Molecular biology

Medical Head of Department:
Dr. med. Meike Voss
Prof. Dr. med. Nele Wellinghausen

Scientific and Technical Head of Department:
Dr. hum. biol. Reinhard Frodl

In the Molecular Biology department analyses focus on detecting widely ranging viral and bacterial pathogens through polymerase nuclear chain reaction (PCR). This revolutionary analytical method permits the very prompt reliable detection of many different pathogens in patient samples of very diverse origin and state. In accordance with current technology we mainly use reals time PCR in our department to diagnostically detect pathogens. This combines high sensitivity and specificity with short durations of analysis, high biosafety and a wide dynamic range with the option of quantitatively determining target nucleic acids. In all real time PCR analyses an additional internal check is performed for detecting bacterial or viral pathogens from natural material in order to be able to rule out a coamplified PCR inhibition.