses.
- The method successfully identified MS2 bacteriophage, Epstein-Barr virus, Respiratory Syncytial virus, and Vaccinia virus.
- Closely related T2 and T4 bacteriophages were effectively discriminated.
Conclusions:
- Microfluidic CGE offers a fast and effective approach for viral identification.
- This method provides unique protein profiles for classifying and differentiating viral species and strains.
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