Internal control for nucleic acid testing based on the use of purified Bacillus atrophaeus subsp. globigii spores.

Commonly used internal controls (ICs) to monitor the efficiency of nucleic acid testing (NAT) assays do not allow verification of nucleic acid extraction efficiency. Since microbial cells are often difficult to lyse, it is important to ensure that nucleic acids are efficiently extracted from any target organism. For this purpose, we developed a cellular IC based on the use of nonpathogenic Bacillus spores.