Molecular methodologies can be useful in the detection of a variety of diseases that are important public health issues. A few of the more commonly encountered tests include:
- Chlamydia trachomatis (CT)
- Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC)
- Human papillomavirus (HPV)
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
- Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV)
- Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
- Covid-19 (SARS-CoV-2)
- Influenza (A, B)
In many clinical laboratories, traditional methods have been replaced by methodologies because testing can occur for several pathogens in a single specimen. This process is known as multiplex testing.
"Multiplexing is the process of simultaneously detecting or identifying multiple biomarkers in a single diagnostic test."3
Specifically, in molecular (PCR) testing, two or more primer sets (designed for amplification of different targets) are included in the same mixture. This could mean that
- different pathogens might be targeted, or
- different regions of the same pathogen might be targeted.4
