Diagnostic value of real-time capillary thermal cycler in virus detection.

Molecular-based detection methods such as PCR techniques have had a significant impact on the diagnosis of viral infections because of their superior sensitivity and rapid turnaround time. This review describes the use of real-time PCR on the capillary thermal cycler, the Roche LightCycler trade mark, for early disease detection in diagnostic virology. The advantages of using the LightCycler, the detection processes using SYBR Green I and different hybridization strategies will be discussed in detail, with specific examples drawn from our in-house viral assays. The use of the LightCycler for the investigation of two recent viral outbreaks in Singapore will also be briefly described.