New Gel Documentation System Used in for Microbial Causes of Childhood Asthma

Syngene, a world-leading manufacturer of image analysis solutions, is pleased to announce its GeneFlash gel documentation system is being used at the highly respected University of Massachusetts in Amherst, MA, to help in a new study to determine if there is a link between Chlamydia pneumoniae and asthma.

Researchers in the Department of Microbiology at the University of Massachusetts are using the GeneFlash to visualise 298 bp PCR fragments of Chlamydia pneumoniae on ethidium bromide stained agarose gels. The PCR fragments are generated from pediatric bronchial tissue using specific Chlamydia pneumoniae primers. The long-term aim of this study is to improve treatment for asthmatics by showing that this bacterium is a contributing factor in their condition.