Development of a TaqMan Allelic Discrimination assay for detection of single nucleotides polymorphisms associated with anti-malarial drug resistance.

Background: Anti-malarial drug resistance poses a threat to current global efforts towards control and elimination of malaria. Several methods are used in monitoring anti-malarial drug resistance. Molecular markers such as single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) for example are increasingly being used to identify genetic mutations related to anti-malarial drug resistance.

Development of a highly sensitive genus-specific quantitative reverse transcriptase real-time PCR assay for detection and quantitation of plasmodium by amplifying RNA and DNA of the 18S rRNA genes.

A highly sensitive genus-specific quantitative reverse transcriptase real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) assay for detection of Plasmodium has been developed. The assay amplifies total nucleic acids (RNA and DNA) of the 18S rRNA genes with a limit of detection of 0.002 parasite/μl using cultured synchronized ring stage 3D7 parasites.