At MicroGenDX our motto is:
“Superior Diagnostics. Targeted Treatments. Better Outcomes.”
Here’s what that means:
Superior Diagnostics
We harness the power of 21st-century breakthroughs, such as Next-Generation-Sequencing (NGS), to pinpoint the exact culprits behind your infection. By delving into the DNA of bacteria and Fungi with NGS, we are able to detect with levels of precision and speed unmatched by conventional techniques. While many labs remain stuck in the past, relying on centuries old technology, we are firmly committed to advancing diagnostic technology. MicroGenDX is bringing the future of diagnostics into reality.
Targeted Treatments
By comparing the results of our advanced database of over 60,000 Bacteria and Fungi, we can provide your healthcare providers with the answers they NEED to make the best decisions for your treatment. Providers empowered by NGS test results from MicroGenDX don't need to guess how to treat, they know exactly what species are present and what antibiotics can be used. Don't let your doctor rely on outdated tests, demand the best!
Better Outcomes
A healthcare provider (like your doctor) empowered with the best answers diagnostic medicine can provide, can pick the most appropriate antibiotic or antifungal for treatment. MicroGenDX's superior diagnostics helps healthcare providers deliver targeted treatments designed to address the key species identified during testing, leading to better outcomes.
What is a KEY?
“The advantage to MicroGenDX is that it gives us the right KEY!”
Nabeel Syed, M.D. - Texas Urology Specialists At MicroGenDX, we think of our tests as “KEYS” that unlock the hidden causes of an infection. That is why so many of our products have a -KEY name. While traditional methods, like laboratory cultures, can leave you feeling locked away from answers, our tests provide the KEY to understanding your condition. Imagine your infection as a locked door, you may feel trapped and you've likely made multiple attempts to free yourself with other testing or treatment. Unfortunately, traditional testing often falls short of providing the answers you and your healthcare provider really need, failing to unlock the door and keeping you trapped. MicroGenDX testing, unburdened by the limitations of culture or PCR, gives you the key to unlocking that door. With the door unlocked, you and your provider will have a much better understanding of what's going on, so that your provider will finally be able to properly treat you. Don't settle for outdated methods that fail millions. Choose MicroGenDX, and let our tests be the KEY that opens the door to effective treatment and relief.
PCR vs NGS vs Laboratory Culture
In order to get the right KEY to unlocking the real causes behind your infection, you need the right technology. When you're facing an infection, doctors will use one of 3 technologies to identify the organism(s) at cause. Those technologies are: Culture (aka Laboratory Culture), Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), or Next-Generation-Sequencing (NGS). Read more below to find out how Culture, PCR, and NGS differ.
Laboratory Culture
Laboratory Culture involves growing and maintaining live cells or organisms under strictly controlled laboratory settings, most often in petri dishes. Imagine cultivating a garden in a controlled environment, where researchers observe and study the growth and behavior of different organisms.
These cultures rely on organisms extracted from your infection growing on plates or dishes. For a sample to be effectively cultured, strict conditions for specimen collection, storage, and transit must be met. Failing to meet these exacting criteria can impact the quality of the culture and any diagnostic results from it. For example, Samples for culture left at room temperature or in outside collection boxes often exceed safe time and temperature regulations set by American Society of Microbiology (ASM) or Clinical & Laboratory Safety Institute (CLSI).
According to Harvard University: “scientists have been able to grow in the lab, or “culture,” less than 1% of the bacterial species on Earth.” This means that many lab cultures may not grow the right organism or even fail to grow anything at all. For instance, urine cultures often result in “no growth” or show “mixed flora,” which doesn't help healthcare providers decide on treatment. So, it's important to understand that lab cultures might not always provide the full picture of your infection.
PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction)
PCR is a molecular biology technique used to amplify and detect specific DNA sequences. It works by making multiple copies of a targeted DNA region, enabling researchers to detect even small amounts of DNA.
PCR is rapid, sensitive, and highly specific, making it useful for diagnosing infections, genetic disorders, and identifying DNA variations.
The main drawback for PCR is that you need to know what organisms you are/want to be looking for in advance of the test. Most PCR testing looks for a predefined list of species, and if the pathogen causing your infection is not on the list, it won't be found. Think of PCR like a police sketchbook, where a set number of pictures are shown and the answer is suspected to be one of those shown. When using PCR, if a species is not expected, it won't be detected.
NGS (Next-Generation Sequencing)
NGS is a cutting-edge technology that allows for the sequencing of millions of DNA fragments simultaneously.
Unlike PCR which looks for specific DNA sequences, NGS provides a comprehensive analysis of the genomes present. If PCR is a police sketchbook, then NGS is like the national fingerprint or DNA database.
NGS is incredibly powerful for identifying genetic mutations, understanding complex diseases, and personalized medicine applications.
NGS allows us to search for the bacteria or fungi that be causing your infection against our proprietary database of over 60K species. MicroGenDX maintains the most comprehensive database of bacteria and fungi, and is carefully curated by our team of expert scientists.
Conclusion
NGS is the superior technology for detecting infections as it can analyze millions of DNA fragments at once, catching a wide range of pathogens without needing prior knowledge. It's fast, can test many samples together, and can find multiple bacteria and fungi in one sample. This comprehensive and unbiased approach makes NGS better suited for infection detection compared to PCR and laboratory culture.