Elucidating transmission dynamics for soil-transmitted helminths based on environmental DNA analysis

目标：土传蠕虫特异性DNA检测方法的改进通过对数据库中已知的致STH寄生虫的DNA序列进行分析，设计了适合于STH检测的探针，并利用线粒体COX 1基因设计了土壤样品的环境DNA检测方法。在预期的扩增长度（约100 ~ 200 bp）内设计特异性引物和探针，对蠕虫（靶标和非靶标）DNA进行检测，结果表明该方法具有较高的特异性。然而，它需要提高的灵敏度，为检测少量的目标DNA通常发现eDNA.We现在正在研究一种新的技术，基于多探针检测，提高了灵敏度的检测而不损失的特异性（如我们的团队在检测的EDNA从水样品中的猫尾后睾吸虫）。

Goal: Improvement of soil transmitted helminths-specific DNA detection method.The analyses of DNA sequences of the parasite species causing STH retrieved from the database allowed us to develop suitable probes for STH detection.We designed the environmental DNA detection assay for soil samples, using mitochondrial COX1 gene. The specific sets of primers and probes were designed within an expected short length of the amplified DNA (about 100 to 200 bp).Tests using DNA extracted from adult worms (target and non-target) showed the assays are suitable with a high specificity. However, it needs improvement on the sensitivity, for detection of small quantities of target DNA usually found eDNA.We are now working on a new technique based in multi-probe detection which increases the sensitivity of the assay without loss in specificity (as reported by our group in detection of Opisthorchis viverrini in eDNA from water samples).