Use of the Polymer Chain Reaction to Detect the Presence of the Lyme Disease Bacterium in Deer Ticks
Document Type
Honors Project
First Advisor
Dr. Stephen Baron
Degree Award Date
Fall 2001
Keywords
Polymer Chain Reaction, Detection, Lyme Disease Bacterium, Deer Ticks
Disciplines
Biology | Immunology and Infectious Disease | Laboratory and Basic Science Research
Abstract
In 1999 as part of a student project Polymerase chain reaction methods were used to amplify a segment of Borrelia burgdorferi DNA using primers for the ospA and ospB genes. To adequately assess the ability of a PCR detection of the bacterium serial dilutions of DNA were made and subjected to PCR using the ospA and ospB primers. We detected the predicted 925 hp PCR product when using a DNA template concentration of as low as 444 pg/μI. Additionally, the primers used for the PCR were run against genomic DNA extracted from 6 other bacteria including two bacterial isolates extracted from a tick itself. These results showed absence of the 925bp PCR product indicating that the primers are specific. We were unable to successfully culture the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria and methods of detecting a DNA band after the tick crushing and DNA extraction were unsuccessful even with modified procedures that are documented to work.
Recommended Citation
Bair, Ross, "Use of the Polymer Chain Reaction to Detect the Presence of the Lyme Disease Bacterium in Deer Ticks" (2001). Honors Projects. 374.
https://digitalcommons.bridgewater.edu/honors_projects/374