PCR, LAMP, Elisa, TDR… The world of biological tests is populated by obscure acronyms, which are all techniques and varied uses. Le Figaro takes stock.
● PCR and LAMP, in search of the viral genome
What they are looking for . The genome of the virus. They therefore indicate whether the patient is a carrier at the time the test is performed. We analyze upper respiratory tract cells (nasopharyngeal sample), more rarely lower (bronchoalveolar lavage, with a liquid injected into the bronchi and then recovered).
Read also: Coronavirus: how many PCR tests are we really doing in France?
How it works. The viral genome is amplified (the quantity of genetic material of the virus is multiplied), then specific sequences identified. In PCR (polymerase chain reaction), the sample is heated and cooled several times; in the LAMP ( loop-mediated isothermal amplification in English) tests , the target sequence is amplified at constant temperature, then an added nucleotide (basic element of DNA) which allows the result to be read by
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