During the Covid-19 pandemic, many diagnostic laboratories had to adapt by increasing testing capacity and implementing rigorous safety protocols for staff and patients

Our Molecular Pathology lab was established to keep up with testing demands, leveraging real-time PCR technology along with high-quality kits to accurately detect the Covid-19 virus in patient samples. The department achieved a 100% score in SARS-CoV-2 testing proficiency as assessed by the American Proficiency Institute during the period of testing

Molecular pathology departments perform nucleic-acid-based testing, which is the analysis of DNA, RNA, and proteins to detect mutations, gene expressions, and other molecular changes associated with diseases

PCR is a method used to amplify and detect specific DNA sequences, and is often employed in testing for infectious diseases like hepatitis B and hepatitis C

Real-time PCR technology quantifies the amount of DNA or RNA in a sample in real-time during the amplification process, allowing for a more accurate measurement of gene expression levels and viral load