Using Loops to Jump Through Hoops in Flaviviridae

Abstract

Recent advances in diagnostic testing measures are crucial in determining infection rates in large populations. For Deer Tick Virus (DTV), a member of Flaviviridae, there has been minimal amounts of testing since its prevalence in recent decades. Here we examine recently developed loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) primers that target the RNA-dependent RNA-polymerase at the terminal end of the polycistron. This sequence is highly conserved across the genus and can provide addition diagnostic potential when considering testing where multiple viruses are endemic to a region. The benefits of using LAMP are increasingly useful in the diagnostic setting where rapid results are needed, and low-cost care is required without use of a thermocycler. We also investigate the possibility of a new type of multiplex LAMP assay that could advance upon our current findings of sequence homology within the viral family. We intend to report upon the progress to implement this technology as a bioinformatics program that can be utilized for further multiplex LAMP testing in vitro.